41 Predator and Prey

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Predator and Prey by Reyna Eisenstark

Chapter 1 Predator and Prey In a grassy place, a hungry lion chases a zebra. In the dark woods, a barn owl swoops down on a mouse. A snake creeps along the desert sand. It is looking for its next meal. The lion, the barn owl, and the snake are all predators. Predators are animals that kill and eat other animals. The animals they hunt are called prey. Predators and prey have special features that formed over time. These features helped them adapt to the place where they live. This place is their environment.

Chapter 2 How Predators See and smell The eyes of many predators are at the front of their head. This helps them spot prey. It also lets them know how far away the animal is. Their eyes help them see when to begin running after prey. Many prey animals, such as deer, have eyes on the side of their head. This helps them see predators coming from behind or from both sides at once! Predators also have a keen sense of smell. Wolves and coyotes are examples of this. Some animals use more than their noses to smell. Snakes smell with their noses and with their tongues. Insects smell with their antennae. Their antennae are on the top of their head. Sharks have many ways of smelling.

Chapter 3 How Predators Hear Many mammal predators have a good sense of hearing. They often hear their prey before they see it. Then they know where to look for the animal. Bats send out calls as they look for prey. These calls make echoes that tell the bat where the prey is. Bats' ears are shaped in a way that helps them catch these echoes. Birds also have a keen sense of hearing. The barn owl's ears are set at different angles. This lets the barn owl pinpoint where sound is coming from. A barn owl can find mice to catch just by hearing them.

Chapter 4 Some Prey Defenses Some prey animals have special defenses. These defenses help protect them from predators. One defense is camouflage. With camouflage, an animal blends in with its surroundings. Many animals have fur or scales that match their environment. Desert animals often have brown coats. These coats help them blend in with the sand. Rain-forest animals are often green or brown. They blend in with plants and tree trunks. When standing still, the walking stick insect looks like a twig. A bird can pass it by without seeing it. Some moths have markings on their wings that look like the eyes of large animals. The markings scare off predators. Some salamanders change color to blend in with their surroundings.