Examples of animals that are vegetarian include antelopes, giraffes, rabbits, and pandas.
Animals that are vegetarian have a diet consisting of vegetation and are called herbivores.
There are many different types of animals that live on the planet and some don’t eat meat at all.
As humans, we’re omnivores and can eat a variety of foods. We have the choice to be vegetarian or not, and there are many reasons why people might choose this dietary lifestyle.
But what about other creatures in our world? Are they capable of being vegetarians too? Some animals don’t just survive on plants — they thrive on them.
We’ve compiled a list of animals that are vegetarian — just like you and me.
Examples of Animals that are Vegetarian
1. Aurochs
| Scientific Name | Bos primigenius |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Asia, Europe and North Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The aurochs are an extinct type of cattle that used to roam the earth. They are the wild ancestors of cows. Like cows, these animals were herbivores and mainly ate grasses, leaves, fruits, and flowers.
The aurochs were once found all over Europe but they eventually went extinct due to hunting and deforestation.
2. Antelopes
| Scientific Name | Artiodactyla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The antelope is a type of mammal that can be found in Africa and Asia. These animals are herbivores, meaning they only eat vegetation.
Antelopes have specially adapted digestive systems that allow them to extract all the nutrients they need from plants. They also have long tongues which help them gather food from shrubs and trees.
3. Beavers
| Scientific Name | Castor |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Beavers only eat plants. They subsist off leaves, foliage, and aquatic plants. Despite this, beavers can be pretty fierce, especially when protecting their den. So, don’t go swimming with the beavers any time soon.
4. Beira
| Scientific Name | Dorcatragus megalotis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Beira antelope are found in the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa. These animals are herbivores, which means that their diet consists of only vegetation. They graze on grasses, leaves, and other types of plants.
5. Blackbucks
| Scientific Name | Antilope cervicapra |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | India, Pakistan, and Nepal |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Blackbuck is found in India and they are strictly herbivores. They feed on leaves, grasses, fruits, and pods.
6. Bonteboks
| Scientific Name | Damaliscus pygargus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | South Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The bontebok is a small antelope that can be found in South Africa. These animals are strictly vegetarian and eat mainly leaves, fruits, and flowers from the surrounding area. Bonteboks are considered to be one of the most beautiful animals in Africa due to their unique coloring.
7. Camels
| Scientific Name | Camelus bactrianus |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Size | Up to 7ft |
Camels mostly eat grasses and grains. They’re known for their ability to store a lot of water in their bodies so they can last for weeks in the desert. This is true of food as well. They can go a long time without a big meal, but will try to eat any shrubs they come across as well. The camel’s stomach will also absorb the moisture from its feed to get enough water intake during a desert trip.
8. Chevrotains
| Scientific Name | Tragulidae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Southeast Asia and India |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The chevrotain is a small ungulate that can be found in Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.
The animal has been known to eat leaves, grasses, fruit, fungi, and bark. There are many different types of species within this family such as mouse deer, tragulids, and porcupines.
| Scientific Name | Ammodorcas clarkei |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Ethiopia and Somalia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The dibatag is a type of antelope that can be found in Africa. This animal is a herbivore and has a diet consisting of leaves, shoots, fruits, and flowers. Dibatags are able to survive in areas with little food availability due to their ability to digest cellulose from plants.
10. Dik-diks
| Scientific Name | Madoqua |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | eastern Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The dik-dik is a small antelope that can be found in Africa. These animals are strictly herbivores and eat leaves, flowers, and fruits from trees and shrubs.
Dik-diks get their name from the sound they make when alarmed – it sounds like “zik-zik”.
11. Duikers
| Scientific Name | Cephalophinae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
One animal that is a vegetarian is the Duiker Antelope. The diet of this particular antelope consists entirely of foliage from trees and shrubs, grasses, herbs, and shoots.
Duikers are very small, with adults reaching only 40 to 50 cm in height.
12. Dwarf Blue Sheep
| Scientific Name | Pseudois shaeferi |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | China |
| Diet | Herbivore |
This sheep is found in the mountains of Asia. It has a diet consisting entirely of grass and plants such as leaves, roots, shrubs, and bushes.
This type of animal vegetarian doesn’t even eat meat when it comes to insects! They only focus on vegetation for food consumption.
13. Elephants
| Scientific Name | Loxodonta africana |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Size | Up to 13 ft |
Elephants eat grass, hay, tree bark, fruits, and roots. Despite being some of the largest animals in the world, they’re entirely vegetarian. Elephants in zoos pose quite a problem to zookeepers because they need to eat a lot of food every day. According to Seaworld, elephants eat between 149 and 169 kg of vegetation daily.
