How different animals eat. Animals and their food - the most unusual ways of subsistence
Animals surround us everywhere we go. They live everywhere: in forests and deserts, in mountains and oceans, in the ground and in the air, and even among the eternal snows.
Animals make up more than three-quarters of all species on the globe, and they are all so different!
Animals differ from each other in size, body shape, and color. Thanks to this, the bear is not at all like a grasshopper, although they are representatives of the same animal world.
Like all living organisms (including plants), animals breathe, eat, grow, reproduce and die. The main feature that distinguishes animals from all other living beings is the ability to move: they run, jump, crawl, fly, swim. This is how they find food, escape from enemies, and look for a place and partners for reproduction.
There are about two million animal species known on the globe.
What do animals eat? Let's take a closer look.
For example, pollen and nectar are the best treats for a bee. Hares eat succulent shoots of plants, grass, and tree bark. All kinds of algae serve as food for tench. All these animals are called herbivores because they feed on plants.
But wolves are indifferent to plants, because their diet consists of hares, roe deer, and wild pigs. The owl destroys mice in huge quantities, and the ladybug eats other insects, such as aphids. All these animals feed on other animals and are called carnivores. However, in nature there are also omnivores that feed on both plants and other animals. These include ants, bears, sparrows, crucian carp and many others.
All living things need food, so animals have to depend on each other to survive. The sun provides vital energy to plants that serve as food for herbivores. Herbivores, in turn, become prey for predators. If herbivores die from lack of food (or for another reason), then the predators that feed on them die or move to where they can find food. Such food connections are called a food chain.
For example, a sweet, fragrant strawberry ripened in the forest, and a slug crawling past decided to feast on it. Before he had time to eat, he himself became the prey of a hungry toad. Having eaten, the toad decided to rest in the shade, but was immediately attacked by a viper, which after a while was caught and eaten by the hedgehog. Thus, strawberries, slugs, toads, vipers and hedgehogs are links in this food chain.
Similar food connections can be observed everywhere in nature, and the important thing is that the first link of the food chain is always a plant, the second is a herbivore, and the remaining links are carnivorous animals.
Here's another example:
A whole field of rye had ripened, the vole mouse began to stock up for the winter, filled its cheeks with grains, ran into a hole, and on the way it was caught by a snake. Before the snake had time to swallow the mouse, an eagle landed on it from the air and carried it off to its nest. Here's another food chain.
The natural world is extremely diverse. Each species is adapted to living in special conditions. You can find the lifestyle features of some animals in the section of our website. And in this article we will look at what animals eat.
Wild animals
Scientists include all species of animals for which wild nature is considered their natural habitat. Within this concept, animals can be classified according to various criteria. Each type has its own characteristics. You can find out about some of them in the section of our website.
When it comes to nutrition, most wild animals eat differently depending on the time of year. For example, many mountain animals feed on grass from meadows in summer. In winter, representatives of these species have to descend from rocky peaks into mountain forests. There they can feed on leaves, twigs and moss.
Many wild animals hibernate in winter. For example, bears consume large quantities of food (mostly of plant origin) in the summer and autumn. They eat berries, tubers, bulbs, mushrooms, nuts, acorns, and less commonly, insects and honey. As the air temperature drops, the bear finds a place for a den. He sleeps until spring, using up accumulated fat. The exception would be the polar bear. It is a predator by nature and does not hibernate.
There are other animals whose sleep saves them from lack of food. For example, bats and marmots can sleep for about 6-8 months. Squirrels can also go to sleep in their nests, but only on the coldest days. During the rest of the winter, they feed on supplies collected over the summer and autumn. Squirrels mainly feed on various types of nuts, seeds, cones, berries and some fruits.
Hares love to eat grass in the summer. In the cold season, when grasses are not widely available, they can easily feed on tree bark, thin twigs, seeds, berries, and young shoots of plants. Scientists note that among the hares there are also those who can catch field mice and eat other available meat.
Foxes and wolves are typical predators. Throughout the year, they track and catch prey among smaller and weaker animals. Foxes feed on rodents, birds, and sometimes herbs, berries and roots. Wolves hunt larger representatives of the animal world such as elk, deer, wild boar, roe deer, and antelope.
Pets
Domestic animals are animals that have been domesticated by humans. A person keeps them near his home or directly in it, providing food and water. Most representatives of these species are designed to benefit people or brighten up their leisure time. The first category includes farm animals such as cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, etc. They are raised specifically for the production of meat, fur, milk, etc. The second category includes animals such as: dogs, cats, hamsters , parrots, etc.
The diet of domestic animals is less susceptible to changes depending on the time of year. This is due to the fact that domestic animals do not have to obtain food on their own. The person provides all the necessary food to the animals themselves.
Most often, special balanced feeds are produced in developed countries. Farm animals are given feed. Whole series of feeds are being developed for animals that live with humans. Nutrition must meet all the needs of the animal’s body. For example, food for cats whose offspring are predators must necessarily contain meat. But this is far from the only component.
