Decomposers and Scavengers

What do you do with your garbage? Do you just throw it away or do you recycle it? Recycling helps us make good use of our resources. In nature there are lots of animals responsible for recycling.

Some animals eat dead animals or carrion. They are called scavengers. They help break down or reduce organic material into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces are then eaten by decomposers. Decomposers eat dead materials and break them down into chemical parts. Nitrogen, carbon and other nutrients can then be used again by plants and animals. Without decomposers and scavengers, the world would be covered with dead plants and animals!

Did You Know?

... cockroaches are scavengers.

... turkey vultures have adaptations that help them eat carrion.

... bacteria, fungi and microbes help decompose organic matter.

What Do You Think?

Click here to test your decomposer and scavenger knowledge.

NatureFiles

File Folder Learn more about some of the animals featured in this episode.

opossum	red fox
coyote

Teacher's Guide

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Image Credits: Clipart.com

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