Animals and the Environment
Unlike plants, animals cannot produce their own food. Animals depend on plants and other animals for food. For example, a white-tailed deer eats the leaves and buds of many kinds of plants. Animals make use of plants for other things, too. For example, trees can provide homes for many animals and birds, including squirrels and owls.
Animals also depend on other animals for food. For example, wolves eat deer and bobcats eat mice. Animals also interact with the nonliving parts of their environments. Some birds swallow small rocks to help them break down their food. Others use the high rocky cliffs by the sea to lay their eggs. Snakes and turtles depend on the Sun to stay warm.
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We call animals that eat plants herbivores. Giraffes are herbivores. Here you can see a giraffe enjoying his afternoon meal
of leaves from a tree!View Larger Image
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© John Conrad/Corbis
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