35 Examples of Animals that Eat Plants (A to Z List)

Examples of animals that eat plants include cape buffalos, Dall sheep, eland, koalas, and kangaroos.

Animals that eat plants can be found all around the world. Animals like cows, horses, and deer spend their days eating grasses and other vegetation in order to get enough nutrients for themselves and their young.

There are also some animals that only eat plants such as koalas, pandas, and elephants.

Examples of Animals that Eat Plants

1. Black-Spotted Cuscus

The black-spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus rufoniger) is a nocturnal marsupial that lives in the rainforest of New Guinea and Australia. It eats leaves, fruits, and flowers during the day but when night falls it becomes an opportunistic carnivore.

Anyone who has ever seen a cuscus in the wild can attest to their slow, deliberate movements. They are not what you would call an aggressive animal and they will only defend themselves if they feel threatened.

2. Brown Four-Eyed Opossum

The brown four-eyed opossum is a marsupial that lives in Central and South America. This little guy mostly eats insects, but he will also eat some fruit and plant material.

3. Common Brushtail Possum

This Australian marsupial can be found in a variety of habitats, including urban gardens and rural areas. They eat leaves from more than 100 plant species, as well as flowers and fruit.

4. Cape Buffalo

These animals live throughout Africa and eat plants. They can grow up to six feet tall at the shoulder, not including their horns.

They are herbivores and eat mostly grass, but can also consume leaves, shoots, flowers, fruits, and bark. Some of their favorite plants to eat include the acacia tree, Combretum bush, Terminalia tree, and Ziziphus shrub.

5. Dall Sheep

Dall Sheep live in the mountains of North America and Alaska. They eat mostly plants, but also some lichens and mosses. Dall Sheep are able to climb rocky cliffs to find food. They have very sharp hooves that help them grip the rocks.

Their fur is white, which helps them stay camouflaged against the snow-covered cliffs. Dall Sheep are very social animals and live in herds of up to 15 individuals. They use their horns to defend themselves from predators, such as wolves and mountain lions.

Related Article: Can Dall Sheep Color be Gray?

6. Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Eastern Grey Kangaroo lives in Eastern and Southern Australia and eat plants, fruits, and grasses. They can be seen foraging at night when it’s cooler.

During the day they will rest in a shady area or shelter under bushes to protect themselves from heat during the warmer months of the year.

7. Eland

Eland is the largest antelope in the world. They live in Africa and eat mostly plants, but they will also eat insects or grass if necessary. Eland can weigh up to 900 pounds

8. Four-Eyed Opossum

The Four-Eyed Opossum lives in North and South America. They are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals.

Their diet includes insects, fruits, and vegetables. They also eat small rodents, birds, and eggs. Four-Eyed Opossums get most of the water they need from their food.

9. Koala

Koalas live in eastern and southern Australia. They mainly eat Eucalyptus leaves, although they will also eat other types of vegetation if necessary.

Koala populations are declining due to habitat loss and disease. In addition, koalas are often killed by cars when they crossroads looking for food.

10. Northern Hairy-Nosed Wmbat

The Northern hairy-nosed wombat is found in the open forests and woodlands of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

They are herbivores and eat a variety of plants including grasses, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Wombats have specially adapted incisors that allow them to break down plant matter easily.

11. Moose

Moose live in North America and Europe. They eat plants, leaves, and branches from trees and shrubs. Moose also eat grasses, lichens, and mosses. In the wintertime, moose will eat bark from trees. Moose are very selective with their food choices; they only eat what is best for them.

12. Monito Del Monte

Monito del monte is a marsupial that lives in Chile and Argentina. They feed on insects and fruit and can be found in the higher parts of trees, so they don’t lose too much heat at night.

These animals are nocturnal, meaning their body temperature drops when it’s dark outside to conserve energy for hunting during the day.

13. Mountain Brushtail Possum

Mountain Brushtail Possums are found in the Australian Alps, where they live in forested areas near the tree line. They feed on a variety of plants, including leaves, flowers, and berries.

14. Mouse Opossum

The Mouse Opossum is a small, white-furred creature that can be found throughout Central America and parts of South America.

This omnivorous mammal feeds primarily on insects, but will also consume fruit, eggs, and other small animals.

The Mouse Opossum lives in trees and bushes, making it difficult to see; however, it will sometimes forage on the ground.

15. Musky Rat Kangaroo

The Musky Rat Kangaroo lives in the rainforest of northeastern Queensland, Australia. They eat leaves, flowers, and fruit from trees and shrubs.

As with all marsupials, the female Musky Rat Kangaroo has a pouch on her belly in which the baby kangaroos develop for a few months before they are ready to be born.

16. Nyala

Nyala is native to eastern and southern Africa. They primarily eat leaves, but also consume fruits, flowers, and grasses. Nyala lives in forested areas and use their long horns to navigate through dense vegetation.

