Which statement best defines a predator?

Which statement best defines a predator?

• A. Predators are animals that keep populations of other animals in balance.
• B. Predators are plants that attract insects.
• C. A predator is an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food.
• D. Predators are animals that only live in water.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how predation defines a predator. A predator is an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food. This describes both the behavior (hunting) and the role in feeding (consuming prey to gain energy), which is what sets a predator apart in a food web. Examples like a lion stalking zebras or a shark chasing fish illustrate this hunting-and-killing-to-eat pattern that characterizes predation. The other statements aren’t definitions of a predator. Predators can influence prey populations, but that outcome isn’t the defining feature. Saying predators are plants that attract insects conflates a different interaction (plant–insect relations, not predation). And claiming predators only live in water ignores the many land-based predators.

The main idea here is how predation defines a predator. A predator is an animal that hunts and kills other animals for food. This describes both the behavior (hunting) and the role in feeding (consuming prey to gain energy), which is what sets a predator apart in a food web. Examples like a lion stalking zebras or a shark chasing fish illustrate this hunting-and-killing-to-eat pattern that characterizes predation.

The other statements aren’t definitions of a predator. Predators can influence prey populations, but that outcome isn’t the defining feature. Saying predators are plants that attract insects conflates a different interaction (plant–insect relations, not predation). And claiming predators only live in water ignores the many land-based predators.