The largest food manufacturers are ready to offer pet owners even special medicinal foods that are aimed at maintaining certain organs and systems. For example, food has already been developed for cats:
- to facilitate the period of adaptation in stressful situations;
- for oral hygiene;
- for diabetes mellitus;
- for digestive disorders;
- for liver diseases;
- for food allergies;
- for obesity;
- with chronic renal failure;
- for urolithiasis, etc.
- Learn about different ways of feeding animals.
- Divide animals into groups according to their feeding methods.
- Determine the animal's place in the food chain.
- To instill in students a love for animals. .
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- 1. Based on knowledge about animals, talk about the food that animals eat.
- 2. Divide animals into groups according to feeding methods.
- 3. Learn to create a food chain.
- 4. Cultivate in children a love for animals.
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US scientists from the University of Utah presented the remains of a new species of herbivorous dinosaur. According to the researchers, they were surprised to see that the animal's skull was perfectly preserved. This type of dinosaur had
800 teeth , scientists called it “gryposaurus”, from the Latin “curved beak”, since the shape of the structure of the animal’s skull is very unusual, it bends upward. Researchers say the new discovery will shed light on what life was like in this region of the Americas millions of years before the dinosaurs went extinct.
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Answer: 800 teeth.
Tell me, why are teeth needed?
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ANSWER:
1. Teeth help kill prey .(predators)
2. Teeth help hold prey.
3.To chew food.
4.To inject poison (snakes).
5. Smile beautifully (person)
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There are teeth.
- Incisors
- Fangs
- Permanent teeth.
- Baby teeth
Permanent teeth
- Permanent teeth
- Permanent teeth
- Permanent teeth
- Permanent teeth
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This is interesting…
- The puppy is born toothless: the first incisors and then the canines appear at the age of 3-4 weeks, first in the upper and then in the lower jaw. At the age of 2-4 months, the primary incisors grow. As the premaxillary and mandibular bones increase, a gap appears between the primary incisors. Primary incisors change from the age of two months. Primary canines are replaced by permanent ones at the age of 4.5-6 months. In 6-7 month old puppies, the primary and permanent canines are often visible at the same time. Thus, An eight-month-old puppy already has all its permanent teeth.
Characteristic dental formula of a dog:
42 teeth:
12 incisors, 4 canines, 2 false roots and
24 indigenous.
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Draw a table in your notebook.
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Based on the variety of food that a bear eats, it can be classified as omnivore animals, although in terms of the structure of its teeth it is a typical predator. Animal food is of secondary importance in the life of a bear. Basically, he feeds on plant products, willingly eating various wild berries: blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries, raspberries.
Let's check your work
Carnivores
Predators
Herbivores
Omnivores
1 bear
2 whale lice
![](https://i2.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_30.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_31.jpg)
Answer: Nutrients, organic substances.
Humans and animals receive ready-made organic substances from food, which are absorbed by the body.
![](https://i1.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_32.jpg)
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Let's check your work again
Carnivores
Predators
Herbivores
Omnivores
1 bear
2 people
2 whale lice
![](https://i2.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_37.jpg)
Compile a digestion chart in your notebook.
Nutrient absorption
substances by the body
Food
Removing undigested
leftovers
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Food
Nutrient absorption
substances by the body
Removing undigested
leftovers
![](https://i0.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_39.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_40.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/arhivurokov.ru/kopilka/uploads/user_file_568e03a5a685a/img_user_file_568e03a5a685a_41.jpg)
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- 1. What groups of animals do you know based on their feeding habits?
- 2. Are there any animals that need your care and protection?
- 3.What do animals need to live?
- 4. How are animals and plants related in nature?
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- § 17.
- Page 88 complete the task in your notebook.
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Municipal educational institution "May Gymnasium of the Belgorod region
Belgorod region"
Lesson on the course “The world around us” in 3rd grade on the topic:
"How Animals Eat"
Conducted by a primary school teacher
Dubrovina Natalya Valerievna
2015
Lesson topic: How animals eat.
Goals:
Educational: To promote a caring attitude towards animals and nature in general.
Educational: Create conditions for developing the ability to classify animals according to their feeding method, identify adaptations characteristic of each type of feeding, draw up food chains and explain their interrelationships.
Educational: To promote the development of competent speech, voluntary attention, logical thinking, to promote the ability to work in a group or pair.
Formation of UUD:
Personal – the ability to self-assess based on the criterion of success in educational activities.
Regulatory – the ability to determine and formulate the purpose of the lesson; pronounce, formulate conclusions; express and justify your opinion.
Communicative e – the ability to express one’s thoughts orally, listen and accept someone else’s point of view, and jointly negotiate.
Cognitive – the ability to navigate the knowledge system, distinguish the new from the already known, acquire new knowledge, find answers to questions, using your life experience and information received in the lesson.
Planned results:
Subject:
Know herbivores, omnivores and carnivores
Be able to work with text and independently obtain information
Be able to group animals according to essential characteristics
Personal:
Be able to conduct self-assessment based on the criterion of success of educational activities
Metasubject:
Regulatory – be able to determine the learning task in the lesson; evaluate the correctness of the decision at the level of adequate assessment; tell your opinion.
