At the most basic level, predators kill and eat other organisms. However, the concept of predation is broad, defined differently in different contexts, and includes a wide … See more

To feed, a predator must search for, pursue and kill its prey. These actions form a foraging cycle. The predator must decide where to look for prey based on its geographical distribution; and once it has located prey, it must assess whether to pursue it or to wait … See more

Predators and prey are natural enemies, and many of their adaptations seem designed to counter each other. For example, bats have sophisticated echolocation systems to detect insects and other prey, and insects have developed a variety … See more

While examples of predators among mammals and birds are well known, predators can be found in a broad range of taxa including … See more

Physical adaptations
Under the pressure of natural selection, predators have evolved a variety of physical adaptations for detecting, catching, killing, and digesting prey. These include speed, agility, stealth, sharp senses, claws, teeth, … See more

To counter predation, prey have evolved defences for use at each stage of an attack. They can try to avoid detection, such as by using See more

Predators affect their ecosystems not only directly by eating their own prey, but by indirect means such as reducing predation by other species, or … See more