Foxes and bobcats have ears directed towards the front, an aid in pursuing prey. As with eye position, predator ears tend to point forward. Keen hearing is crucial for both predators and prey. To remember this difference, it’s helpful to learn the rhyme: “Eyes on the side, born to hide eyes on the front, born to hunt.” Owls, bobcats and weasels all have forward facing eyes, while deer, mice, and songbirds have eyes directed more toward the side. However, eyes in this position help the animal see to the front, side, and, in some cases, even behind without turning their heads. This gives them a larger field of vision, though they cannot pinpoint an object in front of them as well. Prey species tend to have eyes placed more to the side of the head. Forward-facing eyes give good depth perception because their fields of view overlap, thus providing binocular vision. Predators tend to have eyes facing to the front, for locating and following prey as it tries to evade capture. The anatomy and the behavior of predator and prey animals reflect each species’ needs and way of life.īoth predators and prey need keen senses, but the position of eyes and ears, the functioning of noses and sense of smell, can be very different. Prey animals must forage for food cautiously, always on the lookout for predators. Predators must find their prey, chase and catch it, subdue it if it fights back, all before they eat it.

UP: Session 4: Balance in Our Ecosystemĭownload all of World of Wonder (Word) ( PDF) to edit or print.What makes the fox clever and the deer swift, and why do both have a keen sense of smell? Predators and prey face different challenges in getting their food.

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How would you like to get your food this way?.

What would happen if there were lots more predators than prey?.

How easy or hard was it for the predator to find its meal?.

After each round, process the activity with questions such as: You can also add additional prey or additional predators depending on how large the group is, but be sure enough other children are in the protective circle to keep the predator and prey safe from bumping into objects. Once it has 'caught' the prey (by gently tagging the prey), other children can take turns playing the predator and prey for as long as you have time. The predator must listen very closely so it can find its prey. This means the predator should start moving around to find its prey and the prey should start moving around to avoid the predator. Tell the children who create the protective circle they must stay quiet so that the animals inside the circle can find or avoid each other.Īnnounce that the hawk (or bird, or mosquito) is getting hungry. They have the very important role of creating a protective circle, which gently keeps the predator or prey from wandering outside the circle or bumping into things.Ĭover the eyes of both the volunteer predator and prey and place a bell around the neck, wrist, or ankle of the prey. Tell the rest of the children to hold hands and form a circle around the predator and prey. You can give some, such as hawk and mouse, bird and mosquito, (or even a mosquito and a human).Īsk for one child volunteer to be the predator and one to be the prey. The animal being hunted is the prey.Īsk the children for examples.

This activity is a fun way to teach the concept of predator and prey within an ecosystem.Ī predator is an animal that hunts another animal for food. Plan to lead this activity in a large, open area, preferably outdoors.A bell that can be worn around the neck or as a bracelet/anklet.Lengths of clean cloth for covering eyes.

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity

Predator vs prey for kids