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icture a bobcat sneaking up on a snowshoe hare, abarred owl flying silently through the woods, or a garter

snake opening its jawsto strike a mouse. Allof these animals arepredators. Theycatch, kill and eatother animals as prey.

But many animalsyou might not thinkof as predators alsocatch and eat otheranimals. A robin onyour lawn searching for worms. Or a dragonfly darting overthe water gathering mosquitoes.

Some predators, such as bobcats, red-tailed hawks andweasels, eat only meat. But others such

as raccoons, bears and foxes, arepart time predators. These

animals catch and eat prey when theycan, but they also eat a lot of berries, leaves, nuts and otherplant parts.

Some predators play a double role. A frog preys oninsects, but it can easily become a meal for a snake or great

blue heron.Top predators often come to mind first. These

include wolves, big cats and birds of prey. Most arestrict meat-eaters, are relatively large and usuallyaren’t preyed upon by other animals. They tend toneed lots of space.

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background image © Alan Briere photo

Green darner

Great blue heron

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Bullfrog

Clues to What Eats WhatClues to What Eats What

vegetables in one place, it’s difficult to rememberthat we are all part of a food chain.

Imagine a chain, such as a necklace, braceletor bike chain. Think of how this chain is madeup of many links, each connected to the next inline. This is how a food chain works. Sunlightgives energy to plants so they can grow. Smallanimals, such as rabbits, eat some of the plants.

Pick an animal symbol on the right. Draw a line between that animal and something that animal might eat,or to an animal that might eat it. Make as many connections as you can think of, creating a food chain.

What did you have for dinner last night? Or,for breakfast and lunch today?

Nothing beats cereal and juice to getgoing in the morning. Pizza, tacos and ham-burgers are other favorites. With moderngrocery stores that offer meat, fruit and

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FFFFFOODOODOODOODOOD C C C C CHAINSHAINSHAINSHAINSHAINS

MAKE A

CARNIVORS eat mainly animals.

OMNIVORS eat plants and animals.

HERBIVORS eat mainly plants.

PLANTS need the sun, earth, water and air to make food.

FISHER prefersmall rodents, birdsand porcupine.

▲ RED-TAILED

HAWKS eat snakes,rodents andsnowshoe hare.

▲ GARTER SNAKES

like to eat smallmice and insects.

▲

BLACK BEARS loveberries and seeds,as well as bugs andsmall rodents.

▲ DEER MICE preferberries and seeds,and lots of bugs.

▲

PORCUPINES liketo eat berries, seedsand grasses.

▲ CHIPMUNKS

really love berriesand seeds.

▲ SNOWSHOE HARE

like to eat manykinds of grasses.

▲

WHITE-THROATED

SPARROWS like toeat berries andseeds.

▲ HERBACIOUS

INSECTS (plant eaters)eat grasses, seedsand berries.

▲ WHITE-TAIL DEER

eat lots of grasses,berries and seeds.

▲

SEEDS - theseinclude acorns,beech nuts andother wild seeds.

▲ BERRIES - wildfruits likeraspberries andblueberries.

▲ GRASSES - wildgrasses, clover andferns.

▲

FFFFFOODOODOODOODOOD C C C C CHAINSHAINSHAINSHAINSHAINS

A predator, such as a red-tailed hawk, might killone of the rabbits and eat it. When the hawk dies,tiny organisms turn its body into soil. The soilprovides nutrients that plants need to grow, andthe food chain begins again.

Predators are an important link in the foodchain. What happens to a food chain when preda-tors are removed? Researchers are still searching

fisher garter snake red-tail hawk

porcupine black bear deer mouse chipmunk snowshoe hare

seeds white-throatedsparrow

berries insects grasses

white-tail deer

for answers. A lot seems to depend on the type ofcommunity and the predators involved. In someareas, the loss of predators has resulted in apopulation explosion of prey animals. Too manyprey can damage a habitat and throw the wholefood chain out of whack, and animals may end upstarving or dying of disease.

snapshots

bobact© Alan Brier Photo

snapshots

American robin© Alan Brier Photo

fisher© Bill Siliker Photo

sharp-shinned hawk© Alan Brier Photo

snapshots

snapshots snapshots

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coyote© Alan briere Photo

garter snake© Alan briere Photo

praying mantis© NHF&G Photo

bullfrog© NHF&G Photo

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AmericAmericAmericAmericAmerican Ran Ran Ran Ran RobinobinobinobinobinEats: earthworms, insects and wild fruitsand berriesHabitat: wide variety of fields, forests,parks and yards

