Relationships in NatureBY: Kathy KINSNER

Introduction Animals depend

upon each other in many ways to survive.

What you read might surprise you.

As you make your way through the book, you’ll read interesting tidbits about a variety of animals.

Chapter 1 A snail kite and an

apple snail are another example of a predator-prey relationship.

The snail kite is a medium sized hawk that lives in the Florida everglade.

Predators use many methods to capture their prey.

Chapter 1 Some predators are

very fast and simply chase their victims.

Some prey have adapted to protect themselves.

Some prey survive as a species because they have so many babies.

Chapter 1 Others hide out and

ambush, or make a surprise attack on, their prey.

Still other predators hunt in packs.

That way they can kill bigger prey than if they are alone.

Chapter 1 Get a grip. A hawk has

sharp claws, called talons perfect for catching fish.

Build a trap. Many spiders cover their webs with sticky drops.

Be patient. The polar bear waits by breaking in the ice.

Chapter 2The colors of the clown fish make it easy prey for bigger fish.Clown fish are also very slow swimmers.

Chapter 2 A bird called a

honey guide leads the honey badger to a beehive.

The honey badger tears open the hive with its long front claws.

Chapter 2 An oxpecker is a

bird that spends its days traveling on a buffalo or other large mammal.

It also warns the animal when danger approaches.

Chapter 2 Aphids suck liquid

from the stems,leaves,and roots of plants.

When an ant wants a drink it uses its antennae to tap an aphid.

Chapter 3 Parasitism is

another type of partnership.

In this relationship, one partner [the parasite] lives on or in the other partners body.

Chapter 3 The female

mosquito has sharp mouthparts to pierce its host’s skin.

Mosquitoes may carry dangerous viruses, such as west nile virus.

It’s a fact These viruses can

enter the hosts when mosquitoes attack.

Only female mosquitoes are parasites. Male mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant juices.

Deer ticks Deer ticks are

parasites that feed on the blood of birds or mammals.

Chapter 4 From our earliest

days, humans have preyed on wild animals such as buffalo, to survive.

As time went on humans began to raise animals such as cattle for food.

Chapter 4 Today most of us

don’t kill the animals we eat.

But we could still be considered predators when we buy meat to eat.

Chapter 4 Today alligators

are no longer endangered.

As the human population grows, we take over the habitats of many kinds of animals.

Chapter 4 In some cases, as

with a grizzly bears, the populations have declined.

In many places, wetlands have been drained for farming and building homes.

Conclusion There are many

ways in which animals adapt to survive in nature.

Predators have special abilities that help them hunt their prey.

Ch.1-1 Where does the

snail kite hawk live?

Ch.1-2 A hawk eats a rattle snake and a rattle

snake eats a what ?

Ch.1-3 If the lynx cannot find enough new prey,

what happens?

Ch. 1-4 The snail kite is an expert at capturing

the what?

Ch.2-1 What do predators do if they cant catch

their prey?

Ch.2-2 When the anemone had its fill what

happens?

Ch.2-3 Why does the wrasse do a little dance in

front of a big fish?

Ch.2-4 Why do aphids suck liquid from the

stems, leaves, and roots of plants?

Ch.3-1 Which mosquito is a parasite a male or

a female?

Ch.3-2 What do the parasite deer ticks feed on?

Ch.4-1 In the 1800’s how many buffaloes did

the hunters kill?

Ch.4-2 What other reasons did humans kill

animals for?