Page 9 - Animals of the Wild April 2017(1)_Neat

Predators are animals that hunt other animals and eat their flesh to survive. Predators come in
various shapes and sizes, from the small ladybird to the big lion or bear. Predators can take over the
role as scavengers as well by taking the carcass from other predators without killing the prey
themselves. Predators and their prey keep a fine balance in natures food balance known as an ecosy
stem. Predators use different strategies to hunt I.e. chasing the prey, stalking the prey, ambushing
the prey, teamwork against the prey and camouflage.

Animals are divided in two groups, those with vertebrae and those without vertebrae. Vertebrate
Predators include mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. Examples of invertebrate predators
are amoebas, sponges, jelly fish, corals, tapeworms, flukes, insects, arachnoids, crustaceans,
molluscs and echinoderms. Invertebrates body temperature depends on the temperature of the
environment.

Predators use their sense of vision, hearing, smell and sense of vibration to locate the prey before
the hunting starts. They use their teeth, claws or jaws to bring their prey down. The teeth are used
to kill and eat the prey. Predators have three kinds of teeth. The incisors which are used to cut the
food, the canine for tearing the food and to kill the prey and the premolar teeth for chewing
and grinding the food. Crocodiles and sharks have long, cone-liked teeth.

Carnivorous plants eat insects to make up for the poor nutrient soil. Examples of carnivorous plants
are the Venus fly trap, Sundews and Bladderwarts.

Beaks are in place of teeth and tell us a lot about the bird. Birds with long beaks use their beaks for
probing where hooked beaks are for tearing, thick beaks for crunching seeds and thin beaks are for
picking insects.

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