14. Eurasian Elk
| Scientific Name | Alces alces |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Eurasia into Western Europe |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Eurasian elk is an herbivore that primarily eats leaves, grasses, nuts, and berries. Although they are not technically vegetarian animals, the Eurasian Elk only feasts on plant-based foods for about 95% of their diet.
Related Article: Do Eurasian elk Chew Cud?
15. Fallow Deer
| Scientific Name | Dama dama |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Europe and Asia Minor |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Fallow deer are a popular animal that is vegetarian. They are found in Europe and North America and they mainly eat grasses, leaves, buds, and fruits.
Red deer are another type of animal that is vegetarian. They are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. They mainly eat grasses, leaves, buds, and fruits. They also eat lichens and mosses.
16. Four-horned Antelopes
| Scientific Name | Tetracerus quadricornis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | India and Nepal |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The four-horn antelope, also known as the Chousingha and Saola is a medium-sized bovid native to South Asia and Southern Nepal.
The animal has two horns, which curve backward towards its tails. These fascinating animals are mainly vegetarian throughout the year,
17. Gaur
| Scientific Name | Bos gaurus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | tropical Asian woodlands |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Gaur is an animal that belongs to the bovine family and lives in Asia. Gaur is also known as Indian Bison, they live on a diet of plants such as shoots, grasses, fruits, and seeds – making them strict vegetarians.
18. Gayals
| Scientific Name | Bos frontalis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Northeast India |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The gayal is native to the Eastern Himalayas and they are generally found in India, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
This type of wild cow typically eats plants like bamboo shoots or young leaves but sometimes also feeds on flowers.
19. Gazelles
| Scientific Name | Gazella |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Asia, China, Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Gazelle are herbivores that eat mainly grasses and leaves in the wild. They are able to eat a variety of different plants, which makes them great at adapting to new environments.
20. Gerenuk
| Scientific Name | Litocranius walleri |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | East Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Gerenuk is a type of antelope that can be found in parts of Africa, primarily areas with acacia trees.
This animal has an unusual way to get the nutrients it needs from grass and leaves — they have long necks to eat off the very top branches.
21. Giraffes
| Scientific Name | Giraffa |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | East Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The giraffe is a large, herbivorous mammal that is found in Africa. These animals are vegetarian and consume leaves, fruits, and flowers from trees and shrubs.
Giraffes have specially adapted necks that allow them to reach high up into the branches of trees for food.
22. Goa
| Scientific Name | Procapra picticaudata |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Tibetan plateau |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Goa is also an animal that is vegetarian. They are found in the Tibetan plateau and they mainly eat grasses, leaves, buds, and fruits.
23. Grey Gorals
| Scientific Name | Naemorhedus caudatus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Pakistan to Nepal |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The grey goral is a vegetarian species of antelope that lives in the mountains in some parts of China and Nepal. They are herbivores eating mostly grasses, forbs, lichens, and mosses. The grey goral feeds at night or very early in the morning.
24. Grysbok
| Scientific Name | Raphicerus melanotis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
One of the most popular examples of a vegetarian animal is found in Africa. The Grysbok is an herbivore that lives throughout the continent and eats only plants.
This small antelope weighs between 20 to 30 pounds when fully grown, but they can be very shy so it’s not always easy to spot one in nature.
25. Hartebeest
| Scientific Name | Alcelaphus buselaphus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The hartebeest is a type of antelope that can be found in Africa. They are herbivores and eat mostly grasses, herbs, roots, seeds, and leaves.
26. Himalayan Serows
| Scientific Name | Capricornis sumatraensis thar |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Himalayan cold desert |
| Diet | Herbivore |
This goat-like animal is native to the Himalayas and also parts of China. This species of serow can be found at high altitudes where they eat a vegetarian diet consisting mainly of grasses, leaves, flowers as well as some insects.
27. Himalayan Tahrs
| Scientific Name | Hemitragus jemlahicus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Himalayas |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Himalayan tahr is native to the Himalayas Mountains. They are herbivores and eat mostly grasses, herbs, roots, seeds, and leaves.
28. Hog Deer
| Scientific Name | Axis porcinus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Indo-Gangetic Plain in Pakistan |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Hog deer are a species of deer found in the forests of Southeast Asia. These deer are unique because they are the only ones in their family that are not obligate herbivores. Hog deer are known to eat insects, small reptiles, and amphibians on occasion.
