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Predation Definition

Predation is when a predator eats its prey for energy and nutrients. For example, a lion eating a zebra helps it grow.

View Lesson on Food Webs
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Food Webs

LESSON MATERIALSmove

Fun Facts

  • Eagles are at the top of a food web when it comes to predation - they have no predators.
  • A predation relationship exists between hyenas and zebras.
  • Predation helps keep an ecosystem in balance.

Why Do We Need To Know About Predation

Learning about how animals hunt each other helps us understand how nature stays balanced. Top predators keep other animal numbers from getting too high. This is important for jobs in protecting animals and nature, since predators help keep everything working well together.

When people hunt too many predators like wolves, there can be too many of their prey, like deer. This shows why it’s important to know how animals hunting each other affects our environment. It helps us make better decisions for protecting animals and nature, and shows what happens when we upset nature’s balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do animals eat other animals?
Animals eat other animals to obtain energy and building blocks (nutrients) in order to grow and repair.
What are producers and consumers and how do they get their names?
Plants are producers because they produce their own food through photosynthesis. Animals are consumers because they consume plants or other animals.
What role in the food web does the eagle play?
An eagle is an apex predator, meaning it is at the top of the food web. Nothing else will attack and eat an eagle. Eagles will eat things like birds, snakes, mice and other animals.
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