A consumer that eats both plants and animals is called what?

A consumer that eats both plants and animals is called what?

• A. Herbivore
• B. Carnivore
• C. Omnivore
• D. Detritivore

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how organisms classify feeding habits by what they eat. If an organism eats both plant material and animal tissue, it is an omnivore. This combines plant-eating and meat-eating into one strategy, useful when resources vary. For example, humans, bears, and pigs often eat both vegetation and meat. A creature that only eats plants is a herbivore; one that only eats animals is a carnivore; and a detritivore feeds on dead organic matter.

The idea being tested is how organisms classify feeding habits by what they eat. If an organism eats both plant material and animal tissue, it is an omnivore. This combines plant-eating and meat-eating into one strategy, useful when resources vary. For example, humans, bears, and pigs often eat both vegetation and meat. A creature that only eats plants is a herbivore; one that only eats animals is a carnivore; and a detritivore feeds on dead organic matter.