29. Horses
| Scientific Name | Equus caballus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Horses primarily subsist on grass, grains, and hay. They are grazers who will eat all day long if they have enough grass around. Many people also give their horses salt licks as a treat. These are blocks of salt that horses tend to absolutely love.
30. Huemul
| Scientific Name | Hippocamelus bisulcus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Chile |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Huemul (HOO-mool), is a shy and elusive animal of the deer family that you can find in Patagonia, South America. The rare population of these animals lives in only two areas: Chile’s Nahuelbuta National Park and Argentina’s Lanin National Park.
31. Imbabala (aka Bushbuck)
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus sylvaticus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The bushbuck is a medium-sized antelope that lives in the dense forests of Africa. This animal feeds on fruit and grasses but doesn’t eat meat at all.
32. Impala
| Scientific Name | Aepyceros melampus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southern Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Impalas are a type of antelope that lives in Africa. They are herbivores, which means they only eat vegetation.
Impalas typically feast on leaves, fruits, and pods from trees and shrubs. Some impalas will also graze on the ground for grasses and other plants.
33. Japanese Serow
| Scientific Name | Capricornis crispus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Japan |
| Diet | Herbivore |
This animal is from the caprid family. It lives in areas of Japan and China where there are mountains filled with vegetation to keep them sustained throughout the day.
32. Klipspringer
| Scientific Name | Oreotragus oreotragus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | eastern Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
This is an African Antelope native to the mountainous regions of Eastern and Southern Africa. The Klipspringer feeds on a variety of grasses, herbs, shrubs, and other plants in their natural habitat.
34. Koalas
| Scientific Name | Phascolarctos cinereus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Australia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
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 bush fires, habitat loss, and disease. In addition, koalas are often killed by cars when they crossroads looking for food.
35. Kob
| Scientific Name | Kobus kob |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Central Africa and parts of West Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Kobs are a type of antelope that lives in Africa. They are herbivores, which means they only eat vegetation. Kobs mostly eat leaves, but they will also consume fruits, seeds, and flowers.
36. Kouprey
| Scientific Name | Bos sauveli |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Cambodia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The kouprey is a rare type of wild cattle that live in Southeast Asia. The animal has never been domesticated and although similar, it should not be confused with the banteng or gaur which are also both types of wild Asian cattle.
Koupreys have very strange horns on their heads – they are corkscrew in shape and can be up to three meters long.
37. Kudu
| Scientific Name | Tragelaphus strepsiceros |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Kudu is a large antelope that lives in South Africa, but can also be found in other parts of the world. It has a very unique diet because it only eats fruit and leaves.
38. Lechwe
| Scientific Name | Kobus leche |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | south-central Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The lechwe is an antelope that lives in Africa. These animals mainly eat grasses and other vegetation, but they will also consume small amounts of meat if it is available.
39. Long-tailed Goral
| Scientific Name | Naemorhedus caudatus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | eastern and northern Asia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The long-tailed goral is a herbivore that lives in the mountains of Asia. They eat vegetation such as grass and leaves off of trees, shrubs, or any other plants they can find! These animals face many natural predators such as tigers and leopards which pose a threat to their survival.
40. Lemmings
| Scientific Name | Lemmini |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | arctic tundra |
| Diet | Herbivore |
There are a few different types of lemmings in the world, but all of them are vegetarian. They eat a variety of plants and herbs, and they have even been known to eat mushrooms on occasion.
Lemmings typically live in colonies near their food sources, so they can easily access what they need to survive. While they may not be the most important members of their ecosystems, they certainly play a role and help keep things in balance.
41. Panda Bears
| Scientific Name | Ailuropoda melanoleuca |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | China |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The panda bear is the only bear of the Ursidae bear family (which includes polar bears, black bears, grizzly bears, and others) who can subsist entirely on plants. Their main food source is bamboo. Because they have spent so many generations living in the bamboo forests of China, they’ve evolved to be entirely herbivorous. Even their teeth have changed to be more blunt because they don’t need to tear into meat.
42. Rabbits
| Scientific Name | Oryctolagus cuniculus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Rabbits and hares are herbivores, so they generally only eat plants. Of course, everyone knows they love rabbits. However, some rabbits have been known to turn on their own kind in times of scarcity and become cannibals!
43. Tortoises
| Scientific Name | Testudinidae |
| Type of Animal | Reptile |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Tortoises are some of the few animals that are strictly vegetarian. Their diet consists of a variety of plants, flowers, and fruits.
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.