| Mode of foraging | Teeth | Tongue | Stomach | Intestines | Cecum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insectivory | numerous, spiky, incisors procumbent Example: mole Example: shrew | -- | simple | short | mostly lacking |
| Myrmecophagy | absent or reduced in numbers, peg-like Example: tamandua anteater | extremely long (Fig 7.3) | often roughened | short | small or lacking |
| Terrestrial carnivory | sharp incisors; long, conical canines; often carnassial cheek teeth; may have crushing molars Example: dog | -- | simple | short | small |
| Aquatic carnivory | homodont, spiky, numerous Example: common dolphin | -- | simple or multichambered (cetaceans) | variable | small |
| Sanguinivory | very sharp upper incisors; reduced cheek teeth Example: vampire bat | grooved | tubular, highly extensible | long | lacking? |
| Herbivory (except nectivores) | incisors robust or absent; canines reduced or absent; diastema; cheek teeth enlarged with complex occlusal surfaces Example: beaver | -- | simple (hindgut fermenters) or multichambered (ruminants) | long | large |
| Filter feeding | none (baleen)
Example: humpback whale | -- | multichambered | -- | -- |
| Omnivory | sharp incisors and canines; flat cheek teeth with rounded cusps
Example: bear | -- | simple | long | small |
