World’s biggest omnivore

2022-07-26

Omnivores are the most flexible eaters of the animal kingdom. They eat both plants and meat, and many times what they eat depends on what is available to them. When meat is scarce, many animals will fill their diets with vegetation and vice versa, according to National Geographic. 

Animal omnivores (including humans) come in many different sizes. The largest terrestrial omnivore is the endangered Kodiak bear. It can grow up to 10 feet tall (3.04 meters) and weigh up to 1,500 lbs. (680 kilograms), according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Kodiaks eat grass, plants, fish, berries and the occasional mammal.

It turns out the whale sharks routinely enjoy a seaweed salad alongside hefty helpings of krill, meaning they have officially dethroned the Kodiak bear as the world’s biggest omnivore.

Ants may be the smallest omnivores. One of the smallest ants is the pharaoh ant, which grows to only 0.04 to 0.08 inches (1 to 2 millimeters), according to the University of Michigan. They eat a variety of foods that include eggs, carrion, insects, body fluids, nuts, seeds, grains, fruit nectar, sap and fungus.

Omnivores help keep in check both animal populations and vegetation growth. Removing an omnivore species can lead to vegetation overgrowth and an overabundance of any creatures that was part of its diet.