Animals with no natural predators are calledapex predators, because they sit at the top (or apex) of the food chain. The list is indefinite, but it includes lions, grizzly bears, crocodiles, giant constrictor snakes, wolves, sharks, electric eels, giant jellyfish, killer whales, polar bears,...
Before the Late Cretaceous, carcharodontosaurians likeUlughbegsaurusdisappeared from the paleocontinent that included Central Asia. This disappearance is thought to have been related to the rise of tyrannosauroids as apex predators, but this transition has remained poorly understood because of the scarcit...
Although normally solitary predators,white sharks(Carcharodon carcharias) gather in large numbers at certain times of year in order to feast on baby seals. These groupings, scientists had assumed, were essentially random—the result of individual sharks all happening to turn up in the same area, ...
The creature’s enigmatic reputation has only increased over the years, owing to its harsh, mountainous habitat that is often inaccessible to humans, alongside dwindling numbers and the looming threat of extinction. These magnificent animals are the apex predators in the Central Asian mountains and,...
Deer, turtles, and many types of birds are herbivores. Secondary consumers eat the herbivores. Tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers. There may be more levels of consumers before a chain finally reaches its top predator. Top predators, also called apex predators, eat other consumers.(第...
When it comes to ocean-bound apex predators, two of the most impressive to date are the mighty Megalodon and the massive Blue Whale. Although both are separated by around 3.4 million years (the time when Megalodon is thought to have gone extinct), more curious minds wonder what a matchup ...
to tail and weighed north of 100 tons. Not only did the sheer size and bulk of a full-grown Argentinosaurus make it virtually immune to predation, but this dinosaur may also have flicked its long, whip-like tail to inflict supersonic (and potentially lethal) wounds on pesky predators. ...
Lions are very largeapex predatorsthat have few natural predators in their range. They can weigh over 500lbs, stand 4ft tall, and measure 8ft long! Yet, they are small in comparison to a hippo. Hippos can weigh up to 4,000lbs and measure 16ft long while standing 5ft tall or more ...
The only downside was that this tail was situated relatively close to the ground rather than held aloft, so it may not have been able to take down large predators. Still, a 3ft spike penetrating the body cavity of a dinosaur would prove more than uncomfortable if it wasn’t immediately fa...
The connection between invasive species and mesopredator release has only recently been more extensively explored and also the effects of apex predators declining in aquatic ecosystems are still only partially investigated. Due to the increasing effect of biological invasions, overfishing, and either the...