Final answer:
Secondary consumers can be either carnivores or omnivores, meaning they can feed on meat or on both plants and animals. Carnivores strictly consume meat while omnivores have a varied diet that includes both meat and plant matter.
Step-by-step explanation:
Secondary consumers may be either carnivores, eating meat, or omnivores that eat both plants and animals. Carnivores are animals that consume meat, and their diet may consist of other animals including herbivores or smaller carnivores. Examples include lions, polar bears, and hawks. Obligate carnivores, like some species of cats, strictly eat meat, while facultative carnivores can digest plant matter but predominantly eat meat.
On the other hand, omnivores can digest and consume both plant and animal matter, with their diets including a variety of foods. Examples of omnivores include humans, pigs, and bears. Depending on factors such as season and life stage, omnivores may shift their dietary habits, sometimes consuming more plant-based foods and other times focusing more on animal-based foods.