17. Nilgiri Tahr

Nilgiri tahr lives in the mountains and hills of southwest India, primarily along the Western Ghats. They are herbivores with a diet consisting mainly of grasses and bamboo leaves, but also lichens from trees if available.

In especially dry seasons when there is not enough food to sustain them on their preferred habitat they also eat fruits, roots, and bark.

18. Patagonian Opossum

The Patagonian Opossum lives in the grasslands and forests of South America. They are omnivores, meaning that they eat both plants and animals.

Their diet consists mostly of insects, but they will also eat fruit, nuts, and other plant matter. Some predators of the Patagonian Opossum include hawks, foxes, and coyotes.

19. Pig-Footed Bandicoot

Pig-footed Bandicoots are found in Australia. They eat plants and insects. There are no Pig-Footed Bandicoot predators because they have sharp claws on their feet to fight back against attackers or escape them by running away quickly.

20. Pygmy Glider

Pygmy gliders live in the rainforests and woodlands of Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.

They eat nectar from flowers, pollen, and honeydew which is a sweet liquid produced by sap-sucking bugs like aphids.

21. Quokka

Quokkas are small marsupials that live in Western Australia. They eat mainly leaves and fruits, but also insects on occasion. Quokkas are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. This diet makes them important for the health of their ecosystems, as they help to disperse seeds and recycle nutrients.

22. Quoll

The quoll is a native Australian marsupial that feeds primarily on small mammals, birds, and lizards. They live in woodlands and forests across the country.

Quolls are also known to eat insects, fruits, and flowers. Some species of quoll have been known to scavenge from human garbage dumps.

23. Rabbit-Eared Bandicoots

Rabbit-eared bandicoots live in the eastern parts of Australia and they eat mostly plants, but sometimes they will also eat insects or other small animals.

They are very good at digging up food from under the ground, so they can find a lot of different types of plants to eat. They also like to eat mushrooms, which is why they are sometimes called “mushroom eaters”.

24. Red Kangaroo

If you’re looking for a unique animal to see during your Australia travels, the Red Kangaroo is worth checking out.

These marsupials can be found in many different areas of Australia and are especially common in western New South Wales, where they will gather around water sources like rivers or dams. They eat mostly leaves but also flowers and fruit.

25. Short-Headed Glider

Short-Headed Gliders are found in eastern and northern Australia. They eat a variety of things, including nectar, fruit, sap, and insects. Some of their favorite foods include eucalyptus sap, mistletoe berries, and honeydew from aphids. They also consume pollen and rely on trees for shelter.

26. Short-Tailed Opossums

Short-tailed Opossums are found in the United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America.

They live in a variety of habitats including forests, woodlands, and marshes. Short-tailed Opossums eat a variety of things depending on their location. In the US, they mostly eat insects, fruits, and vegetables.

27. Sugar Glider

Sugar Gliders live in the rainforest and eat a variety of different things, including nectars, insects, and fruits. They are also known to eat some leaves. Some people believe that Sugar Gliders can survive on a vegetarian or vegan diet, but there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

28. Tamaraw

Tamaraw is endemic to the Philippines and can be found on the island of Mindoro. They are herbivores that feed mainly on grasses, leaves, and branches. Tamaraw has a prehensile lip which helps them grasp food easily.

Their large size and strength allow them to break through thick vegetation making it possible for them to feed on plants that are inaccessible to other animals.

29. Thick-Tailed Opossum

The Thick-Tailed Opossum lives in Central America and South America. They mostly eat fruits, vegetables, insects, and other small animals.

Occasionally they will eat eggs or birds. They get most of the water they need from their food.

30. Virginia Opossum

Virginia opossums are one of the only marsupials in North America. They live throughout most of the eastern and central United States, as well as parts of Mexico.

Virginia opossums are omnivores and eat a variety of things, including insects, small mammals, fruits, and vegetables.

31. Wallaby

Wallabies are native to Australia and Tasmania. They primarily eat leaves, grasses, and other vegetation. Wallabies also occasionally feed on fruits, seeds, flowers, and insects.

Some wallaby species have been introduced to New Zealand where they have become pests by damaging agricultural crops.

32. Wallaroo

Wallaroo lives in Australia and eat plants. They typically feed on the grasses of native prairie, a type of habitat that is declining rapidly due to human development.

33. Water Opossum

Many animals that eat plants live in a wide range of habitats. However, the water opossum lives exclusively in freshwater areas such as rivers and streams.

Opossums are omnivores so they eat both animal and plant-based foods including insects, small invertebrates, snails, tadpoles, crayfish, fish, frogs, birds, eggs, and small mammals.

34. Wombats

Wombats live in Australia and they eat plants like grass, leaves, and flowers. Wombats are very good at digging tunnels underground and they use these tunnels to move around. They also sleep in these tunnels. Wombats are nocturnal animals, which means they are active at night.

35. Water Buffalo

Water buffalo live in the grasslands and swamps of India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Iran, Egypt, and several other countries. They eat primarily aquatic plants including water hyacinths.

Garreth

Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.