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• the most widespread breeding bird found in New England• song is not associated with any particular part of the bird’s life• returns each evening to large shared roosts• robins from here migrate further south, those from further northmay migrate here and spend the winter

BobcBobcBobcBobcBobcaaaaatttttEaEaEaEaEats:ts:ts:ts:ts: snowshoe hare, cottontail rabbits,squirrels, small mammals, birds and their eggs,white-tailed deerHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: mixed hardwood and softwoodforests, brushy, rocky woodlands

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• solitary and secretive• active year-round mostly at night• strong enough to pull down and kill a deer• ears slightly tufted• short tail with black on top

FFFFFast fast fast fast fast facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• adapted to forests with short, rounded wings and long tail• maneuvers quickly through trees and brush, to dart out after prey• migrates to points further south for the winter• returns to the same nesting area• female larger than male

Sharp-shinned HawkSharp-shinned HawkSharp-shinned HawkSharp-shinned HawkSharp-shinned HawkEaEaEaEaEats:ts:ts:ts:ts: small birds, shrews, moles, mice,rabbits, frogs , insectsHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: evergreen or mixed woods

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• member of weasel family• travels widely in search of prey• active year-round, mostly at night• eats whatever is available• good tree climber

FisherFisherFisherFisherFisherEaEaEaEaEats:ts:ts:ts:ts: snowshoe hare, porcupine,songbirds, moles, shrews, mice and squirrelsHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: mixed hardwood and softwood,wetlands, dens in hollow trees, logs, ground holes

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• often hibernates in groups• most common of the snakes• mostly active during the day• quite tolerant of the cold• females have shorter tails than males

GarGarGarGarGarter Snaketer Snaketer Snaketer Snaketer SnakeEaEaEaEaEats:ts:ts:ts:ts: earthworms, wood frogs, Americantoads, red-backed salamanders, caterpillars,insects, small birds, rodentsHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: found throughout NewHampshire, especially in moist areas

CoCoCoCoCoyyyyyoteoteoteoteoteEaEaEaEaEats: ts: ts: ts: ts: snowshoe hare, beaver, deer fawns,small mammals, mice, berries, apples andinsectsHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: wide variety of forest and fieldhabitats, can live in urban areas

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• appeared in New Hampshire in the 1930s• interbred with wolves and are larger than the western coyote• most active in the early morning• eats whatever they can find• commonly exhibit pack behavior

BullfrogBullfrogBullfrogBullfrogBullfrogEaEaEaEaEats:ts:ts:ts:ts: small fish, other frogs, salamanders,newts, young turtles, snakes, small birds,mice, crayfish, insects, snails and spidersHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: near shorelines of large bodiesof water with plants growing alongthe edge and in the water

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• lay 12,000-20,000 eggs• takes 2 to 3 winters for tadpoles to transform into adults• males make a “jug-o-rum” call• spend the winter in the mud and leaf letter of the lake bottom

PrPrPrPrPraaaaaying Mantisying Mantisying Mantisying Mantisying MantisEaEaEaEaEats:ts:ts:ts:ts: other insectsHabitHabitHabitHabitHabitaaaaat:t:t:t:t: fields and forests

FFFFFast Fast Fast Fast Fast Facts:acts:acts:acts:acts:• two-to four-inches long• specially adapted front legs that can reach out and capture other insects• make a large, hardened foam casing around their eggs• well-camouflaged and remain still, so are hard to see• young nymphs hatch in late spring, by fall are full grown and winged

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This program receives Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, TitleII of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of

the Education Amendments of 1972. The U.S. Department of the Interior and its bureaus prohibitdiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion or sex (in

educational programs). If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program,activity, or facility, or if you desire additional information, please write to:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceOffice for Diversity and Civil Rights Programs – External Affairs

4040 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 130Arlington, VA 22203

Wild Times for Kids is published twice a year by the

New Hampshire Fish & Game Department, Public

Affairs Division, 2 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301.

Multiple copies are available for school and youth

groups upon request. ©2001 N.H. Fish & Game Dept.

www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

New Hampshire Fish and Game DepartmentConserving New Hampshire's wildlife

and their habitats

PUB01010Avy

Complete the mazeto help this hungry

argiope spiderfind her prey -

a blue bottle fly!

startstart

Photo credits from page 2:© Alan Briere photos - fisher, black bear, porcupine, white-throated sparrow, chipmunk.© NH Fish & Game photos - grasshopper, seeds, berries.© Hannah Clements photo - white-tail deer