Why can’t herbivores eat meat, and why can’t carnivores eat plants? What specifically stops them / happens if they try to?
In: Biology
They can eat those things, but they’re not optimized for it. If a herbivore finds carrion or some other kind of easy meal, it will take the opportunity to pick up some extra protein. You might see a deer eating ducklings, for example (and there are unfortunately videos of that on the web). Likewise, if an obligate carnivore finds some easily accessible and digestible plant matter, it will go for the extra carbs.
But, because their bodies are tuned for their food of choice, they aren’t able to get a lot out of it. Enough to supplement their diets if it’s needed, but nothing that they can eat exclusively.
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