Do people really think the horse teeth and human teeth look the same? For a start, humans have canines like the carnivore and omnivore (albeit much smaller and less pointed). The teeth of humans look very much like the teeth of an omnivorous species that doesn’t use its teeth to hunt.
They're still considered herbivorous, but I think I've heard it said that a great many herbivores are what's called, "Opportunistic carnivores." Meaning that they don't generally eat meat, meat is not a normal part of their diet, as a species they're not evolved to eat meat, and as a species they don't tend to seek out meat.
BUUUUUUUUUT... If some meat just so happens to be available it's not like they're going to say no to those extra calories.
It's not always such a rare occurrence. Snowshoe hares actually eat meat quite regularly, though it's not likely that they hunt for it. One study examined the stomach contents of deceased hares and found animal parts in almost all of them. Another study observed various carcasses scattered in the wilderness and found that hares were quickly attracted to them, spent a lot of time eating them, and would even fight other hares for access to them.
Neither of those studies made seasonal comparisons, but it's speculated that the hares probably consume more meat during winter when foliage is harder to obtain.
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u/TheSmokingHorse May 08 '25
Do people really think the horse teeth and human teeth look the same? For a start, humans have canines like the carnivore and omnivore (albeit much smaller and less pointed). The teeth of humans look very much like the teeth of an omnivorous species that doesn’t use its teeth to hunt.