What is a predator?
Read the text, watch the movie clip and find out what a predator is.
Competency goals for grade 7
- explore and describe different food webs and use this to discuss interactions in nature.
- explain how organisms can be divided into main groups, and give examples of the characteristics of different organisms.
Tyrannosaurus rex had teeth that could be 30 centimeters long! Photo: Tone Løvold.
Predators hunt and kill other animals
There is no doubt that Tyrannosaurus rex was a carnivore. The terrifying dinosaur that lived 66-68 million years ago had teeth that grew throughout its life. Its teeth could be over 30 centimeters long. If it lost a tooth, it grew a new one. Tyrannosaurus rex was a predator!
We use the word predator to describe animals that hunt and kill other animals.
Mammals, birds, fish, insects and other simpler animals, such as starfish, can all be predators. The wolf hunts, kills and eats deer, the owl - mice, the skylark - flying insects, the ladybird - aphids, the pike - other fish.
Watch the video clip carefully and answer the questions afterwards. Here you can see an animal chasing and catching another animal in a river.
Video: Scandinavian Nature Watch
Find out:
What kind of animals are hunting here?
What kind of animals are hunted?
Which one is the predator?
Are you a predator?
As a rule, predators eat the animals they kill, but not always. So when you run around with fly swatters and kill flies, you can call yourself a predator. And you are at least a predator when you enjoy freshly fried, self-caught fish.
For the teacher
This film clip is from a surveillance camera located in the Lærdalselva river in Western Norway. The film was recorded in April. Lærdalselva is a great salmon river. The fish in the clip is an adult salmon that had probably spawned/laid eggs in the river the previous fall. It had survived all winter and was on its way out of the river to the sea to hunt for food. Then it was attacked and probably killed and eaten by a predator. The predator was a type of seal called a harbor seal. The harbor seal lives along the coast, but can swim up rivers and hunt for salmon.
This assignment is ideal when you are discussing the topic of food webs and interactions in nature.
Ask if there are animals that can be both prey and predators.
Ask students to choose an animal and research (google) what the animal eats, and whether the animal is a herbivore, prey, predator and so on.
Student booklet
The Nasjonalt villakssenter works for a stronger wild salmon and wants to promote the stream as an educational resource. Bring experiences from the classroom and put them in context with experiences outside. Many schools in Norway have a local stream. Even in our largest cities, there are streams that can be visited. Contact us for assistance, tips and professional support.
The student booklet "Who lives in your river?" can help with both preparation and follow-up work.