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Predator and Prey in the Food Web — Reading Comprehension

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This educational resource, with audio integration, delves into the fascinating world of predator and prey relationships within ecosystems, aligning with NGSS standard LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Students will learn how these crucial interactions influence the flow of energy through a food web, understanding the roles of carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. The passage defines key terms like predator, prey, and food web, providing a foundational understanding of how different species rely on each other for survival. Activities include comprehension questions, vocabulary development through a glossary, and short answer prompts to deepen understanding of these essential ecological concepts.

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Forest food web showing predator-prey relationships and energy flow between animals. — Forest food web with predators, prey, and energy arrows in a balanced ecosystem.

Predators and prey are two important parts of nature. A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals. The animals that get hunted and eaten are called prey. These connections are called predator-prey relationships.

There are many examples you might know. A lion is a predator because it hunts and eats zebras, which are the prey. An owl is a predator when it swoops down and catches a mouse. A shark is the predator when it eats a fish. Frogs are predators to flies, but they can also be prey to snakes. Some animals, like snakes, can be both predator and prey. A snake hunts mice, but can be eaten by a hawk. It depends on which animal you ask!

Predators have special adaptations that help them hunt. These can include sharp teeth, claws, excellent eyesight, speed, camouflage for sneaking, or even venom. Prey also have adaptations to help them survive. They may be fast runners, have camouflage to hide, hard shells or spines for protection, warning colors, or live in groups for safety.

Predators are important because they help keep prey populations from getting too large. If there are too many prey animals, they might eat all the plants and run out of food. This can hurt the whole ecosystem. For example, when wolves were removed from Yellowstone National Park, the deer population grew too big and the plants were eaten up. When wolves returned, they balanced the food web again by keeping the deer population healthy.

The food web is like a giant network where many predator-prey connections link together. It is not just a simple chain, but a web with many paths. Energy flows from prey to predator each time one animal eats another. You can think of predators and prey like a giant game of tag that never ends. Predators keep prey populations healthy and alert, while prey keep predators fed and the ecosystem balanced!

Interesting Fact: Some prey animals, like the poison dart frog, have bright warning colors to tell predators they are dangerous or taste bad!

What is a predator?

An animal that hunts othersAn animal that eats plantsA plant that eats animalsAn animal that hides

Which is a prey animal?

OwlSharkMouseLion

What helps predators hunt?

Sharp teethBright flowersBig leavesSoft fur

What may happen if no predators?

Plants grow biggerPrey overpopulateEcosystem stays balancedAll animals disappear

Why do prey have camouflage?

To hunt other animalsTo find waterTo hide from predatorsTo grow faster

What is a food web?