Year 1 Science: Herbivores: plant-eaters
Part of the Year 1 Science what animals eat chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Herbivores: plant-eaters
A herbivore eats only plants. It eats grass, leaves, hay and vegetables.
Many herbivores have flat teeth at the back. They grind up tough plants before they swallow them.
Key ideas
- A herbivore eats only plants.
- Grass, leaves, hay and vegetables are plants.
- Many herbivores have flat teeth for grinding plants.
- A horse and a sheep are herbivores too.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a rabbit eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A rabbit eats grass, leaves and hay.
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants.A rabbit eats only plants.
- Write the group. herbivore
Check. Say the rule back: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
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 grinding needs.
- Look at the question. We want the teeth that grind plants.grind plants
- Think about each kind. Flat teeth grind. Sharp teeth hold and tear meat.flat = grind
- Write the answer. flat teeth
Check. Flat back teeth are wide, so they can grind. ✓
Watch out. Sharp teeth are for holding meat, not for grinding plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Look at what a tortoise eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?A tortoise eats grass, leaves and other plants.
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants.A tortoise eats only plants.
- Write the group. herbivore
Check. Say the rule back: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
Watch out. Look at the food, not the size. A big animal can still eat only plants.
Watch out
Watch out: a herbivore never eats meat or fish. Fruit and vegetables are plants, so a rabbit that eats carrots is still a herbivore.
Try it at home
With a grown-up, watch a pet rabbit or guinea pig eat its hay or vegetables. Stay outside its cage or hutch. Write down what it eats. Wash your hands after you touch its food or bedding.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child: “What does it eat? Is that food a plant?” Talk about grass: it is a plant that a cow eats in a field.
Exercise 5C Herbivores
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Remember the rule for a herbivore.
- Find the group word. The question names the group.herbivore
- Remember what it eats. A herbivore eats only plants.Herbivore: eats only plants
- Write the answer. plants
Check. Read the rule back to yourself: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole rule, so you do not miss a word.
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 each animal. Find out what it eats.lion: zebras; sheep: grass; shark: fish
- Pick the plant-eater. A sheep eats grass, which is a plant.sheep = herbivore
- Write the answer. sheep
Check. The lion and the shark are carnivores. ✓
Watch out. A sheep is a herbivore.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what a rabbit eats.
- Look at the food. A rabbit eats grass, leaves and hay.plants
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants.rabbit = herbivore
- Write the answer. True
Check. A rabbit eats only plants. ✓
Watch out. Rabbits are herbivores.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the cow’s food.
- Look at the cow. A cow is a herbivore.cow = herbivore
- Find what it eats. Cows eat grass in fields.grass
- Write the answer. grass
Check. Grass is a plant. ✓
Watch out. Grass grows in fields, so cows eat plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the rabbit’s food.
- Look at the rabbit. A rabbit is a herbivore.rabbit = herbivore
- Find what it eats. A pet rabbit eats hay, grass and leaves.hay
- Write the answer. hay
Check. Hay is dried grass, which is a plant. ✓
Watch out. Hay is made from plants.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about the tortoise’s food.
- Look at the tortoise. A tortoise is a herbivore.tortoise = herbivore
- Find what it eats. A tortoise eats leaves and other plants.leaves
- Write the answer. leaves
Check. Leaves are parts of plants. ✓
Watch out. Leaves are plants, so a tortoise is a herbivore.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Think about teeth for grinding.
- Look at the gap. It asks which teeth grind plants.grinding plants
- Choose the teeth. Flat teeth at the back grind tough plants.flat = grind
- Write the answer. flat
Check. Sharp teeth are for tearing meat. ✓
Watch out. Flat teeth are for plants, sharp teeth are for meat.
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 eats.
- Sort them. Cow, rabbit and guinea pig eat plants.cow, rabbit, guinea pig = herbivores
- Find the one that is different. A cat eats meat, so it is not a herbivore.cat = carnivore
- Write the answer. cat. It eats meat, but the others eat only plants.
Check. Three of the four are herbivores. ✓
Watch out. Look at what the animal eats, not whether it has fur.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check each animal in the picture.
- Look at what each one eats. The rabbit, the guinea pig and the tortoise all eat plants.all herbivores
- Look for the shell. Only the tortoise has a hard shell.tortoise has a shell
- Write the answer. tortoise
Check. A tortoise eats plants and has a hard shell. ✓
Watch out. The rabbit and the guinea pig do not have shells.
Key words. A herbivore eats only plants. A carnivore eats only other animals. An omnivore eats plants and animals.
Method. Check what a horse eats.
- Look at the food. A horse eats grass and hay.grass and hay = plants
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants, so a big horse can still be a herbivore.horse = herbivore
- Write the answer. No. A horse eats only plants, so it is a herbivore.
Check. Size does not decide the group. ✓
Watch out. Big and strong animals 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 a guinea pig eats, then use the rule for each group.
- Look at the food. Ask: is it a plant, an animal, or both?It eats hay, grass and carrots. Carrots are plants too.
- Use the rule. A herbivore eats only plants.A guinea pig eats only plants.
- Write the group. herbivore
Check. Say the rule back: a herbivore eats only plants. ✓
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 closely and write down what you saw.
- Watch the animal. Look at how it eats and what it does with its food.chewing, moving its mouth
- Write what you noticed. A careful note helps us find out more.a plant eater chews a lot
- Write the answer. Accept sensible answers, such as: it chewed for a long time.
Check. Write one observation you could check again tomorrow. ✓
Watch out. Write what you saw, not what you think the answer is.