Communication – be able to express your thoughts orally; listen and understand the opinions of others.
Cognitive – be able to navigate your knowledge system; distinguish the new from the already known, gain new knowledge, find answers to questions using your life experience and the text of the textbook.
Lesson type: a lesson in “discovering” new knowledge.
Place of the lesson in the curriculum:
Lesson 20 on the section “Kingdoms of Nature”, lesson 4 on the topic “Animals”
Methods: active, partially search, explanatory - illustrative.
Forms of organization: group, frontal, individual.
Equipment:
Computer, multimedia projector;
Classification schemes;
Task cards;
Textbook, workbook;
Support diagrams;
Reference literature (dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference books).
1. Organizational moment
The lesson is unusual. Guests will be present at the lesson. Greet them.
Are you ready for the lesson? Are you ready to work at full capacity? Then let's start the lesson.
2. Determining the general theme of the lesson series “Animals are living beings”
Close your eyes and listen. (recording “Sounds of Nature (Zoo)” is played)(Slide 2)
You probably guessed what and who we will talk about in the lesson?
Yes, you and I will continue to study the animal world.
3. Checking homework
Before we find out the topic of our lesson, let's check how you have learned the material from previous lessons. Questions on the screen. In front of you are pieces of paper on which you will mark + or -
All animals breathe oxygen.
An elephant has fur.
Spiders are insects.
Man is a mammal.
Insects breathe using their lungs.
All animals reproduce.
All fish do not care about their offspring.
The whale is a big fish.
The squid helped people invent the jet engine.
The toad can breathe through its skin.
(Slide 3)
Check. Raise your hand if you have all the answers correct.
4. Determining the topic of the lesson
Look at the blackboard. We need to supplement this scheme.
EATING!
So today we will study the nutrition of animals.
Open your textbooks to page 102 and read the topic of the lesson.
5.Define the objectives of the lesson:
Learn something new about animal nutrition,
Get acquainted with devices for feeding animals;
Find out into which groups animals can be divided according to their feeding method.
6. Determine ways to achieve the goal:
Work from a textbook, from a notebook, in pairs, groups, independently.
7. Independent work using the textbook: reading the article on pp. 102 – 103.
What groups can animals be divided into based on type of nutrition?
In addition to those groups that are listed in the textbook, there is also a group calledscavengers.
In order to learn more about each group of animals, I suggest dividing into groups.
8. Work in groups: (Slide 7)
Choose a representative;
Take the reference sheets with the assignment from the teacher;
Work from a textbook, encyclopedia, notebook;
Protect your group's work.
9. Defense of group work, discussion: (Slides 8 – 12)
10. Physical education minute (Slide 13)
11. Consolidating knowledge about groups of organisms using a game technique: (Slides 14 – 18)
A) Representatives of all groups were invited to our lesson, but, unfortunately, they could not come, but sent us telegrams. Our task is to determine who the authors of the telegrams are.
№ 1. We are the friendliest. We love to live in peace and friendship with other creatures! We will never eat other animals!
№ 2. We are the most merciless! There is no escape from us, especially when we are hungry. My teeth and claws itch.
№ 3. Many people despise us, but we are the orderlies of the planet. Without us, the Earth will quickly turn into a landfill!
№ 4. We will eat everything that is suitable for nutrition, without even thinking about it.
№ 5. And we are selfish! We adore ourselves! We feed ourselves with the farmer's food! But we don’t understand predators: we want to see their owners alive!
B) Distribute animals by type of food (work in pairs).
(Students fill out the table on pre-issued cards, distributing animals into food groups; a list of animals is attached.)
The correct answers are projected on the screen.
12. Incorporating new knowledge into the system:
Where can we use the knowledge we have gained today?
On tests;
In life (for example, in the forest when meeting an unfamiliar animal);
When drawing up food chains.
13. Drawing up food chains:
Since there is time left, I suggest playing. Try to make food chains using the knowledge you learned today.
14. General conclusion about the lesson:
Students draw conclusions from the lesson:
All animals provide themselves with food using ready-made organic substances; feeding methods are varied.
Animals have a variety of adaptations for capturing prey. Food is the main source of energy for animal and human life.
15. Homework: drawing up food chains using the largest number of links.
16. Element of environmental education:
Guys, think about what will happen if one of the links in the food chain disappears? (The entire chain will be completely destroyed.)
Do you think humans have the right to destroy links in the food chain?
Does the animal world need human protection or not?
There is a poster “Animal World” on the board, and on your tables there are palms made of colored paper.
Those guys who believe that the animal world needs human protection, attach your palms to the poster, and those who believe that nature does not need your protection can leave these palms on their tables.
Look, all the guys in our class decided that the animal world needs human protection. This is cool!
17. Reflection:
I really liked how you worked during the lesson, both independently and in pairs and in groups. Well done! Did you like it?
Then I will ask you to continue the sentences you see on the screen:
(Slide 25)
I like it…..
I found it interesting...
I found out (learned) that...
Thank you for the lesson!