AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Of course, some animals can be considered both predators and prey. For example, a spider hunting for insects is a predator. If a lizard eats the spider, though, it becomes prey. People usually use the terms predator and prey to refer to animals.

Detailed explanation-2: -But did you know that many animals are both predators and prey? When a spider is sitting in its web waiting for its insect meal, it is the predator. However, if a lizard’s tongue darts out and catches the spider, the spider becomes the lizar’s prey.

Detailed explanation-3: -Predator: an animal that kills and eats other animals. Context: Hawks and coyotes both eat small rodents; they are predators. Prey: animals that are killed and eaten by other animals. Context: Rabbits and crickets are both eaten by bigger animals; they are prey.

Detailed explanation-4: -Some examples of predator and prey are lion and zebra, bear and fish, and fox and rabbit. The words “predator” and “prey” are almost always used to mean only animals that eat animals, but the same concept also applies to plants: Bear and berry, rabbit and lettuce, grasshopper and leaf.

Detailed explanation-5: -Many species have niches where they serve as food for other species. Prey animals are species that are food for other animals known as predators. Many predators may even be prey for larger predators. Predator species that are not prey for any other animals are known as the top predator.