Secondary Consumers
Watch penguins looking for fish the thick feathers keeping them warm, and snowy owls their wings silent, searching for lemmings. They are both secondary consumers. Do you know what secondary consumers are? Well, I will tell you. A secondary consumer is an animal that eats primary consumers. They are all over the world but in the arctic there are arctic foxes, seals, penguins, and much more. Animals can be primary and secondary or secondary and tertiary consumers. For instance, birds can eat fish and seeds. Even top predators can become primary consumers, like a polar bear can eat seals and if it has to, plants. Now do you know what a secondary consumer is?
Secondary consumers each have special traits for each of them but, here are some general facts. They are all over the world but in the arctic there are arctic foxes, seals, penguins, and much more. They eat lots of things from fish to lemmings to different kinds of birds. In the arctic, secondary consumers have to watch out for polar bears, wolverines and arctic wolves. They all have different adaptations to help them survive in the arctic. Some have lots of blubber or water proof feathers and some have thick fur or big feet that act as snow shoes or to help them swim. To learn more about each individual animal go to secondary consumers, animals.
Secondary consumers each have special traits for each of them but, here are some general facts. They are all over the world but in the arctic there are arctic foxes, seals, penguins, and much more. They eat lots of things from fish to lemmings to different kinds of birds. In the arctic, secondary consumers have to watch out for polar bears, wolverines and arctic wolves. They all have different adaptations to help them survive in the arctic. Some have lots of blubber or water proof feathers and some have thick fur or big feet that act as snow shoes or to help them swim. To learn more about each individual animal go to secondary consumers, animals.
This is the pyramid of energy. The energy flows
to the top. Plants get energy from the soil and then the herbivores eat the plants then the carnivores eat herbivores to get energy. When apex carnivores die, decomposers break down the animal and the energy goes into the soil and the system starts all over again. | These are some pictures of the arctic tundra. |
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The first animal I will talk about is a snowy owl. The snowy owl eats lemmings, hare, small birds and eggs. They hunt during the day and there feathers fit together right so they can fly without a sound. They lay there eggs on the ground or on hummocks because there are little trees in the tundra.
This is an arctic fox. It can sometimes be a tertiary consumer or a secondary consumer. They eat birds, lemmings, and tundra voles. They use rocky cliffs for dens and in the summer, to camouflage they turn brown. They are about 3-4 feet long and are smaller than you would think.
The next animal is a penguin. The animals that eat the penguin are mainly the leopard seal. Sometimes polar bears or orcas will eat them if they are hungry. The penguins eat fish, krill and squid. In the winter they huddle together and have thick feathers to keep warm. The mates take turns keeping the egg warm. they can swim 15 miles per hour.
This animal is a seal. It eats mainly fish and krill. The animals that eat the seal are polar bears and orcas. To keep warm, seals have blubber and thick coats. Seals stay under water along time and only come up for air and to mate and have pups.
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The last animal is an arctic tern. It is a migratory bird. It travels 22,000 miles a year. They have webbed feet but do not like to swim; they catch their food at the top of the water. They eat small fish, shrimp krill and insects. They live in colonies of about 50 birds and sometimes take in seagulls or different types of terns to live with them. They are very social.
This is an arctic fox. It can sometimes be a tertiary consumer or a secondary consumer. They eat birds, lemmings, and tundra voles. They use rocky cliffs for dens and in the summer, to camouflage they turn brown. They are about 3-4 feet long and are smaller than you would think.
The next animal is a penguin. The animals that eat the penguin are mainly the leopard seal. Sometimes polar bears or orcas will eat them if they are hungry. The penguins eat fish, krill and squid. In the winter they huddle together and have thick feathers to keep warm. The mates take turns keeping the egg warm. they can swim 15 miles per hour.
This animal is a seal. It eats mainly fish and krill. The animals that eat the seal are polar bears and orcas. To keep warm, seals have blubber and thick coats. Seals stay under water along time and only come up for air and to mate and have pups.
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The last animal is an arctic tern. It is a migratory bird. It travels 22,000 miles a year. They have webbed feet but do not like to swim; they catch their food at the top of the water. They eat small fish, shrimp krill and insects. They live in colonies of about 50 birds and sometimes take in seagulls or different types of terns to live with them. They are very social.
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I hope you have learned more about seals looking for fish and arctic foxes curled up to stay warm. Just remember the wonderful arctic plants and animals.
My sources are
http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/downey/project/seals.html
My sources are
http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/downey/project/seals.html
