Hunting tricks and clever defences

Science · Animals of the World · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

True or false: Only prey animals have special tricks. Predators do not need any tricks to catch food.
Circle one: True False
How does a chameleon catch an insect?
- It spins a sticky web to trap the insect
- It waits, then flicks out its long, sticky tongue
- It chases the insect together with its pack
Which one is a hunting trick that catches food, not a defence that keeps an animal safe?
- A skunk sprays a stinky liquid
- An opossum flops over as if dead
- A spider builds a sticky web
Which prey animal sprays a stinky liquid to keep predators away?
- Zebra
- Porcupine
- Skunk
A crocodile floats very still near the water's edge and waits for a thirsty animal to come close. What hunting strategy is this called?
- Pack hunting
- Web trapping
- Ambush
A spider never runs after its food. How does it still manage to catch insects?
- It builds a sticky web that traps insects that fly in
- It floats still in the water and strikes
- It chases insects together in a pack
How does a skunk's spray protect the skunk?
- It hides the skunk in the tall grass
- It stings the predator's eyes and nose
- It makes the skunk run much faster
A pack of 7 wolves surrounds a deer. 4 wolves chase it from behind, and the rest wait ahead to cut off the path. How many wolves wait ahead?
Answer: ______________
A newt has a bright orange belly, and its skin is poisonous. When a bird attacks, the newt flashes its belly. Which animal from the lesson uses the same kind of defence?
- Zebra
- Poison dart frog
- Porcupine
Over many, many years, spiders' webs have become stickier. What is most likely to happen to the insects they hunt?
- Insects will give up flying forever
- Insects will stay exactly the same
- Insects that notice webs sooner survive, so insects slowly get better at avoiding webs

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Hunting tricks and clever defences W1-mt_Bztatrv-_v-s1

False · Both sides have tricks. Predators hunt with packs, webs, and ambushes, and prey defend themselves with spines, spray, and poison.
It waits, then flicks out its long, sticky tongue · A chameleon waits alone, then flicks out its long, sticky tongue faster than you can blink.
A spider builds a sticky web · The web catches insects for food. The spray and the flop are defences that protect the animal instead.
Skunk · A skunk's spray stings a predator's eyes and nose, so many predators back off.
Ambush · Waiting still and quiet for prey to come close is called an ambush.
It builds a sticky web that traps insects that fly in · A spider builds a trap instead of chasing. Its sticky web catches insects that fly into it.
It stings the predator's eyes and nose · The spray stings a predator's eyes and nose, so the predator backs off and leaves the skunk alone.
3 · The pack is 7 wolves in all. Take away the 4 chasers and 3 are left to wait ahead: 7 - 4 = 3.
Poison dart frog · The newt's bright belly is a warning sign, just like the poison dart frog's bright skin. Both tell predators: I am poisonous, leave me alone.
Insects that notice webs sooner survive, so insects slowly get better at avoiding webs · When a hunter's trap improves, the prey that can beat the trap are the ones that survive and have young. That is the arms race.