Predator and Prey
The relationship between animals that hunt and animals that are hunted.
What is it?
In nature, some animals (predators) hunt and eat other animals (prey). The Black Widow spider is a predator—it catches insects in its web and eats them. Insects are its prey. Predators have adaptations like venom or speed. Prey have adaptations like camouflage or hiding. Leaf insects are prey—they use camouflage to avoid being eaten by birds, lizards, and other predators. The Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula is a predator that hunts small birds, insects, and other small animals. It uses its venom to subdue prey.
Why it matters
The predator-prey relationship keeps ecosystems balanced. If there are too many predators, prey numbers drop. If there are too few predators, prey numbers can grow too high. Understanding this helps scientists protect nature.
Where you've seen it
This list grows as you capture more examples of predator-prey relationships.
Related
捕食者与猎物
捕食动物与被捕食动物之间的关系。
这是什么？
在自然界中，一些动物（捕食者）捕食并吃掉其他动物（猎物）。黑寡妇蜘蛛是捕食者——它在网中捕捉昆虫并吃掉它们。昆虫是它的猎物。捕食者有像毒液或速度这样的适应特征。猎物有像伪装或躲藏这样的适应特征。叶形昆虫是猎物——它们用伪装来避免被鸟、蜥蜴和其他捕食者吃掉。巴西三文鱼鸟蛛是捕食者，捕食小鸟、昆虫和其他小动物。它用毒液制服猎物。
为什么重要
捕食者与猎物的关系保持生态系统平衡。如果捕食者太多，猎物数量会下降。如果捕食者太少，猎物数量会增长过高。理解这一点有助于科学家保护自然。
你在哪里见过它
当你捕捉更多捕食者-猎物关系的例子时，这个列表会增长。
