# How is the eating of eggs scientifically classified?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 17, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307 "2011-07-17T02:12:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307/1 "2011-07-17T02:12:57Z")

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An animal that eats meat is a carnivore, an animal that eats plants is an herbivore, and an animal that eats both is an omnivore. What about animals that eat eggs?

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**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307/2 "2011-07-17T02:16:36Z")

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Um…an ovivore?

Heh. Anyway, aren’t eggs just premature meat anyway? So it’d still be carnivore right? Unless you mean an animal that eats ONLY eggs. Even then, I’d lean towards carnivore.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307/3 "2011-07-17T02:30:43Z")

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> [@echo6160](#):
>
> Unless you mean an animal that eats ONLY eggs.

[Dasypeltis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasypeltis).

I think ovivore works, but I haven’t seen it used much.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307/4 "2011-07-17T02:39:16Z")

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Ah - [oophagous](http://www.answers.com/topic/oophagous). I knew I half-remembered some -phagy term.

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-eating-of-eggs-scientifically-classified/589307/5 "2011-07-17T02:50:04Z")

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I’ve heard “ovivarous” used.