Year 1 Science: Carnivores: meat-eaters
Part of the Year 1 Science what animals eat chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Carnivores: meat-eaters
A carnivore eats only other animals. Many carnivores eat meat or fish.
A lion eats zebras. An owl eats mice. A pet cat eats food made from meat or fish. A frog eats insects.
Carnivores often have sharp, pointed teeth. These help them to hold and tear their food.
Key ideas
- A carnivore eats only other animals.
- Many carnivores eat meat or fish.
- Carnivores often have sharp, pointed teeth.
- A frog is a carnivore, because it eats insects.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a lion eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A lion eats zebras and other animals.
- Use the rule. A carnivore eats only other animals.A lion eats only other animals.
- Write the group. carnivore
Check. Say the rule back: a carnivore eats only other animals. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what an owl eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?An owl eats mice, which are animals.
- Use the rule. A carnivore eats only other animals.An owl eats only other animals.
- Write the group. carnivore
Check. Say the rule back: a carnivore eats only other animals. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about what each kind of tooth is for.
- Look at the question. We want the teeth that tear meat.meat = tear
- Think about each kind. Sharp, pointed teeth hold and tear. Flat teeth grind plants.sharp = tear; flat = grind
- Write the answer. sharp teeth
Check. A cat has sharp teeth at the front. ✓
Watch out. Flat teeth are for grinding plants, not for tearing meat.
Watch out
Watch out: a frog is small, but it is still a carnivore. It eats insects, and insects are animals.
Try it at home
With a grown-up, look at the packet of food for a pet cat. Find the words for meat or fish, such as chicken or tuna. Tell a grown-up what you found.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “What is a carnivore?” Let your child find the meat or fish words on the packet. Talk about why a cat needs meat, and why its teeth are sharp.
Exercise 5B Carnivores
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the teeth that hold and tear.
- Look at the gap. It asks which teeth tear meat.holding and tearing
- Choose the teeth. Sharp, pointed teeth hold and tear.sharp = tear
- Write the answer. sharp
Check. Flat teeth are for grinding plants. ✓
Watch out. Flat teeth are not for tearing meat.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what each animal eats.
- Look at the cow. A cow eats grass.cow: grass
- Look at the lion. A lion eats zebras, which are animals.lion: zebras
- Write the answer. lion
Check. The cow is a herbivore. ✓
Watch out. Choose the animal that eats other animals.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what a frog eats.
- Look at the food. A frog eats insects.insects = animals
- Use the rule. A carnivore eats only other animals, and insects are animals.frog = carnivore
- Write the answer. True
Check. A frog eats no plants. ✓
Watch out. A frog is a carnivore, even though it is small.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the pets and what they eat.
- Think about each pet. A dog eats meat and plants. A rabbit eats only plants.dog: both; rabbit: plants
- Find a pet that eats only animals. A cat eats only meat or fish, so it is a carnivore.cat = carnivore
- Write the answer. cat
Check. A cat is a carnivore. ✓
Watch out. A dog is not a carnivore, because it eats plants too.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Find the carnivores in the list. Check what each animal eats.
- Look at each animal. Find out what it eats.lion: carnivore; cow: herbivore; shark: carnivore; rabbit: herbivore
- Pick out the carnivores. Keep only the animals that are carnivores.lion, shark
- Write the answer. lion and shark
Check. Check each one: the carnivores eat eats only other animals. ✓
Watch out. Do not pick an animal because it looks fierce. Check the food.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the owl’s food.
- Look at the owl. An owl is a carnivore.owl = carnivore
- Find what it eats. Owls hunt small animals such as mice.mice
- Write the answer. mice
Check. Mice are animals. ✓
Watch out. Owls eat animals, not plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the shark’s food.
- Look at the shark. A shark is a carnivore.shark = carnivore
- Find what it eats. Sharks eat fish and other sea animals.fish
- Write the answer. fish
Check. Fish are animals. ✓
Watch out. Where a shark lives does not tell us its food.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the frog’s food.
- Look at the frog. A frog is a carnivore.frog = carnivore
- Find what it eats. Frogs eat insects.insects
- Write the answer. insects
Check. Insects are animals. ✓
Watch out. Insects are animals, so a frog is a carnivore.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what a shark eats.
- Look at the food. A shark eats fish and other sea animals.fish = animals
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants, so a shark is not one.shark = carnivore
- Write the answer. No. A shark eats fish, so it is a carnivore.
Check. Where an animal lives does not tell us what it eats. ✓
Watch out. Where an animal lives does not tell us its group.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Find the carnivores, then count them.
- Look at each animal. A carnivore eats only other animals.cat, owl and lion are carnivores
- Count them. Touch each one once: cat, owl, lion.1 cat, 2 owl, 3 lion
- Write the answer. 3 carnivores
Check. The rabbit and the sheep are herbivores. ✓
Watch out. Do not count the rabbit or the sheep.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what each animal in the picture eats.
- Think about each one. Lion: zebras. Cat: meat. Owl: mice. Shark: fish. Frog: insects.five carnivores
- Find the one that eats insects. Only the frog eats insects.frog = insects
- Write the answer. frog
Check. Insects are small animals, so the frog is a carnivore. ✓
Watch out. Look for the food, not the picture alone.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about what sharp teeth are for.
- Look at the teeth. They are sharp and pointed.sharp, pointed
- Think about the food. Pointed teeth grip the meat, so the animal can tear it into pieces.hold and tear meat
- Write the answer. Sharp teeth help it to hold and tear meat.
Check. Flat teeth would not tear meat well. ✓
Watch out. Sharp teeth are for tearing meat. Flat teeth are for grinding plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about what a cat eats and what it needs.
- Look at the food. Carrots are plants.carrot = plant
- Think about the cat. A cat is a carnivore, so it needs meat or fish to stay healthy.cat needs meat
- Write the answer. It would not get the meat or fish it needs, so it would not stay healthy.
Check. Always ask a grown-up or a vet what a pet should eat. ✓
Watch out. Never guess what a pet should eat.