In nature’s grand scheme of things, the energy for life on earth is from our sun.
Plants, with their cells containing chlorophyll, are able to capture that energy, produce food (sugars,) and as a waste product of photosynthesis, release oxygen. Many animals on earth can utilize this captured energy by eating those plants. They are our plant eaters, the herbivores. Many of these herbivores, with some of that stored “sunlight” (energy) are in turn eaten.
Those animals that eat other animals are the flesh eaters, the carnivores. These meat eaters need to find a lot of energy to sustain themselves, grow, and reproduce so they need to feed on a “bunch” of prey animals.
Some of these prey animals, in particular most of them found here in the Times News area, will be the topic of my column today. I’ll highlight a number of those animals that are often key to the food chains. Remember, the mass of the prey animals makes up the base of the energy pyramid and that mass needs to be larger than the mass of those animals above them in the food pyramid, the predators.
As a reminder, we often look upon those animals that kill other animals as the “bad guys,” but the number of predators in an area is determined by how much prey there is. If there is a healthy predator population, it indicates that there is enough habitat (land or water where sunlight capturing plants exist) and that is important for us to maintain.
Imagine how few herbivores or predators we would have if more of the Times News region was covered with more parking lots, warehouses, homes or malls.
If we conserve both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, we will continue to see many of my highlighted prey animals, and in turn, those animals that eat them.
Let’s keep our diligence in maintaining the necessary habitats we have even as we continue to improve our quality of life. We are this planet’s stewards.
Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: A _____ feeds 5 to 10 times a day. A. bobcat B. weasel C. coyote D. water snake
Last Week’s Trivia Answer: When the European honeybee was introduced, it joined the other 4,000 bee species already here.
Many of you have seen large flocks of starlings on power lines or feeding in your lawns or fields. (the product of prolific breeding) Luckily, these introduced birds fall prey to accipiters, such as the Cooper's hawk over the cold winter months.
Garter snakes prey on earthworms, small frogs, or even large insects. But they too are prey to others, in particular, the broad-winged hawk whose favored prey is snakes
Even with eyes and nostrils atop its head a partially submerged bullfrog is still prey to green herons, great blue herons, snapping turtles, and shore prowling raccoons. It is an important aquatic prey animal.
The forest counterpart of the meadow vole is the red-backed vole. It, for the most part, scurries just under the leaf litter but still can't avoid foxes, owls, or coyotes and is a vital prey animal of our forests.
Even if it survives the larval stage (as a tadpole,) the great protective coloration doesn't keep all pickerel frogs safe from land predators. They serve as prey to some raptors and in particular, snakes. Many years ago I watched one get eaten by a hog-nosed snake.
Left: The chipmunk feeds many of our carnivores. Its underground labyrinth of tunnels doesn't stop weasels from catching them. While above ground they feed hawks, foxes, and in some areas, timber rattlesnakes.
The most important prey animal in our area is the meadow vole. It begins breeding in spring and has a litter of 4 - 6 each month. It is eaten by everything from bears to shrews. Their population is controlled by the wide range of predators that feed on them.
Above: The always-active red squirrel is prey to a variety of raptors, as well as the recently reintroduced fishers.
The short-tailed shrew has an insatiable appetite eating its own weight in food a day. However, while it's searching for earthworms, salamanders, or voles it is prey to a host of mammals and raptors.
This vernal pond was host to probably thousands of toad tadpoles. By late spring when they have grown legs and leave the pond maybe only a few dozen, or even less will remain. They serve as prey for large insects, crayfish, some birds, and raccoons. BARRY REED/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
A favorite prey for foxes, coyotes, and in particular, great horned owls, is the cottontail rabbit. Predators fortunately control the rabbit population. Infamous for their breeding success, rabbits have four or five litters each year averaging five young per litter.