Herbivore

Munch, munch, crunch. Can you hear that sound. It is the sound of my friends eating. A fuzzy rabbit nibbles on a bright orange carrot. A tall, tall giraffe stretches its long neck to reach yummy green leaves high in a tree. A little caterpillar chews on a big leaf. They eat sweet red berries and soft green grass and pretty, colorful flowers. I help all these animals eat their favorite plant snacks. Do you know who I am.

I am a Herbivore. That is a big word for a plant-eater. It means an animal gets all its happy energy from eating plants. I have been around for a very, very long time. I was here even before the dinosaurs. The very first plant-eaters started munching on Earth’s big green plants so long ago. Much, much later, in the 1800s, some smart people watching animals gave me my special name. I can be tiny, like a little snail sliding on a leaf. Or I can be gigantic, like a big elephant with floppy ears or a long-necked Brachiosaurus dinosaur from long ago.

I am very important for our world. When my animal friends eat yummy fruits, they help spread the tiny seeds inside. Those seeds fall on the ground and grow into new trees. Plant power. Some of my friends help people every day. Cows eat green grass and help give us yummy milk for our cereal. Fluffy sheep eat grass, too, and give us soft, cozy wool for our sweaters. So next time you see a deer in a meadow or a butterfly on a flower, you can say, ‘Hello, Herbivore.’ We are all part of one big, wonderful world, powered by plants.