Nhuy Nguyen
Mrs. Pirchio
AICE Marine Science
27 September 2015
Hunter and the Hunted Interrelation Population
1. Introduction: From Mexico, to Alaska, and even within Japan, there’s a high chance of being able to visit areas where sea otters can be sighted. Sea otters, also known scientifically as, Enhydra lutris, inhabit shallow coastal areas and they prefer places with a lot of kelp. They use the kelp surrounding them to wrap themselves in while they’re resting. They are very sociable creatures and eat animals that have shells, like clams and abalone. (www.marinemammalcenter.org/) Another common and important food source for them would be sea urchins. Sea urchins can be found all across ocean floors, all around the world. More specifically, …show more content…
Specifically in this lab, the sea otters are the predators, and the sea urchins are the prey. The independent variable would be the number of generations. The dependent variable would be the population of the sea otters and the sea urchins.
2. Hypothesis: If the population of sea urchins continues to reproduce at a constant rate, then the number of predatory sea otters will continue to increase at a constant rate as well.
3. …show more content…
Describe 3 predator adaptations that make hunting easier. Describe 3 adaptations of prey that help them escape.
Predator Adaptations:
• Sharp claws, for instance, from that of eagles, are adapted to capture and take ahold of prey with a tight grip. They also use narrow hook-like beaks to snap their prey’s spinal cord, which kills them without a struggle and helps the eagle avoid injury.
• Good eyesight to be able to see at night is a good adaptation to have to make hunting easier. This helps predators sneak up on their prey and they then have a higher chance of capturing it and consuming it. An example of a predator that has this adaptation would be an owl.
• Having extremely good hearing and ears located at different levels within the skull to enhance the detection of prey location at night is another helpful adaptation in hunting for prey.
Prey Adaptations:
• Some prey are able to use mimicry to look like other animals. To help themselves escape from a predator, they usually make themselves look like a poisonous animal. An example would be certain types of butterflies.
• Preys may have protective coverings that make it hard for predators to penetrate through, therefore, helping them escape. An example would be armadillos and
Mrs. Pirchio
AICE Marine Science
27 September 2015
Hunter and the Hunted Interrelation Population
1. Introduction: From Mexico, to Alaska, and even within Japan, there’s a high chance of being able to visit areas where sea otters can be sighted. Sea otters, also known scientifically as, Enhydra lutris, inhabit shallow coastal areas and they prefer places with a lot of kelp. They use the kelp surrounding them to wrap themselves in while they’re resting. They are very sociable creatures and eat animals that have shells, like clams and abalone. (www.marinemammalcenter.org/) Another common and important food source for them would be sea urchins. Sea urchins can be found all across ocean floors, all around the world. More specifically, …show more content…
Specifically in this lab, the sea otters are the predators, and the sea urchins are the prey. The independent variable would be the number of generations. The dependent variable would be the population of the sea otters and the sea urchins.
2. Hypothesis: If the population of sea urchins continues to reproduce at a constant rate, then the number of predatory sea otters will continue to increase at a constant rate as well.
3. …show more content…
Describe 3 predator adaptations that make hunting easier. Describe 3 adaptations of prey that help them escape.
Predator Adaptations:
• Sharp claws, for instance, from that of eagles, are adapted to capture and take ahold of prey with a tight grip. They also use narrow hook-like beaks to snap their prey’s spinal cord, which kills them without a struggle and helps the eagle avoid injury.
• Good eyesight to be able to see at night is a good adaptation to have to make hunting easier. This helps predators sneak up on their prey and they then have a higher chance of capturing it and consuming it. An example of a predator that has this adaptation would be an owl.
• Having extremely good hearing and ears located at different levels within the skull to enhance the detection of prey location at night is another helpful adaptation in hunting for prey.
Prey Adaptations:
• Some prey are able to use mimicry to look like other animals. To help themselves escape from a predator, they usually make themselves look like a poisonous animal. An example would be certain types of butterflies.
• Preys may have protective coverings that make it hard for predators to penetrate through, therefore, helping them escape. An example would be armadillos and