carnivorousomnivorous

Carnivorousomnivorous is a descriptive term used to describe organisms whose diet includes substantial amounts of both animal tissue and plant matter. It signals a dietary strategy that blends omnivory with a strong component of carnivory, typically in response to resource availability. The term is not a formal taxonomic category; rather, it reflects feeding flexibility and opportunism. In practice, many species considered omnivores regularly supplement plant foods with meat, while others may lean more heavily toward animal prey at times.

Examples include humans, domestic pigs (Sus scrofa), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and brown bears (Ursus arctos), which eat fruit, vegetables, seeds, insects, and vertebrate prey. Birds such as crows and ravens also exhibit omnivory and opportunistic predation. Some primates, including chimpanzees, consume fruit, seeds, and occasional meat, illustrating a spectrum between strict omnivory and carnivory. In fish, species like carp and some catfish feed on both vegetal matter and small animals, demonstrating versatility.

Ecologically, carnivorousomnivorous foraging supports resilience in fluctuating environments, expands niche space, and affects prey populations and plant-seed dispersal indirectly. Evolutionarily, generalist feeding can be favored by seasonal scarcity and habitat disturbance, though it may come with trade-offs, such as less specialization in processing certain foods.

Terminology note: the combined term is informal; many sources describe such species as omnivores with facultative carnivory or simply omnivores that consume meat opportunistically. The concept emphasizes dietary plasticity rather than a discrete biological category.