In zoology, the term superpredator refers to a predator that, in its natural habitat, is at the top of the food chain .We have already talked about super predators in the article dedicated to the strongest animal in the world . Today we will try to go into more detail: what is a super predator and what are the predatory animals labeled with the prefix super .
The list of superpredators: which are the alpha predator animals, placed at the top of the food chain in their natural habitat.
Superpredators or alpha predators
Top predators are often called alpha predators or apex predators . An alpha predator , once adult, is at the top of the food chain in its native environment.
Superpredators are generally carnivores and, in their natural habitat, do not fear any species, except humans!
Man, thanks to his weapons and technologies, is considered the alpha predator of the planet. He can live anywhere and subdue any other living species using weapons and technologies. It is no coincidence that man is at the top of the global food chain. Before reaching the top of the food chain, man fought for centuries against other super predators , especially pack predators such as wolves, birds of prey and lynxes.
Top predatory animals generally have a long evolutionary history dating back at least to the Cambrian Period, when animals such as the anomalocaris dominated the seas.
What are the super predators?
In the animal kingdom there are many super predators because each alpha predator dominates a specific natural area. Among mammals we point out these super predators:
- Wolf
- Hyena
- Brown bear
- Polar bear
- Tiger
- Lion
- Jaguar
- Leopard
- Puma
- Cheetah
- Lynx
As can be seen from the list, most of the alpha predators mentioned are big cats. Only the Wolf and the Hyena are pack predators.
Superpredators in the seas and oceans
The top predator of the oceans is not the great white shark . Although the great white shark is considered a fearsome predator due to its keen senses, the top predator of the oceans is the killer whale . The killer whale has been shown to prey on the shark as well .
The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is at the top of its food chain. The great news is that it is a cosmopolitan species that can be found in the oceans as well as in different marine environments: from the Arctic to the Antarctic, from tropical seas to temperate regions. In practice, the killer whale is a superpredator that dominates in many areas! Despite its strength, the killer whale is now considered at risk due to pollution and fishing.
Nowadays, interactions between humans and apex predators are not uncommon , however, attempts to breed killer whales in captivity have given rise to unpleasant surprises: killer whales, kept in captivity in marine parks, have injured or even killed the managers!
Predatory animals: reptiles
In the world, reptiles can occupy prominent niches. Among the super predators we can mention:
- Saltwater crocodile
- Nile crocodile
- American crocodile
- Mississippi Alligator
- Black Caiman
- Green Anaconda
- Reticulated Python
- Moluroid Python
- African Rock Python
- Snapping turtle*
- Alligator Snapping Turtle*
- Komodo Dragon or Giant Lizard
*In Italy, its possession and sale are prohibited as they are considered dangerous for aquatic habitats and for public health and safety.
Birds of Prey
There are super predators in the skies too. The predatory birds par excellence are the raptors . The main super predators are found among the eagles.
Without forgetting the snowy owl and the goshawk, known as the “lord of the woods”.
Intra-species predation
Predatory animals are generally very territorial , which means that they can become predators of their own species . Taking the lion as an example, in its natural habitat, as soon as the adult lion becomes the leader of the pack, he kills all the cubs and mates with the females to ensure maximum reproduction.
Some super predators can kill individuals of the same species that do not submit. In addition, it is necessary to specify that super predators are such only in adulthood. A baby killer whale can easily be eaten by a shark!
In addition, apex predators (including humans) become important bioaccumulators of pollutants, especially heavy metals.
Prehistoric Super Predators
Among the first predatory animals in history, we should again mention the anomalocaris. These are small marine animals that dominated the seas in the Cambrian. On land, the role of superpredators was alternated first by giant arthropods (Artheropleura, imagine them as large insects even 2 – 3 meters long) and then by amphibians and carnivorous synapsids (imagine them as giant chameleons!).
Among the prehistoric super predators it is impossible not to mention the dinosaurs . Among the carnivorous dinosaurs, depending on the era and the places colonized, we remember the tyrannosaurus, the spinosaurus, the gigantosaurus and the utahraptor.