Explore the Outdoors!
If you don’t know what a lobster is already, they are large crayfish-like creatures that live exclusively in saltwater. A lobster’s defining feature is its large front claws and its dark red color. They are ancient creatures with many interesting abilities, some of which I will look into in this post! Perhaps the most interesting…
Hawks are carnivorous birds of prey that hunt small mammals like mice and gophers. They are at the top of the food chain in their ecosystem and play an important role in controlling the population of these small animals. Hawks are carnivores and tertiary consumers, which means they exclusively eat other animals that are primary…
Pigeons are interesting creatures that have adapted to live in cities alongside humans. Pigeons and birds are omnivores, which means they will eat almost anything. However, in the wild, their diet consists of seeds, insects, fruits and plants. It also varies a bit between species, but here I will focus on the rock pigeon most…
Venus fly traps are carnivorous plants that grow in nutrient-poor soils. They get their nutrients from the insects they trap and digest. Venus fly traps are producers that use light to create their own food. They capture energy from the sun and convert it into chemical energy that they use to produce glucose from carbon…
Rabbits are herbivores that live in a wide variety of habitats, including woods, meadows, grasslands and even deserts. In the wild, rabbits form an important part of the food web as primary consumers. Rabbits are not decomposers but can function as scavengers in their habitat. Whereas they mostly eat living things like grass and hay,…
Wolves are carnivores that hunt in packs. They typically target large prey, such as deer or elk, but will also eat smaller animals like rabbits or rodents. Wolves are considered to be tertiary consumers, which means they are apex predators that sit at the top of the food chain and have few natural predators. Grey…
Some species, yes! Many ladybugs are carnivores that play an important role in the food web as secondary consumers, but it depends on the species of ladybug! Ladybugs are carnivores that mainly eat aphids, scales, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, mites and other small insects. However, a few species are omnivores as they will also eat nectar…
Blepharisma are common ciliates belonging to the kingdom of protists that live in fresh and salt water. They are heterotrophic, which means that they cannot produce their own food and must instead rely on other organisms for sustenance. The primary food source for Blepharisma is bacteria, although they will also consume algae and other microorganisms.…
Crickets are omnivorous insects that feed on a variety of plant and animal material. In the wild, crickets are important for recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. Crickets mostly consume plants, including flowers, seeds, leaves, fruit, and grasses. While they mostly eat plant material, they also eat dead or injured insects, as well as larvae,…
Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies and moths. Most species of caterpillars are herbivores and feed on a wide variety of plants. Some caterpillars are primary consumers, while others are secondary or tertiary consumers. Unlike worms, caterpillars are generally not decomposers because caterpillars mostly eat living plants. However, the caterpillar of the leaf litter…