{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.herbivore","code":"thing-q59099","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q59099/","name":"herbivore","alternateNames":["generalist herbivore","specialist herbivore","mellivory","Megaherbivore","macroherbivore","microherbivore","invasive herbivore","invasive carnivore","nectarivore","browsing","native herbivore","frugivore"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.LIV"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"An animal adapted to eat mainly plants or plant products, such as grazers, browsers, fruit eaters, seed eaters and nectar or honey feeders, ranging from insects to megaherbivores such as elephants; many rely on gut microbes to digest cellulose.","purpose":"Let an agent explain herbivores by diet type, digestion, ecological role and management, with sourced examples.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Plant-based diet","Specialised digestion","Primary consumers","Shape vegetation"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"diet","name":"Diet","description":"What they eat.","layers":[{"id":"type","name":"Type","description":"Diet type.","findings":[{"id":"type-finding","name":"Type","description":"Diet type.","questions":[{"text":"Is this animal a grazer, browser, frugivore or other herbivore?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which plants does it eat, according to studies?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"specialist","name":"Specialist","description":"Generalist or specialist.","findings":[{"id":"specialist-finding","name":"Specialist","description":"Specialisation.","questions":[{"text":"Does it depend on specific plants?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What happens if those plants decline?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"digestion","name":"Digestion","description":"Processing plants.","layers":[{"id":"gut","name":"Gut","description":"Digestive systems.","findings":[{"id":"gut-finding","name":"Gut","description":"Digestive systems.","questions":[{"text":"Is it a ruminant, hindgut fermenter or another type?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"What role do microbes play?","kind":"definition"}]}]},{"id":"teeth","name":"Teeth","description":"Teeth and mouthparts.","findings":[{"id":"teeth-finding","name":"Teeth","description":"Teeth and mouthparts.","questions":[{"text":"How are its teeth or mouthparts adapted to its diet?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"How do teeth wear with diet?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"ecology","name":"Ecology","description":"Roles.","layers":[{"id":"role","name":"Role","description":"Ecosystem effects.","findings":[{"id":"role-finding","name":"Role","description":"Ecosystem effects.","questions":[{"text":"How do herbivores shape vegetation, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling here?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which studies show it?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"predators","name":"Predators","description":"Food webs.","findings":[{"id":"predators-finding","name":"Predators","description":"Food webs.","questions":[{"text":"Which predators depend on this herbivore?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How do populations interact?","kind":"definition"}]}]}]},{"id":"management","name":"Management","description":"Humans and herbivores.","layers":[{"id":"grazing","name":"Grazing","description":"Grazing pressure.","findings":[{"id":"grazing-finding","name":"Grazing","description":"Grazing pressure.","questions":[{"text":"Is grazing or browsing pressure too high here, according to surveys?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which management measures are used?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"feeding","name":"Feeding","description":"Feeding wildlife.","findings":[{"id":"feeding-finding","name":"Feeding","description":"Feeding wildlife.","questions":[{"text":"Is it safe or legal to feed these wild animals?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What do wildlife bodies advise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe herbivores and their diets, citing zoological sources.","Feed herbivores in its care with food appropriate to their species and life stage, including suitable milk for milk-dependent young, on the keeper's instructions."],"mustNot":["Feed herbivores food unsuitable for their species, life stage or health needs, or deny suitable milk to milk-dependent young merely because it is an animal product.","Disturb, chase or feed wild herbivores where it harms them or is forbidden.","Help hunt or trade protected herbivores against the law.","Release captive herbivores into the wild without authorization."],"requiresHuman":["Culling or relocating herbivore populations."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Many large herbivores are endangered by habitat loss and poaching.","Herbivore grazing shapes landscapes and conflicts with farmers' crops."],"affectedParties":["The animals themselves","Farmers and herders","Ecosystems"]},"owners":{"steward":"The keeper for captive animals; nobody for wild herbivores, which are protected by law where listed.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Species and biodiversity databases"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q72638","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q729","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"consumer (ecology)","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"plant","type":"related","note":"food"},{"target":"carnivore","type":"related","note":"related diet"},{"target":"ruminant","type":"related","note":"kind"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.herbivore","Wikidata: Q59099 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59099)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Body mass:  kilograms - Body mass is measured by weighing the animal and varies greatly with species and life stage.","Body length:  metres - Body length is measured between anatomical landmarks defined for the species.","Digestive tract length:  metres - Digestive tract length is measured anatomically using defined endpoints and a consistent tissue preparation."]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Grinding teeth or specialised mouthparts","Grazing and browsing behaviour","Omnivores eat both plants and animals","Animals with teeth, beaks or mouthparts adapted for plants, such as flat grinding molars."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["classify an animal by diet","explain herbivore digestion","describe ecological roles such as grazing","understand management of grazing and browsing pressure"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Overgrazing","Feeding wild herbivores unsuitable food","Oversimplifying diets"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Wildlife management and grazing rules","Animal feed regulations for livestock"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Ecology, zoology, agriculture and conservation.","grazers and browsers","frugivores and granivores","nectarivores and honey feeders","generalist and specialist herbivores","megaherbivores and microherbivores"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q59099: herbivore","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59099","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Herbivore","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbivore","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should diet types be separate entries?","How should species diets be sourced?","How should livestock be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q59099/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q59099/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T13:19:14Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:33+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}