Predators need to kill to survive. If they do not kill, they will die themselves. But prey animals want to stay alive too. Their instincts are to live. So, who wins? The predator or the prey? Well, whoever has the most skills!
All predators are different, but many of them share some qualities. What do you need to be a good predator? A good predator is stealthy. They are sneaky and can surprise their prey. They have to stalk their prey without being heard. Some apex predators, like lions and bears, have soft paws that help them move quietly.
Good predators can also stay hidden from their prey. Predators use camouflage so that they can blend into the background. Some animals have spots or stripes that make them harder to see. Then, they can strike and surprise their prey.
A predator needs to have good senses. Our five senses are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. The best predators have senses that are much better than ours. They use a blend of senses to hunt.
Some predators have quite aggressive features. Scorpions have two pincers at the end of their front legs. They are very strong. They also have a stinger on their tail to sting prey. Some scorpions have a poisonous stinger.
Spiders make webs to catch their prey. The web leaves the prey tangled. It is easy for a spider to kill an insect in its web.
Most of all, predators must be smart to catch their prey. They must be one step ahead of their prey. Some predators are so smart, they have learned to work together. That is an advanced predator!
But all of these are useless if their prey can outsmart them. Prey animals have skills to stay alive too. Here are some of the things that animals can do if they don't want to be someone's lunch.
Some prey animals copy how more dangerous animals look. When animals do this, we call it mimicking. Sometimes, harmless animals mimic to try and look like a bigger, stronger animal.
The scarlet king snake in the USA is harmless. But it has the same colours as the Eastern coral snake, the most deadly snake in North America. Scientists say there are more than 150 snakes that mimic more dangerous snakes in the USA.
Other animals don't trick their predators. Some can hurt them back. When a pufferfish is in danger, it makes itself big and spiky. Its prickly body hurts predators and keeps them away.
Another way prey can hurt predators is by shooting them with harmful things. Some beetles shoot a burning chemical to keep predators away. Skunks have a pungent spray that they use on predators to keep them away.
Some prey animals are poisonous. They often have bright colours to tell predators to stay away. This is a poison arrow frog, but don't let its beautiful colours trick you. A tiny bit of its poison can kill you in seconds! If you were a predator, would you want to eat one of these cute little frogs?
Predators and prey are constantly on the lookout. It's hard work being an animal!