Do you know what are the characteristics that distinguish omnivores from other animals? Here we are going to talk about them and you will meet some specimens. Something that you can learn about these animals is that there are omnivorous mammals, as well as other species that have been forced to adapt in order to survive the different natural or human-caused changes. 
What are omnivorous animals?
Omnivorous animals are those animals that have a mixed diet, this means that they can eat the meat of other animals and at the same time they can also base their diet on some vegetables. These animals have an organism perfectly capable of being able to assimilate these two food varieties without any problem, unlike other animals that are exclusively carnivorous or herbivorous.
The body of these animals has been adapting in such a way that it can be easy for them to eat both diets. Their teeth are perfectly trained to be able to chew meat and vegetables without problems, this means that their molars are specially designed to eat vegetables, while their incisors are the same as those of animals that eat only meat.
Keep in mind that there is a wide variety of carnivorous animals that can consume some other plants, especially in the most difficult hunting seasons. Likewise, there are some herbivores that due to unrelated circumstances also consume some proteins. However, these are not considered omnivorous animals, because to be so, their diet must necessarily consist of both eating styles.
Characteristics of omnivorous animals
Omnivores are animals that have a diet that consists of the meat of other animals and various vegetables, this makes them perfectly adaptable animals and, even if they have to change their habitat drastically, they will be able to feed without problems since, if they do not find animal food, they will be able to consume vegetable food until they can fully adapt to their new environment. This is because your digestive system can assimilate both types of food.
Another of their main characteristics is that, as we mentioned before, they have perfectly adapted teeth, this means that they are functional both for the consumption of vegetables and for the consumption of animal meat. This is how they have no difficulties in being able to choose the food they get much easier at the right time.
Examples of omnivorous animals: mammals
mammals are Vertebrate animals and viviparous that in addition to having breasts through which they feed their young with breast milk, also gestate their fetuses inside their womb, this means that the children develop inside the mother until the moment of birth, contrary to the oviparous that develop in an egg outside the mother's body.
Something that we must highlight about mammals is that mimes can have different diets, among them is the omnivorous, since some others are especially carnivorous or only herbivorous. Now we are going to know some of these mammals with an omnivorous diet:
Pig
This is one of the best known omnivorous animals, this is because many people currently raise these animals not only for human consumption but also to raise them as pets.
We must emphasize that these are considered one of the most intelligent animals in the world, as studies have shown that they have a capacity for thinking and learning even greater than that of canines and felines. So they can be perfect pets since they can be educated according to the needs of their owners.
Bear
These are one of the most adaptable animals in the world and they learn to take advantage of their opportunities, this is because they are perfectly capable of surviving in any environment, an example could be that if a bear lives in a habitat where fruits are more abundant than prey, then the main diet of these animals will be based on fruits, however, if they live near waters full of fish, then we will be able to see them constantly hunting in these places and eating a diet especially aimed at consuming fish .
Have you ever wondered What do Panda `s eat? Although it is not very credible, panda bears are also omnivorous animals, since they sometimes hunt small animals, such as rodents or birds, they do this to give their diet some variability and supplement the nutrients they need. The polar bear could be considered an exception, as it has a purely carnivorous diet, but this is because, in its arctic habitat, there are no vegetables that it can consume.
Sea Urchin
These animals are becoming more and more popular as pets, so their diet is becoming much more widely known. These adorable animals may base their diet on small insects, but they also love to eat fruits and vegetables which in turn provide great nutrients so they can stay healthy.
Fox
The fox falls into this category, because, although its main diet is based on hunting and eating the meat of its prey, it can also eat fruits, vegetables and their derivatives, which is why they are also considered omnivorous animals.
Dog
Although in the past, when these were merely wild animals, their diet was based solely on carnivore. However, when they began to be domesticated, their diet gradually changed due to the food provided by humans, and today these animals already fall into the category of omnivores.
Dogs can eat meat, either raw or cooked, but they can also eat a variety of other foods like fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, and more. Well, although it is considered a carnivore, these dogs are now in biology among omnivorous mammals.
However, it should be clarified that for the dog to have a balanced diet, its food must be based on 70% meat or fish, while the other 30% must be divided between fruits, vegetables and other types of food that are beneficial. for the canine
Human being
Let us remember that humans also belong to the animal kingdom, so we are clearly animals. It could even be said that we are the most well-known omnivorous specimen in the world, since our diet is so diverse that we can choose what type of food we want and can consume.
