insectivore

[in-sek-tuh-vawr, -vohr]

noun

1. an insectivorous animal or plant.

2. any mammal of the order Insectivora, comprising the moles, shrews, and Old World hedgehogs.

insectivore

/ ɪnˈsɛktɪˌvɔː /

noun

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

insectivore

1. An animal or plant that feeds mainly on insects.

2. Any of various small, usually nocturnal mammals of the order Insectivora that feed on insects and other invertebrates. Insectivores have long snouts and resemble rodents, but lack gnawing incisors. Moles, shrews, hedgehogs, and tenrecs are insectivores.

Word History and Origins

Origin of insectivore¹

1860–65; back formation from insectivorous; -vore

Example Sentences

Working in a maximum-biosecurity lab, he and his team at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory struggled to feed the small insectivores while wearing full-body protective gear.

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"Eleven of 24 had reduced success when a heat wave occurred during the breeding season. Aerial insectivores were the most sensitive to temperature extremes, especially cold."

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The specific patterns, and the earliest mammals' relatively small size, are reminiscent of modern small insectivores—which use quick bites and a dental tool kit of puncturing and crushing teeth to bust through arthropod carapaces.

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"But there are a number of enigmatic fossil insectivores from around the time bats would have evolved and it's unclear which, if any, are related to bats."

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Yet even with these strategies, researchers have concluded from lab studies that temperatures above 35°C should cook these prickly insectivores.

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