Question

Predators are prudent in nature due to:

• A. The prey species have evolved various defenses to remove the impact of predation
• B. If predators over exploit their prey, then prey might become extinct and thus predators will also become extinct because of lack of food
• C. In course of evolution, predators have not developed any defensive adaptations
• D. Most of the environmental conditions always remain unfavorable to the predators

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

In predation, only one species (predator) benefits and the interaction is detrimental to the other species (prey). It is a (+,-) type of population interaction. Predators in nature are ‘Prudent’. The existence of a prudent predator is because if a predator is too efficient and over exploits its prey, the prey might become extinct and will result in the extinction of predator also due to lack of food.