# "Carnivore" -- mammals only? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058 "2005-09-29T17:51:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/1 "2005-09-29T17:51:43Z")
Would one ever refer to a fish, reptile, bird, etc., as a carnivore, or is that term used only for mammals? Why? What do you call other types of critters that also eat meat? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/2 "2005-09-29T18:04:00Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Would one ever refer to a fish, reptile, bird, etc., as a carnivore, or is that term used only for mammals? Why? What do you call other types of critters that also eat meat? I think you can call them carnivores when referring to their diet, but if you mean a member of the order Carnivora, then it can only be one of those mammals. By extension if you use “carnivorous” or “carnivore” in the sense of being a member of _Carnivora_, then it can only refer to those mammals. Some Carnivores, for example many bear species, actually are mostly herbivorous in diet. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/3 "2005-09-29T18:08:11Z")
Try googling carnivore with dinosaur, bird or reptile; the term is quite often applied to them. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/4 "2005-09-29T18:18:25Z")
Name of an order. :smack: I knew that. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/5 "2005-09-29T18:19:45Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Name of an order. :smack: > > I knew that. > > :smack: (where’d my “smack” smiley go?) ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/6 "2005-09-29T18:43:18Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Some Carnivores, for example many bear species, actually are mostly herbivorous in diet. [This site](http://www.lioncrusher.com/order_carnivora.html) says most members of Carnivora, except for the Felidae (cats), are actually omnivorous. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/7 "2005-09-29T18:46:59Z")
A big-C Carnivore is a mammal belonging to Carnivora, and may or may not eat meat. A little-c carnivore eats meat, and may or may not be a mammal, and may or may not belong to Carnivora. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/8 "2005-09-29T19:11:54Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > (where’d my “smack” smiley go?) Right where you put it. Twice. Do you, per chance, have the option “Show smilies in posts” unchecked in your User CP? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/9 "2005-09-29T19:22:16Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Right where you put it. Twice. Do you, per chance, have the option “Show smilies in posts” unchecked in your User CP? Nope – something goofy was going on with my browser. All better now. **Darwin’s Finch** – thanks for the answer – that actually serves to explain the brain fart I was experiencing about the nature of, yanno, C/carnivores. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/10 "2005-09-29T20:08:39Z")
FWIW - many plants are referred to as carnivorous, although as far as I know, none of them is exclusively carnivorous. Still, if you look up sundew or pitcher plant or venus fly trap, you’ll find that adjective used frequently. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carnivore-mammals-only/324058/11 "2005-09-29T20:19:42Z")
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