We describe members of the great mammalian order Carnivora as carnivores, as eaters of meat. Indeed, the Latin name translates as such. Yet, compared to some other predatory groups, carnivores are almost vegetarians. Almost all members of the order take some plant food, and the Giant Panda is a strict herbivore—an eater of bamboo! Of course, the members of the Carnivora are grouped together because they are evolutionarily related more closely to each other than they are to other animals, not because of their diets. Even a short search among our Chihuahuan Desert inhabitants will bring up better candidates for creatures strictly bound to animal prey.
Our snakes, for example, and as with snakes everywhere, enjoy an
all-animal diet, with not a hint of plant material unless carried within the digestive
system of a plant eater that was swallowed whole. And if you prefer animals restricted
to a liquid diet, our spiders fill the bill nicely, subsisting solely on the juices of
their prey. Don't judge a book by its cover nor an animal's diet by its
name.
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.