Finding a Niche

To survive, every animal in an ecosystem must find food that is not eaten by other animals. In this way, each animal creates a niche, or place, for itself. Because omnivores eat so many different foods, they are able to find niches in many ecosystems.

Pigs, for example, use their snouts to root, or dig in the ground for food. Wild pigs crawl into hard-to-reach places to root. This allows them to find foods that other animals can’t. Sometimes herds of wild pigs work together to move dead tree trunks in search of snakes, rats, or snails living underneath. Because wild pigs eat many different foods, they can survive in many ecosystems. Wild pigs can live in forests, deserts, mountains, and marshes. Pigs on farms root for food, too. They eat almost anything, including snails, worms, insects, and plant roots. In this way, pigs create a special niche for themselves in a food chain.

Mice are omnivores that have adapted to life around people. They search for leftovers and all other available food in the places where people live. Mice in the wild eat seeds, fruits, berries, and insects.View Larger Image

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