Question

Why do carnivores have shorter intestine than herbivores?

Answer 1

Herbivorous animals have longer intestines than that of carnivorous animals. This is because their diet is grass and plants, made up of fibre and cellulose which are hard to digest. As a result the herbivorous animals need a longer digestive track to digest their foods completely. A longer intestine would also host many small bacteria that process and break down cellulose into glucose, a source of energy which the host herbivore can use. Without the long intestines, animals such as cows could still eat grass, but would not be able to use the glucose stored in the grass structure.

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Answer 2

Herbivores eating grass need a longer small intestine to allow the cellulose to be digested. Whereas Meat is easier to digest, hence carnivores like tiger have shorter small intestine.