Predation
by Eric Peterson
Today we are going to talk about things that the birds and the bees do. And fish and felines and canines and everything else that’s a predator in the food chain. Yes, we are going to talk about predation.
And yes, predation is every bit as important in the natural world as that other thing you were thinking about. Most of the time when we talk about predation we are thinking about carnivores – the big animals with sharp teeth, forward looking eyes, and capable of speed and stealth.
You know, Lions, Tigers, and Bears.
But predation occurs at almost all levels of the food chain, from protozoa that feed on bacteria, moles that eat beetles, all the way up to Mr. Griz, who is capable being a predator on just about anything he might choose. And there might be a hundred levels in between. It’s all about nutrition and exploiting a niche. You see, along the way in evolutionary history, creatures which exploit a rich food source gain competitive advantage.
And it turns out - animal organisms are rich protein sources and so it makes sense that some animals would specialize to exploit that source. Predation - It’s a natural fact! From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, I’m Eric Peterson.