News tagged with predators
Deadly bird parasite evolves at exceptionally fast rate
A new study of a devastating bird disease that spread from poultry to house finches in the mid-1990s reveals that the bacteria responsible for the disease evolves at an exceptionally fast rate. What's more, ...
Feb 09, 2012 |
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Researchers study parenting behaviors of stressed-out birds
Imagine an environment filled with wind, storms, predators, noise, and limited food and shelter. Then imagine providing and caring for a tiny egg or peeping baby bird in those conditions. The tree ...
Feb 08, 2012 |
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Invasive alien predator causes rapid declines of European ladybirds
A new study provides compelling evidence that the arrival of the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird to mainland Europe and subsequent spread has led to a rapid decline in historically-widespread species ...
Feb 07, 2012 |
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Redder ladybirds more deadly, say scientists
A ladybird's colour indicates how well-fed and how toxic it is, according to an international team of scientists. Research led by the Universities of Exeter and Liverpool directly shows that differences between ...
Feb 06, 2012 |
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What do killer whales eat in the Arctic?
Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the top marine predator, wherever they are found, and seem to eat everything from schools of small fish to large baleen whales, over twice their own size. The increase in hun ...
Jan 30, 2012 |
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Why bats, rats and cats store different amounts of fat
Animals differ in the amount of fat they carry around depending on their species, status and sex. However, the causes of much of this variation have been a mystery. The Bristol study shows that many differences can be understood ...
Jan 20, 2012 |
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Juvenile predation preventing Steller sea lion recovery
A new study suggests that the impact of predation on juvenile Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska has been significantly underestimated, creating a "productivity pit" from which their population will have ...
Jan 18, 2012 |
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How the brain routes traffic for maximum alertness
A new UC Davis study shows how the brain reconfigures its connections to minimize distractions and take best advantage of our knowledge of situations.
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Jan 12, 2012 |
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By the light of January's Wolf Moon
(PhysOrg.com) -- A cold-eyed moon rises above Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. It is January. For Native Americans, it is the time of the Wolf Moon.
Jan 11, 2012 |
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Predators hunt for a balanced diet
An international team of scientists from the Universities of Exeter and Oxford in the UK, University of Sydney (Australia), Aarhus University (Denmark) and Massey University (New Zealand) based their research ...
Jan 11, 2012 |
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Study offers hope for hemlock attack
Thousands of broken trees line the banks of the Chattooga River. The dead gray stabs were once evergreen monsters offering shade to trout and picturesque views to visitors. These Eastern hemlocks are dying rapidly, and University ...
Jan 10, 2012 |
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Fish mimics octopus that mimics fish
Nature's game of intimidation and imitation comes full circle in the waters of Indonesia, where scientists have recorded for the first time an association between the black-marble jawfish (Stalix cf. histrio) and th ...
Jan 04, 2012 |
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Prehistoric predators with supersized teeth had beefier arm bones
The toothiest prehistoric predators also had beefier arm bones, according to results of a study published today in the journal Paleobiology.
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Jan 04, 2012 |
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Research shows ocean bacteria glow to attract those that would eat them
(PhysOrg.com) -- In most situations in the wild, animals develop abilities to help them avoid being eaten. The chameleon, for example, can change its color to avoid being seen by predators. What’s less usual, are animals ...
Dec 28, 2011 |
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Rice Institute calls for cuts in pesticide use
Rice farmers should cut the use of pesticides that kill the natural predators of the planthopper, one of the most destructive pests of the key crop, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has said.
Dec 16, 2011 |
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Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey, (the organism that is attacked). Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of the prey. The other main category of consumption is detritivory, the consumption of dead organic material (detritus). It can at times be difficult to separate the two feeding behaviors, for example where parasitic species prey on a host organism and then lay their eggs on it for their offspring to feed on its decaying corpse. The key characteristic of predation however is the predator's direct impact on the prey population. On the other hand, detritivores simply eat what is available and have no direct impact on the "donor" organism(s).
Selective pressures imposed on one another has led to an evolutionary arms race between prey and predator, resulting in various antipredator adaptations.
For more information about Predation, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
