Carnivores

[Birchy]

Are there any mammals that are true carnivores, or are all creatures actually omnivorous? Surely a certain amount of veg matter has to ne taken in to maintain health?

[Rabelais]

A vampire bat is truly carnivorous.

[Clanad]

As are Polar Bears, Orca, Dolphins and the Pinnipeds (Sea Lions, Walruses and Seals) as well as most other marine mammals...

[wildwood]

Carnivorous is a man-made definition, as opposed to herbivorous. Even a herbivore ingests a surprising amount of meat by way of insects on their pasture.

Traditional carnivours - big cats etc - first eat the guts of their kill, so getting additional nutrients not present in meat. Even domestic dogs and cats will get sick if they are only given meat.    

[UncleNobHead]

if youre talking about carnivore in the taxonomic classification sense, then canivora is an order in the class mammalia, so i suppose technically theyre all 'carnivores' within this order. however, pandas are included within the order carnivora & they feed exclusively on bamboo -although their digestive tracts have evolved for, & would be much better suited to, a diet of meat.

i assume your take on carnivore is more in the sense of meat-eating behaviour, rather than the taxonomical definition. it is true that many cat and dog species eat vegetation on rare occasions, & their are various reasons for this; trace minerals not found in meat, anti-parasitic chemicals in plants, & in the case of cat-nip -hallucinogenic properties! however, cats especially are obligate carnivores, & MUST eat meat to survive, & could survive healthily solely on meat. this is evolutionary, and is related to the inabilty of cats to synthesize certain essential nutrients neccessary for all mammals, which as a result they must obtain from other mammals which can synthesize them from precursers found in plants. the fact is that certain mammals like cats have evolved to eat only meat, & do not have the digestive capacity to break down vegetable matter -so eating it would be pointless, like humans eating wood - you just couldnt digest it.

as for cows inadvertantly consuming insects whilst grazing, i wouldnt really think this is carnivorous behaviour, as carnivore applies to the consumption of other vertebrates -although many species of solely herbivorous grazing animals,such as cows & sheep, will eat the afterbirth from their calves etc.

the short answer to whether any mammals can be completely carnivorous in the behavioural sense is yes, the vampire bat is a good one, many species of cats also. eating veg is only good or worthwile if your digestive system has evolved to do it.