Predators and Prey
A gentle first lesson on predators and prey for ages 4-7: who hunts, who is hunted, how animals catch food or stay safe, with simple examples and a fun quiz.
Key takeaways
- A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals
- Prey is an animal that gets hunted and eaten
- Predators have tools for hunting, like sharp teeth, claws or fast legs
- Prey animals stay safe by running, hiding or watching all around
Hunters and the hunted
In the wild, animals need food to live. Some animals catch and eat other animals. We call these animals predators.
The animals that get caught and eaten are called prey.
So a predator is a hunter. Prey is the one being hunted.
Predators: the hunters
A predator chases, catches and eats other animals. Here are some predators:
- A lion hunts a zebra.
- An owl catches a mouse.
- A fox chases a rabbit.
- A frog snaps up a fly.
Predators have special tools to help them hunt. They might have:
- Sharp teeth to bite
- Sharp claws to grab
- Fast legs to run
- Big eyes to spot food
Why do predators need these tools? Catching another animal is hard work. Sharp teeth, claws and fast legs help a predator catch its dinner.
Prey: staying safe
Prey animals do not want to be eaten! So they have clever ways to stay safe. They might:
- Run away fast, like a rabbit
- Hide under leaves or in a hole
- Watch all around with eyes on the sides of their head
- Blend in so they are hard to see
Why do prey hide and run? These tricks help prey stay alive and away from hungry predators. You can learn more about hiding in our lesson on animal camouflage.
Both at once
Here is something funny. A frog is a predator when it eats a fly. But the same frog is prey when a big bird tries to eat it!
So one animal can be a predator AND prey. It all depends on who is bigger and hungrier.
This is how animals are linked together in a food chain. The plant is eaten by the rabbit. The rabbit is eaten by the fox. Energy passes along the chain.
Let's look and learn
Try this with a grown-up:
- Watch a bird. In a garden or park, watch a bird hop about. If it pecks a worm or a bug, you just saw a predator catch its prey!
- Be a rabbit. Pretend you are prey. Can you stay very still and quiet so no one finds you? Prey animals do this to stay safe.
- Spot the eyes. Look at a picture of a cat (a predator) and a rabbit (prey). The cat's eyes face forward to hunt. The rabbit's eyes are on the sides to watch for danger.
Now you know the two big jobs in the wild: hunting, and not getting caught!
Quick quiz
Test yourself and earn XP
What is a predator?
A predator is an animal that hunts and eats other animals. A lion is a predator.
What is prey?
Prey is an animal that gets hunted and eaten. A mouse can be prey for an owl.
How does a fast rabbit stay safe?
A rabbit runs away fast and hides in its burrow to stay safe from predators.
Which animal is a predator?
An owl catches and eats a mouse, so the owl is a predator and the mouse is its prey.
FAQ
A predator is the animal that does the hunting and eating. Prey is the animal that gets hunted and eaten. A fox is a predator, and a rabbit is its prey.
Yes! A frog is a predator when it catches a fly to eat. But the same frog is prey when a heron tries to eat it. Many animals are both, depending on who is bigger.
No. Predators are not mean or bad. They simply need to eat to live, just like all animals. Predators also help keep nature balanced so there are not too many of one kind of animal.
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