Which statement correctly distinguishes scavengers from detritivores?

• A. Scavengers eat detritus, detritivores eat dead animals.
• B. Scavengers eat dead animals; detritivores consume detritus.
• C. Scavengers are always mammals; detritivores are never mammals.
• D. Scavengers only scavenge; detritivores only detritify.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is differentiating scavengers from detritivores by what they eat. Scavengers feed on dead animals (carrion), while detritivores consume detritus—non-living organic material like decaying leaves, feces, and other decomposed matter. This distinction is important because it shows two separate pathways for recycling nutrients: scavengers handle animal carcasses, and detritivores break down broad detritus in the environment. Examples help ground it: vultures and some beetles are typical scavengers, while earthworms and woodlice are common detritivores. The other statements mix up or misstate these roles—food sources are not swapped, and the idea that scavengers are a single mammal group or that detritivores never overlap with other roles isn’t accurate.