From pygmy shrews to armadillos, a wide range of mammals survive on a diet made up largely of insects. Many of these have fascinating adaptations suited to catching or rooting out their prey. In this free course, Studying mammals: The insect hunters, you will learn about these adaptations, along with survival strategies for when food is scarce. This is the second course in the Studying mammals series.

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• describe the lifestyle of a variety of insect eaters, from four orders
• give examples of adaptations linked to feeding in insect eaters
• explain the limited extent to which insectivores can be regarded as ‘primitive’
• characterise typical adult mammalian dentition and understand dental formulae
• recognise teleology and write down accounts of evolution that do not assume purpose or direction.