Around the world, there are many animals that eat grasshoppers, and some of them may surprise you. These insects are a high-protein source with numerous health benefits that help support the animals’ body functions.
There are over 11,000 grasshopper species, and having these animals feed on them helps keep them under control and balance the environment. In this article, let’s talk about which animals are these and some information about them.
14 Animals that eat grasshoppers
1. Chameleons
Scientific Name: Furcifer pardalis
Chameleons are lizards found in Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. Many chameleons have distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from other reptiles. Most of them can change colors depending on their mood, have sticky toes that help them cling to branches, and can even move their eyes independently of one another, allowing them to see better.
Chameleons use their long, sticky tongue to catch insects for food. They eat grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, and some have been observed eating plant material.
2. Praying Mantis
Scientific Name: Mantis religiosa
Praying Mantis are fascinating creatures. They live all over the world, but are most common in warmer climates, and can be found in rainforests, grasslands, deserts, and even cities. This mantis is an insect with its front legs together, making it appear to be praying.
They have long necks, which allows them to turn their heads 180 degrees to see behind them. Praying mantises also have excellent vision and hearing, which helps them in finding food. Insects (especially grasshoppers) are eaten alive by praying mantises, which catch them with their front legs and hold them down.
3. Frogs
Scientific Name: Lithobates catesbeianus
Frogs are amphibians that live both on land and in water. They have wet skin and breathe through it, which is why they need to be wet. Frogs have many distinguishing characteristics, including legs for leaping and jumping, protruding eyes, and a very long tongue for catching flying insects.
These amphibians consume insects as well as other small animals such as spiders and worms. They swallow their prey whole, without chewing it first. Ponds and lakes with vegetation surrounding them serve as their habitat.
4. Foxes
Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpes
Foxes are omnivores native to the northern hemisphere, including North America. They live in a wide range of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and deserts.
These creatures eat a variety of foods, including mice, rabbits, birds, insects, carrion, and other small mammals. They also eat berries and fruit and have been observed scavenging on trashcans.
These animals have extremely acute senses of smell and hearing, allowing them to track down their prey. They can also reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
5. Coyotes
Scientific Name: Canis latrans
Coyotes are members of the dog family with long, pointed muzzles, large ears, and long tails. They’re typically light gray and red in color and live in open areas such as the desert and prairie.
They feed on small mammals like rabbits, birds, snakes, and insects. Coyotes also consume plant materials such as cactus fruit and flowers, and they’ll occasionally scavenge meat from carcasses left behind by hunters or other animals.
6. Wolves
Scientific Name: Canis lupus
Wolves are social animals that live in packs. An alpha, offspring, and other related animals make up the group. Wolves are also extremely intelligent, allowing them to adapt to new environments easily.
These amazing creatures eat meat, primarily that of hoofed animals, but they’ll also hunt smaller animals, insects, and worms. They hunt in packs to bring down large animals using their keen hearing and sight. Their vision allows them to see at night and they use scent marking to communicate and mark territory or food sources.
7. Raccoons
Scientific Name: Procyon lotor
Raccoons are medium-sized mammals that live in North America. They’re members of the Procyonidae family and eat a wide variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, insects, fish, rodents, and amphibians.
These animals have a few distinguishing characteristics that aid in their survival in the wild: they have extremely sensitive hearing, night vision, and a keen sense of smell. Raccoons are also extremely intelligent! To complete simple tasks, they use tools such as rocks or branches.
8. Cuckoos
Scientific Name: Cuculus canorus
Cuckoos are birds that have long tails and long, narrow wings. There are 150 different species of cuckoos that inhabit tropical forests and woodlands and lead an arboreal lifestyle.
This species is omnivorous, but their favorite food is insects such as beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers. These animals are also known for brood parasitism, which occurs when they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, causing the birdnest owner to become foster parents to their young.
9. Blue jays
Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata
The Blue Jay is one of North America’s most recognizable birds. They’re members of the Corvidae family, along with crows, ravens, and magpies.
Blue Jays are distinguished by their beautiful blue feathers and large size. They can reach a wingspan of 17 inches and weigh up to 110 g.
These birds live in North American deciduous forests, where they build nests on trees with thick branches. Insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars are consumed for protein, but they primarily consume vegetable matter.
10. Opossums
Scientific Name: Didelphis virginiana
Opossums are marsupials that tend to be nocturnal, and eat insects, fruits, nuts, and small animals. These animals live in 4-foot-deep burrows that other animals usually abandon.
These animals can be recognized by their sharply pointed snout, bare ears, and scaly, nearly hairless tails. Their sharp claws also allow them to easily climb trees or dig through dirt in search of food.
11. Dragonflies
Scientific Name: Pantala flavescens
Dragonflies are common in many parts of the world, and despite their similar size to grasshoppers, they’re predators of these insects. They live in forests, fields, and near ponds, lakes, and rivers.
These creatures eat insects and attack from below before devouring their prey. Dragonflies also have compound eyes that allow them to see in all directions at the same time.
12. Orioles
Scientific Name: Icterus galbula
One species of bird called the oriole is also known for consuming grasshoppers. Their primary diet consists of berries and nectars, but they’ll occasionally consume these insects.
They’re easily identified by their magnificent flame-orange and black coloration, which attracts many bird enthusiasts. Orioles are typically found in open deciduous woodlands, where they breed in trees along streams and in lowlands. They also prefer to live in palm trees, and will live in cities and parks as well.
13. Hedgehogs
Scientific Name: Erinaceus europaeus
Hedgehogs are small, spiny mammals found in Africa. These animals stand out because they’re covered in soft fur and have spiky quills on the back of their bodies. Their heads are round, with small ears and a short snout, and they can grow to be 14 inches long.
Grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, slugs, and worms are among the insects they consume. They’re also nocturnal and solitary animals, sleeping most of the day to avoid predators such as birds of prey and snakes, and are only seen with other hedgehogs during mating season.
14. Wasps
Scientific Name: Vespula vulgaris
Wasps are social insects that live in colonies and have a queen that lays eggs. They’re found almost everywhere and have a venomous stinger that’s used for self-defense.
Adult wasps primarily feed on flower sugars, but they also kill insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars, which they paralyze and chop to feed their larvae. These insects prefer to build their nests on garages, roofs, and sheds where they have easy access to the outside.
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