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Within the evolutionary race for survival, animals, plants and all kinds of organisms, acquire different strategies and techniques to achieve their purpose: to be the strongest and survive. For this, the interspecific relationships established between individuals of different species, make possible the coordination and balance of populations and their food resources, within each of the ecosystems and biological communities of the planet. One of these most prominent relationships is undoubtedly predation, a phenomenon that has been studied and interpreted by numerous ecologists with the aim of understanding and predicting ecological models of predation, including the famous Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model, through which it is possible to know in detail how they evolve in the time different examples of predation.
In this Green Ecologist article you will discover what are predators, their types and examples, as well as the characteristics of the main groups of predators and several examples of prey.
Interspecific relationships: what they are and types
The interspecific relationships make reference to all that biological relationship that is established between organisms of different species that coexist in the same habitat and community. These relationships, based on the fight for survival and the concept of competence, represent one of the most important and relevant concepts in evolutionary ecology.
Species interact with each other in various ways, resulting in positive (+), negative (-) interactions, or even relationships in which there is no effect (0). In this way, when neither of the two species that establish an interspecific relationship affects the other, the relationship is neutral or (0 0). Instead, if both species benefit from each other, the interaction is (+ +) or positive, known in the world of ecology as mutualism relationship. Another type of interspecific relationship, known as commensalism relationship, is based on the situation in which one species provides some kind of well-being to another, this relationship being (+ 0). Learn more about what commensalism is and examples at this link.
On the other hand, when the relationship entails negative effects on the number and population balance of both species, we speak of competitive relationship, (- -). There are some cases in nature in which this interaction is (- 0), or commensalism, since one species negatively affects a second species, although the affected species comes to exert any kind of influence on the first. Finally, different types of relationships based on the benefit that some species obtain from others for their survival, follow the scheme (+ -) and are given names such as parasitism, parasitoidism and predation. For example, you can expand information on Parasitism: definition and examples with this other article.
In the next sections we will delve exclusively into this last type of aforementioned interspecific relationship, predation (+ -), thus knowing its characteristics and some of the most common examples of nature that follow this behavior. In addition, we tell you much more about Interspecific Relationships, their types and examples in this other post.
What are predators: definition
Predators are each and every one of the species that opt for predatory behavior such as survival strategy and feeding method. In this way, predation consists of any relationship in which individuals of one species (predator) hunt individuals of the other species (prey) to survive, always causing a negative effect on individuals who play the role of prey: death or injury. However, at the population level, the effect of said interspecific predation relationship It is rather mutualistic for both species, both predators and prey, because thanks to predation, the population of both achieves a balance that is maintained over time.
Normally, predation affects those sick or less fit individuals of the prey population, thus achieving a mutual benefit, both for predators and prey, as one feeds and balances the healthy population of the others.
Predators: types
Within the animal world, different types of predators:
- True or carnivorous predators: They are the predators par excellence, those that follow aggressive behavior patterns and are linked to hunting their prey to survive. They tend to ingest and devour the prey shortly after they have been hunted, or if the weather conditions predict times of famine, they are able to dose their food dose and save part of their prey for later consumption.
- Herbivores: animals that feed on plants, seeds and fruits, also follow a predatory behavior although, generally, they only cause damage to plant organisms, without causing death.
- Cannibals: Included in this group are those animals that feed on individuals of their own species, either because certain ecological conditions force them to follow this behavior, or because some of the stages of their development encourage them to feed on individuals of their own species to cover your food and energy needs.
Examples of predatory animals
Below we show a list with animals from different groups as some of the many examples of predation most common in nature. Regarding the types and examples of dams that suffer the action of predation by said predatory animals, the vast majority belong to groups of smaller herbivorous animals (both mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish), as well as insects and other invertebrates that share their natural habitat with the fearsome predators.
Large predatory mammals and examples of prey
- Lion (Panthera leo) - gazelles (genus Gazella)
- Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) - Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica)
- Gray foxes (Pseudolopes griseus) - rabbits (genus Oryctolagus)
- Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) - seals (Phocidae family)
- Killer whales (Orcinus orca) - sea lions (genus Otaria)
In this link you will know the Characteristics of mammalian animals.
Predatory or raptor birds
- Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
- Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Andean condor (Vultur gryphus)
- Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
- Barn owlTyto alba)
Learn about many more examples of these predatory animals with this other Green Ecologist article in which we show 112 birds of prey or raptors, their types, names and a photo gallery.
Predatory reptiles
- Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
- Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
- Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
- Reticulated python (Python reticulatus)
- Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae)
Discover more predatory reptiles and more traits about this group of animals in this link to our article on Characteristics of reptiles.
Amphibian predators of insects and other small animals
- Common toad (Bufo bufo)
- Red and blue arrow frog (Oophaga pumilio)
- Common salamander (Salamander salamander)
- Giant salamanders (genus Cryptobranchidae)
- Cecilias de Thompson (Caecilia thompsoni)
Learn more about them in this other post about What are amphibians and where are they found.
Predatory fish
- White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
- Archer fish (genus Toxotes)
- Piranhas (family Serrasalmidae)
- Viper fish (Chauliodus danae)
- Moray (family Muraenidae)
Find out more about these aquatic animals with this other article in which you will discover the Classification of fish.
Predatory invertebrates
- Praying mantis (family Mantidae)
- Tarantulas (family Lycosidae)
- Jellyfish (subphylum Medusozoa)
- Starfish (Asteroidea family)
- Blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena)
Learn more about invertebrate animals, examples and their characteristics here.
If you want to read more articles similar to Predators: what they are, types and examples, we recommend that you enter our Biology category.
Bibliography- Asencio, J. (2022) Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model. Biology Section, University of La Laguna (Spain), pp: 13-24.
- López, D. & Buschmann, A. (1988) On predator-prey interactions in intertidal and terrestrial ecosystems. Chilean journal of natural history, Volume 61, pp: 19-21.
- Martínez, D .; Rau, J .; Murua, R. & Tilleria, M. (1993) Selective predation of rodents by screeching foxes (Pseudalopex griseus) in the Valdivian rainforest, Chile. Chilean journal of natural history, Volume 66, pp: 419-426.
