Food Chain Worksheets - Free Printable

Let’s look at the two animals in the worksheet and answer the questions based on what we know about their teeth.

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First animal: The deer (caribou)

The text says:
- Carnivores have long, sharp canine teeth next to front incisors + sharp cheek teeth (carnassials) for stabbing and cutting meat.
- Herbivores either have no canines, or if they do, they’re small — and they have big flat side/back teeth (premolars and molars) for crushing plants.

Look at the deer’s mouth in the picture. Deer don’t have upper front teeth like humans — they have a hard pad instead. They also don’t have sharp canines sticking out. Their back teeth are flat for grinding grass and leaves.

So, the deer is a herbivore. Its teeth match the description of a plant-eater.

→ Answer to “What kind of teeth do you think this deer has?”
It has flat molars for grinding plants, no sharp canines, and maybe small or no front teeth on top — perfect for eating grass and leaves.

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Second animal: The fox

The text says:
- Carnivores have long sharp canines and carnassial teeth for tearing meat.
- Foxes eat meat — they hunt mice, rabbits, birds, etc.

Look at the fox’s face. You can see pointy teeth in its mouth — especially the canines. That’s typical for meat-eaters.

Also, the question asks: *“How are a fox’s teeth different from a cub’s?”*

Wait — there’s no cub shown in the image! But maybe it’s comparing to a bear cub? Or perhaps it’s a typo and meant to say “deer”? Let’s assume it’s asking how a fox’s teeth differ from a herbivore’s (like the deer).

Fox = carnivore → sharp canines, pointed teeth for ripping meat.
Deer = herbivore → flat molars, no sharp canines, built for chewing plants.

So the difference is: Fox has sharp, pointy teeth for meat; deer has flat, broad teeth for plants.

But since the question specifically says “a cub,” and cubs (baby bears) are omnivores — they eat both plants and meat — their teeth would be somewhere in between. Bear cubs have canines but also flat molars. Still, foxes are more specialized for meat than bear cubs.

Actually, looking again — the worksheet might have intended to compare fox to deer, not cub. Since “cub” isn’t pictured, let’s go with the most logical comparison: fox vs. deer.

→ Answer to “How are a fox’s teeth different from a cub’s?”
If “cub” means baby bear: Bears are omnivores, so they have some sharp teeth AND some flat teeth. Foxes are carnivores — all their teeth are sharper and designed for meat. So fox teeth are more pointed and better for killing and tearing flesh than a cub’s.

But since the worksheet doesn’t show a cub, and only shows deer and fox, I think it’s safe to assume the question meant to ask how fox teeth differ from deer teeth.

Final answers:

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Final Answer:
For the deer: It has flat molars for grinding plants and no sharp canines — it’s a herbivore.
For the fox: It has sharp canines and pointed teeth for eating meat — it’s a carnivore. Compared to a herbivore (or even an omnivore cub), the fox’s teeth are much sharper and built for hunting and tearing flesh.