Dinosaur Diets An Introduction to Dinosaur Food Groups

Just like humans, dinosaurs have certain preferences in the food they eat. Some dinosaurs like to eat meat, while some like to plants. Herbivores are dinosaurs that eat plants. Carnivores are dinosaurs that eat meat. There are a few dinosaurs that like both plants and meat. These dinosaurs are called omnivores.

Herbivores Dinosaurs that prefer plants are classified as Herbivores. About 65% of all dinosaurs were herbivores. These herbivorous dinosaurs like to eat twigs, leaves, bushes and branches. Herbivores need to have strong, flat teeth to break the strong branches and twigs they eat. Many herbivores have long necks, so they can reach high trees and plants.

Example of an Herbivore: The Stegosaurus A stegosaurus is a dinosaur that is classified as a herbivore. The stegosaurus prefers to eat plants, but since the stegosaurus was so big, it had to eat a lot more plants than other dinosaurs did to keep itself nourished. The stegosaurus was only about 9 feet tall, therefore it was limited to bushes and trees that were under 8 or 9 feet.

Carnivores Dinosaurs that eat meat are classified as carnivores. About 35% of all dinosaurs were carnivores. Carnivorous dinosaurs need to prey on and eat other animals to get their meat and nourishment. Carnivores have sharp teeth and claws so they can catch their prey easier.

Example of a Carnivore: Tyrannosaurus Rex The tyrannosaurus rex is a dinosaur that eats meat. The tyrannosaurs rex was one of the largest dinosaurs. The tyrannosaurus rex grew up to 40 feet tall. The tyrannosaurus rex walked on its two back feet. It had strong, muscular legs so it could run and easily catch its prey.

Herbivore or Carnivore?