W ILDLIFE Trophic (Feeding) Levels

P RODUCERS Make or produce their own food (through Photosynthesis). Examples: trees, plants, flowers

A UTOTROPHS Self-Feeders – produce their own food. Another name for producer. Examples: trees, plants, flowers

C ONSUMERS Organisms that feed on other organisms. Examples: any animal.

H ETEROTROPHS Other Feeders – Another name for consumers. Examples: any animal.

H ERBIVORES Plant-eaters - animals that feed directly on producers. Examples: deer, rabbits, cattle, mice.

C ARNIVORES Flesh-eaters – animals that eat other animals. Examples: Wolves, Polar Bears, Eagles, Mountain Lion, Sharks.

1 ST O RDER C ARNIVORES Carnivores that feed on herbivores. Examples: Wolf that eats a deer. Fox that eats a mouse.

2 ND O RDER C ARNIVORES Carnivores that feed on first-order carnivores. Examples: Mountain lion that eats a fox. Bears that eat trout.

O MNIVORES All-eaters – Eat both plants and animals (herbivores & carnivores). Examples: Red fox, ground squirrel.

P REDATORS Carnivores which feed on live animals. Examples: Owl, tiger, lion, wolf.

P REY The animals that are eaten by predators. Examples: rabbits, deer, mice, frogs, birds.

S CAVENGERS Animals which feed on dead organisms (both plants and animal). Examples: snails, crayfish, crows, vultures.

S APROPHYTES Fungi and bacteria which feed on dead organisms. Examples: fungi, bacteria.

D ECOMPOSERS Organisms which break down (decompose) and feed on non-living organic matter such as dead plants, dead animals, and animal wastes. Examples: yeasts, molds

F OOD C HAIN Organisms linked together in Feeding Relationships Example: Grass  mouse  fox  mountain lion

F OOD W EB Interconnected Food Chains

F OOD W EB