What is a snake that eats a mouse an example?
A. predation
B. competition
C. mutualism
D. parasitism
Answer: A. predation
Predation thus refers to the act in which an organism – the predator catches and kills another organism – the prey to feed on it. An obvious observable interaction between two organisms is that of predation, where a snake eats a mouse is a clear example. This type of interaction is rather active, the contact between the two species being usually lethal for the second one and beneficial for the first one. Here, the snake, as a predator, gets the necessary energy and nutrients from the mouse which is the prey. Consumers are integral components of ecosystems since they control the population and bring changes that the other members of the ecosystems do not normally bring. For example, the snake is an example of a predator animal which has adopted diverse appendages to capture its prey for instance through the possession of injectable venom, heat-sensing pits or very strong muscles for constricting, depending on the specific species that we are talking. Mice on the other hand are strategized to minimize cases of predation, and these include; sharp eyesight and, the ability to run fast and mostly they are only active during the night. Examples of predation include lions hunting for their prey of zebras, owls hunting for rats or insects, praying mantises hunting for insects and so on. Predation is one of the many ecological relations that exist in ecosystems, other relations include competition in which organisms fight for the same resources, mutualism in which both organisms benefit or parasitism in which one organism benefits by living on another organism usually without killing it instantly. Recognition of predation is crucial to any scientist who works in the field of population ecology and food chain relationships and the relations of flow in ecosystems.
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