insectivore (ĭnsĕk`təvōr'), term broadly given to any insect-eating animal or plant. More specifically, the term refers to mammals of the order Insectivora (see Chordata Chordata (kôrdā`tə,–dä`–)
..... Click the link for more information. ), including the shrew shrew, common name for the small, insectivorous mammals of the family Soricidae, related to the moles. Shrews include the smallest mammals; the smallest shrews are under 2 in. (5.1 cm) long, excluding the tail, and the largest are about 6 in. (15 cm) long.
..... Click the link for more information. , mole mole, in zoology, common name for the small, burrowing, insectivorous mammals of the family Talpidae, found throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Moles are trapped as pests, although they probably do less damage than the animals they destroy, and for their
..... Click the link for more information. , hedgehog hedgehog, Old World insectivorous mammal of the family Erinaceidae, related to moles and shrews. The spiny hedgehogs are found in Africa and Eurasia, except SE Asia. They have rounded bodies up to 13 in.
..... Click the link for more information. , tenrec tenrec (tĕn`rĕk), any of the small insectivorous mammals of the family Tenrecidae, also called tendrecs or tanrecs.
..... Click the link for more information. , and solenodon solenodon (sōlē`nədŏn), insectivorous mammal, genus Solenodon, found in the West Indies.
..... Click the link for more information. . Insectivores are small animals, ranging from 2 to 16 in. (5–40 cm) in length; they are generally quite active, and most of them are nocturnal. They feed on a variety of small animals, particularly worms and insects. Members of this group are thought to be closely related to the earliest placental mammals. The tenrecs have certain anatomical features in common with the more primitive pouched, or marsupial, mammals. The other groups of placental mammals, including the primates, the order to which man belongs, are thought to have evolved as radiations from a primitive insectivore stock. The tree-shrews were formerly classified as insectivores, but are now usually classified as primates; they represent a transitional form between the two groups. Primitive insectivores may have been arboreal, e.g., the tree shrew, but modern forms are ground or even underground dwellers; the mole is highly specialized for subterranean life. Insectivores are found in the Old and New Worlds from subarctic regions to the tropics, but there are none in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, or most of South America.

insectivore

Any member of the mammalian order (Insectivora) that includes the hedgehogs, moles, and sometimes shrews (some of which are considered primates by some authorities), or, more generally, any animal that eats mainly insects. The mammalian insectivores are generally small, active, and nocturnal. They are found in most parts of the world except Antarctica, Australia, and South America. Most species are solitary (except during the breeding season) and short-lived.

insectivore

1. any placental mammal of the order Insectivora, being typically small, with simple teeth, and feeding on invertebrates. The group includes shrews, moles, and hedgehogs

2. any animal or plant that derives nourishment from insects

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insectivore

insectivore