What is Detritivore?
[[Image:Earthworm Miñoca 060106GFDL.jpg|thumb|250px|An [[Worm|earthworm]]]] [[Image:Woodlice in tree bark.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Woodlouse|Woodlice]] in [[tree]] [[bark]]]] [[Image:E. coli Bacteria (7316101966).jpg|thumb|250px|[[Bacteria]] ([[Escherichia coli]] cells magnified 25,000 times)]] Detritivores are [[Animal|animals]] that eat dead [[Plant|plants]] and animals. They also eat waste from other animals. They help to break down dead things and turn them into [[soil]]. This helps plants to grow. Detritivores are important for the [[environment]]. Some examples of detritivores are earthworms, millipedes, and woodlice, they live in the soil and eat dead leaves and other things. In the ocean, there are also detritivores like [[Crab|crabs]] and [[Sea cucumber|sea cucumbers]], they eat dead things on the bottom of the ocean. == Difference from Decomposers == Detritivores are different from [[Decomposer|decomposers]]. Decomposers are things like [[bacteria]] and [[Fungus|fungi]]. They break down dead things by absorbing them. Detritivores eat the dead things and break them down inside their bodies. == Importance == Detritivores are important for [[recycling]] [[Nutrient|nutrients]] in the environment. Detritivores also play an important role in [[Food web|food webs]]. They eat dead things and turn them into nutrients for plants. Then, [[Herbivore|herbivores]] eat the plants and get energy from them. [[Carnivore|Carnivores]] eat the herbivores and get energy from them. This is how energy flows through a food web. They also help to keep the soil healthy and help to clean up dead things, so they don't spread [[disease]]. == Eating Habits == Detritivores also have different ways of finding food. Some, like earthworms, use their sense of touch to find food in the soil. Others, like crabs, use their sense of smell to find food in the water. Detritivores have different ways of eating dead things. Earthworms swallow the dead things whole. Others, like millipedes, have special [[mouthparts]] to chew the dead things. Some d