predator (Vocabulary: Science Terms)

PREDATOR (Vocabulary: Science Terms)

A predator is an animal (or, rarely, a plant, such as the Venus flytrap) that eats other animals, which are known as prey. Animals which eat prey that is already dead are called scavengers; some animals are both predators and scavengers. Predators' senses and bodies are often uniquely adapted to predation, e.g., with eyes on the front of the head (binocular vision permits precise location), keen hearing, sharp teeth and claws, etc. Some predators are solitary hunters, while others engage in social predation in highly complex groups (e.g. wolf packs or lion prides).

• Few domesticated animals are predators, with dogs and cats a notable exception.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)