Consumer

**__ What is a consumer? __ ** A consumer is an organism that eats another organism to get energy instead of making its own food through photosynthesis. Consumers are put into groups by what they eat. An organism that eats other animals are carnivores. When consumers just eat plants they are herbivores. Finally if consumers eat both meat and plants they are omnivores. [1]

**__ Herbivores __ ** Herbivores are consumers that eat producers for their nutrients. Herbivores are also known as herbivorous animals. Herbivores can eat seeds as well as grass.[2] Some examples of herbivores are Koalas, deer, oax and horses. The word herbivores is latin. [10]   **__Omnivores__** An omnivore is an animal that can eat producers and consumers, the animals often tend to not eat as much but very often.[5] Some examples of omnivores are bears, primates, raccoons, roosters and pigs.[9] [6][12] __**Carnivores**__  Carnivores are consumers that eat only meat of herbivores. Carnivores will also eat other carnivores. All carnivores have canine teeth and a strong jaw. Most carnivores have blade like teeth on each side of the jaw.[3].

[7][8]  ** __What is an example of a consumer in our Gray Area case?__ ** =__Are all animals consumers? __= All animals are consumers because every animal is either a carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore. Every omnivore, carnivore, or herbivore is a consumer but they may eat different things. WHY are HERBIVORS herbivores, why are OMNIVORES omnivors and why are CARNIVORES carnivores? They are what they are because the way their body is shaped meat eaters are desinged to be meat eaters and plant eaters are plant eaters by desing.
 * Some of the fish from Gray Area's rivers and ponds eat algae for their energy. The fish are herbivores.
 * The deer in Parallel Park eat the grass. This means they are herbivores.
 * The mountain lions in Parallel that eat the deer. The mountain lions are carnivores.
 * The cattle in the cattle ranch eat grass and weeds. So that makes them herbivores.


=__Primary and Secondary consumers __= The two types of consumers are primary consumers and secondary consumers, in a food chain the primary consumers, who are usually herbivores but may be omnivores, eat producers. Then the secondary consumers, who are usually carnivores but may be omnivores, eat the primary consumers.[11]

Source: [1 ]Ashworth, William, and Charles E. Little. "consumer." //Encyclopedia of Environmental Studies//, New Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2001. //Science Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= envrnstud0701&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 16, 2008). [2] Patton, James L. "Herbivore." __World Book Online Reference Center__. 2008. [Place of access.] 19 Dec. 2008 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar253700 www.saburchill.com/ images02/080106001.jpg [3] Patton, James L. "Carnivore." __World Book Online Reference Center__. 2008. [Place of access.] 19 Dec. 2008 <[|[[http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar096200|http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?] [7]Hanauer/Alamy, Eric. __Photo Gallery:Great White Sharks__.2008. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/great-white-sharks/great-white-up-close.html [8]Matt. Rugby World Cup- What eat Springboks for lunch? Lions. October 20, 2007. http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/2007/10/20/rugby-world-cup-what-eat-springboks-for-lunch-lions/ [4] What is a consumer that eats other animals?, 2008, Wiki answers.com, December 18, 2008, http://www.wikianswers.com/Q/What_is_a_consumer_that_eats_other_animals [5] What is an omnivore?, 2008, Wiki answers.com, December 19, 2008, http://wikianswers.com/Q/What_is_an_omnivore&alreadyAsked=1 [6]http://www.alaskanalpinetreks.com/ImageGallery/Bears/Index.html# [9]http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/MarsSim/SimHTML/info/whats-an-omnivore.html [10] Howard County Wildlife. http://www.clarklandfarm.com/HOWARD%20COUNTY%20WILDLIFE.htm [11] Ecology, 2006, Sirs Discover, January 9, 2009, http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com/discoweb/disco/do/article?urn=urn%3asirs%3BARTICLE%3B0000221945 [12]May 2008,http://www.pixdatabase.com/bigphoto/264/