Herbivore | Britannica (original) (raw)

deer feeding on foliage

Print

_verified_Cite

While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Select Citation Style

Feedback

Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).

Feedback Type

Your Feedback

Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• Live Science - Herbivores: Facts About Plant Eaters
• Cell Press - Nutrient dilution and the future of herbivore populations
• Smithsonian Ocean - Helpful Herbivores
• PNAS - Herbivore physiological response to predation risk and implications for ecosystem nutrient dynamics
• Khan Academy - Predation and herbivory
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Mechanisms of plant defense against insect herbivores
• National Geographic - Herbivore

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jan 31, 2025• Article History

Related Topics:

plant

feeding behaviour

consumer

graminivore

grazer

herbivore, animal adapted to subsist solely on plant tissues. The herbivores range from insects (such as aphids) to large mammals (such as elephants).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.