carnivory

Carnivory is the act of feeding on animal tissue or prey. It is exhibited by a range of organisms, including many animals and some plants. In animals, carnivory can be obligate, where prey provides most nutrition, or facultative, where prey is beneficial but not essential. In plants, carnivory refers to adaptations that allow uptake of nutrients from captured prey, typically in environments where inorganic nutrients are scarce.

In active predators, hunting strategies include pursuit, ambush, and cooperation. Predators obtain energy and essential nutrients such as protein from prey, and digestion relies on enzymes such as proteases to break down proteins for absorption. Some carnivores specialize on particular prey, while others have broad diets. Carnivory can influence prey populations and broader ecosystem dynamics.

Carnivorous plants are a well-known example of plant carnivory. They inhabit nutrient-poor soils, especially acidic bogs and wetlands. Traps such as sticky leaves, tubular pitchers, and bladder-like chambers capture prey, which is digested to release nitrogen and other minerals. Although they rely on captured prey, photosynthesis remains their primary energy source.

Evolutionarily, carnivory has arisen multiple times across unrelated lineages, reflecting convergent evolution driven by nutrient-poor environments. The phenomenon illustrates the difference between energy acquisition, mainly through photosynthesis in plants, and nutrient acquisition from animal prey in carnivores and carnivorous plants. Some organisms can shift along the spectrum, combining omnivory and carnivory depending on availability.