Distinguish scavengers from detritivores in mammals.

• A. Scavengers and detritivores are the same; both eat detritus.
• B. Scavengers eat plants; detritivores eat live animals.
• C. Scavengers eat dead animals; detritivores consume detritus (dead organic matter); many mammals are not strict detritivores, but hyenas are notable scavengers.
• D. Detritivores are predators that scavenge.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that scavengers and detritivores eat different kinds of dead or decomposing material. Scavengers feed on carrion—dead animals that are already dead—so their role is to consume animal tissue that’s no longer alive. Detritivores, on the other hand, take in detritus, which is decomposing organic matter from various sources, including plant and animal material, helping break it down further. In mammals, detritivory is not common, and many species don’t specialize as detritivores; hyenas are a classic example of scavengers because they are well known for feeding on carrion, though they can also hunt. So the correct idea emphasizes the distinction: scavengers eat dead animals, while detritivores eat detritus from decomposing matter.