When a sheep strayed from the fold, the wolf wasted no time with predation. Even purely observational work may cause some disturbance or increase the risk of predation. In fact, this also gives them a chemical defense as the milkweed toxins that get on the butterflies make them unappetizing to predators. the preying of one animal on others. [30] Wide foraging expends more energy, and is used when prey is sedentary or sparsely distributed. The mimicry gives them protection since predators now think they're actually dangerous and should be avoided. All Rights Reserved, Spiders spinning webs to trap and kill insects, Lacewings eating mites and small caterpillars, Scorpions using their venomous stinger to kill insects and small mammals, Octopi catching small fish and crustaceans, Ladybugs feeding on aphids on apple trees and rose bushes, Praying mantises eating a variety of insects, including crickets and other mantises, Yellowjackets and wasps attacking house fly nests to eat their larva, Fire ants swarming and carrying earthworms, caterpillars, and insect eggs to their anthills, Sparrows catching insects to feed their young, Woodpeckers drilling holes into tree bark to catch spiders, grubs, and insects, Crows attacking other birds’ nests to eat their eggs, Hawks circling and catching small animals such as lizards and snakes, Seagulls swooping into the sea to catch small fish, Eagles catching rabbits, large fish, and other animals in their talons, Tuna consuming large amounts of fish from schools, Piranhas in a feeding frenzy to eat a larger fish or animal, Lionfish attacking large numbers of reef fish, Sharks stalking and killing other fish, birds, or marine mammals, Moray eels hiding and attacking smaller fish, Manta rays sweeping small fish into their mouths as they swim, Frogs and toads extending long tongues to snatch flying insects, Boa constrictors tightly squeezing their prey until it can’t breathe, Crocodiles lurking under the surface of the water before grabbing an animal drinking at the water’s edge, Turtles catching and eating small fish from the water, Rattlesnakes using venom in their bite to kill small animals, Ancient carnivorous dinosaurs attacking herbivorous dinosaurs, A pride of lions attacking a larger animal, such as an elephant or wildebeest, Orca whales hunting seals, sharks, and penguins, House cats killing mice, birds, and other small animals, A pack of coyotes chasing and killing rabbits, Tigers stalking and killing deer in the forest, California pitcher plants using digestive enzymes to consume insects that fall inside its pitcher, Sundews attracting and then absorbing insects with sticky mucilage, Yellow pitcher plants secreting an intoxicating nectar to bring prey to the bottom of its pitcher, Bladderworts using negative pressure to suck prey into their bladders, Corkscrew plants trapping microfauna and protozoa in their underground “lobster-pot style” mazes, Tardigrades, also known as water bears, suck the cell contents from other microscopic organisms and even other tardigrades, Warnowiid plankton hunt prey plankton with small spear structures. One is dilution, where, in the simplest scenario, if a given predator attacks a group of prey, the chances of a given individual being the target is reduced in proportion to the size of the group. Predation Definition Predation refers to an interaction between two organisms, predator and prey, where there is a flow of energy from one to another. All Rights Reserved. 2, Some trait must provide them with immunity from predation. Examples of Organisms Endangered Due to Invasive Species, Nature: Predation, Herbivory, and Parasitism, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology: Predatory Bacteria, UC Berkeley: Understanding Evolution: Natural selection, NIH: MedlinePlus: Tapeworm - Beef or Pork. On our African safari, we witnessed the act of predation first-hand. This is the general cycle: Predators keep prey populations in check, which allows the number of predators to increase. Elliot Walsh holds a B.S in Cell and Developmental Biology and a B.A in English Literature from the University of Rochester.