A secondary consumer is an organism that feeds on primary consumers or herbivores. Primary consumers are always herbivores, or organisms that only eat autotrophic plants. Secondary consumers can either be carnivores or omnivores. Carnivores only eat other animals, and omnivores eat both plant and animal matter. Secondary consumers are an important part of the food chain, as they control the population of primary consumers by eating them for energy. They also provide energy to the tertiary consumers. Examples of secondary consumers include lizards, mice, minnows, fish, snakes, frogs, seals, roadrunners, hawks, and raccoons.