Editing Carnivore (section)

==Obligate carnivores==
[[File:Tigre d'Asie à robe blanche.jpg|thumb|The [[Bengal tiger|Bengal tiger's]] large [[canine tooth|canines]] and strong jaws reveal its place as an [[apex predator]].]]
[[File:Male_Lion_and_Cub_Chitwa_South_Africa_Luca_Galuzzi_2004.JPG|thumb|[[Lion]]s are voracious carnivores; they require more than 7 kilograms of meat daily. A major component of their diet is the meat of large [[mammal]]s, such as this [[African buffalo|buffalo]].]]

Obligate or "true" carnivores are those whose diet requires nutrients found only in animal flesh in the wild. While obligate carnivores might be able to [[ingestion|ingest]] small amounts of plant matter, they lack the necessary [[physiology]] required to fully [[digestion|digest]] it. Some obligate carnivorous mammals will ingest vegetation as an [[emetic]], a food that upsets their stomachs, to self-induce vomiting.<ref name=Armstrong-Gross-etal-2010/>

Obligate carnivores are diverse. The amphibian [[axolotl]] consumes mainly worms and larvae in its environment, but if necessary will consume algae. All wild [[Felidae|felids]], including feral [[domestic cat|domestic cats]], require a diet of primarily animal flesh and organs.<ref name=Velegr-Defr-1994/> Specifically, cats have high protein requirements and their metabolisms appear unable to synthesize essential nutrients such as [[retinol]], [[arginine]], [[taurine]], and [[arachidonic acid]]; thus, in nature, they must consume flesh to supply these nutrients.<ref name=Ullrey-2004-Pond-EAS/>