50 Examples of Insectivorous Animals

The insectivorous animals They are those that feed on insects feeding on their proteins. For instance: the frog, the spider, the anteater.

Although there are animals that base their diet purely and exclusively on the ingestion of insects, others consume insects such as fruits, leaves, stems and vegetables.

Insects are a key part of the food chain, they are rich in animal protein and are present in almost all ecosystems.

Most insectivorous animals are birds, although there are also mammals, amphibians, insects, reptiles and even plants that feed on insects.

Insectivorous birds

Insectivorous birds have highly developed abilities to hunt insects. They have tiny hairs around their beaks (vibrissae) with which they capture the vibrations of the flapping of their prey in the air.

The shape of their beak acts as a clamp, allowing them to dig up insects and remove them from holes or places that are difficult to access. For instance: the goldfinch, the swallow, the thrush.

Insectivorous mammals

There are more than 400 species of insectivorous mammals. In general, and with some exceptions, insectivorous mammals are small in size. For instance: the mole, bat, hedgehog, shrew.

Insectivorous amphibians

Insectivorous amphibians have a series of glands on their tongues that produce a sticky substance that makes insects and other prey adhere to their tongues and then devour them. For instance: the toad, the frog.

Insectivorous reptiles

There is a great variety of reptiles that feed exclusively on insects. Some of them do it at birth, but then change the type of diet as they grow and develop. For instance: the crocodile, the lizard, the lizard.

Insectivorous insects

Insects are animals that feed on almost anything: corpses, rotten wood, decaying vegetables. However, there are some insectivorous insects. For instance: the dragonfly, the wasp, the ant.

Insectivorous arachnids

Most spiders are insectivorous. Some weave fabrics in which insects are trapped, others capture them by pouncing on them to inject their venom. For instance: the chick spider, the tarantula, the scorpion.

Examples of insectivorous animals

Examples of insectivorous birds

Examples of insectivorous mammals

Examples of insectivorous amphibians

Examples of insectivorous reptiles

Examples of insectivorous insects

Examples of insectivorous arachnids

Insectivorous plants

Also called carnivorous plants, they have different techniques to attract and devour their prey. They use animal protein as a supplementary diet since, like other plants, their main source of energy is photosynthesis.

Examples of insectivorous plants