LECTURE 12 - Carnivore Capture

Question 1

What are the strong claws on birds of prey called? Give an example of a bird with these.

Answer 1

Talons / Hawks

Question 2

Describe how Osprey have special physical adaptations for capturing their prey. (2)

Answer 2

Have special FEET!

• Sharp scales on their feet to hold slippery fish
• Reversible toe turn fish head first to be more aerodynamic

Question 3

Describe how the Hooded and Red Billed Mergansers special adaptations for capturing prey.

Answer 3

Have special BILLS!

• Tubular narrow bills
• Serrations on the edge of their bills to hold fish

Question 4

What are modified incisors called and what are they used for? What two animals have these?

Answer 4

Canines to help grab and capture prey.

Otters and Racoons

Question 5

What do tiger beetles have to help capture prey?

Answer 5

Mandibles

Question 6

What is the action the frog tongues make?

Answer 6

Tongue Flick

Question 7

What animals have modified toungues for capturing prey?

Answer 7

Frogs and Woodpeckers

Question 8

What special adaptation do woodpeckers have to help capture prey?

Answer 8

Extensible tongue with hydroid horns

Question 9

What type of special capture adaptation do praying mantis’s have?

Answer 9

raptorial legs

Question 10

What phrase describes how foxes use their canines?

Answer 10

Shake and Break

Question 11

What phrase describes how wolves use their canines?

Answer 11

Slash and Shock (bite prey repeatedly to get a mortal wound)

Question 12

How do weasels use their canines?

Answer 12

Bite into brain case

Question 13

How do cats use their canines?

Answer 13

Bite into the neck vertebrae

Question 14

Describe the Shrike birds adaptations for hunting prey

Answer 14

Raptorial bill with a meathook tip

Question 15

Describe snakes physical adaptations for hunting prey.

Answer 15

• some can unhinge jaw and swallow prey alive

- some kill before hand by constricting the prey

Question 16

Name the two snakes that use constriction to kill their prey.

Answer 16

Gray rat snakes and milk snakes

Question 17

What is venom?

Answer 17

An injected toxin

Question 18

What do snakes also inject with the venom?

Answer 18

Digestive enzymes

Question 19

Name the 5 animals that inject venom with digestive enzymes.

Answer 19

Massasauga Rattle Snake 
Crab Spider
Assassins Bugs
Robber Fly 
Short Tailed Shew

Question 20

Parts that can’t be digested are called _______ ______.

Answer 20

Indigestible parts

Question 21

How do spiders avoid indigestible parts?

Answer 21

Digestive enzymes / slurp insides throw away case

Question 22

How do hawks avoid indigestible parts? What is this called

Answer 22

Pluck the feathers off their prey. Selective feeding.

Question 23

How do Fishers avoid indigestible parts?

Answer 23

Skin Porcupines

Question 24

How do Eastern Wolves and owls avoid indigestible parts?

Answer 24

Eat the small bones ad then poop out the pieces.

Question 25

What are a couple drawbacks of being a predator? (5)

Answer 25

• Prey fight back
• Might get injured during the capture or chase
• human poison’s that accumulate through the food web
• human prejudice
• starvation

Question 26

What is bioaccumulation / botulism? Give an example.

Answer 26

Posions that we create that move up through the food web and magnify.

Peregrine Falcons driven to extinction from DDT = thinner eggshells + behavioral changes = no young produced.