In addition to that we can easily adapt to any type of change in our diet without this not harming us in a negative way.
Other omnivorous mammals
There are other omnivorous animals, however, the ones mentioned above are the best known. Now we are going to know what are the other omnivores that exist:
- Coati
- some raccoons
- Mouse
- Flat
- Chipmunk
- Passerby
- Armadillo
- Chimpanzee
- Wild boar
- gerbil
- Opossum
Examples of omnivorous animals: birds
These are animals that lack teeth, which is why they eat their food practically whole, however, this is not an impediment for them to digest their food, this is because birds have a protuberance in their esophagus called crop where the Food is reserved before it can be digested.
In addition to this, it also has a gizzard, an extension of its stomach which fulfills the function of grinding food thanks to the dilation of its muscles and the stones that are there and that were ingested by the same bird. Now, we can assure you that there is a great variety of birds and that they have different diets.
Let's find out which ones Types of birds are those that are considered omnivores:
Crow
These are opportunistic animals that take advantage of any situation in order to steal food. These are scavengers that feed on other dead animals and are always on the lookout, as well as other birds. However, they can also eat some plants, especially when there are bodies around them that provide them with food.
Gallina
These are very peculiar animals, because unlike other animals, they do not say "no" to any food. Yes, they can eat all kinds of food that is given to them, so you should be careful with what you find on the ground, since they will even eat what they should not.
One piece of information that we can give you if you are a chicken breeder is that it is not recommended to feed them with bread, especially if the ones you raise are laying hens, since this decreases the number of eggs that they can lay.
Ostrich
These are birds that, despite the fact that they mostly feed on vegetables, can also eat some types of insects, although their diet can vary between carnivorous and herbivorous. However, they prefer to base their food on vegetables since they are much more abundant and nutritious.
Magpie
Like chickens, these birds will be able to eat anything that comes their way, so their diet is not specific. These animals even have the ability to eat some other animals of the same species as long as they are smaller than them.
Other omnivorous birds
- Seagull
- Sparrow
- Duck
- Partridge
- Toucan
- Peacock
- Swan
- Cockatoo
- Goose
- Blackbird
- Paloma
- Pheasant
- Flamenco
- Woodpecker
- Turkey
- Petirrojo
Examples of omnivorous animals: fish and reptiles
Not only mammals and birds can be omnivorous, as there are some reptiles and fish that also have this same ability to adapt to different types of diets. Let's learn a little about them and some examples of them:
Piranha
Despite beliefs, these fish not only feed on meat, yes, it is their main diet, however, they can also consume a variety of foods. The truth is that if you feed a piranha with meat, insects and even some other fish, they will eat it without any problem. However, they can also eat some varieties of fruits and vegetables without problems, and there have even been cases where they have been observed eating some grains.
Although there is no official figure on the number of piranha species that exist, we can say that it is believed that all of them are capable of eating a variety of foods as an omnivore. It is well known that the red-bellied piranha despite being able to eat other foods, its diet consists mostly of the meat of other animals, so it has not yet been decided whether or not they are part of the omnivores.
Other examples of omnivorous fish
• Cod
• Large tent
• Brunette
• Surgeonfish
• Blowfish
• Clownfish
• Guppy fish
• Tilapias
Turtles
Some of the turtles fall into the category of omnivores, these can be both marine and land. They are considered in this way because they can feed on both fruits and vegetables and other animals.
In the case of sea turtles, they can eat other fish, algae and even some crustaceans. As for tortoises, they can have an insectivorous, fruitful and carnivorous diet.
Other examples of omnivorous reptiles
• Ocellated lizard
• Saharan spiny-tailed lizard
• Balearic lizard
Having already learned about omnivorous animals, we can deduce that not everything we see is true, since many species of animals are believed to belong to a food group, but the truth is that they have the ability to feed on other types of food.
This means that, just like humans, animals have an enormous capacity for adaptability that allows them to survive even when their habitat changes and it does not have the food they are used to eating.
To conclude, we will say that, despite the fact that omnivorous animals have the incredible ability to feed not only on meat but also on fruits, vegetables and even some flowers, they almost always prefer one type of food over the others, not because the others do not provide the required nutrients, but because they have their own tastes. An example is that there are bears that, despite living in areas where they can eat meat and vegetables, prefer to eat fish, but others prefer to eat fruits and vegetables.
