Prey
Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators.
Predation behaviour varies significantly depending on the organism. Many predators, especially carnivores, have evolved distinct hunting strategies. Pursuit predation involves the active search for and pursuit of prey, whilst ambush predators instead wait for prey to present an opportunity for capture, and often use stealth or aggressive mimicry to get close enough for a successful attack. Other predators are opportunistic or omnivorous and only practice predation occasionally.
Most obligate carnivores are specialized for hunting. They may have acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell for prey detection. Many predatory animals have sharp claws or jaws to grip, kill, and cut up their prey. Physical strength is usually necessary for large carnivores such as big cats to kill larger prey. Other adaptations include stealth, endurance, intelligence, social behaviour, and aggressive mimicry that improve hunting efficiency.
Predation has a powerful selective effect on prey, and the prey develops anti-predator adaptations such as warning coloration, alarm calls and other signals, camouflage, mimicry of well-defended species, and defensive spines and chemicals. Sometimes predator and prey find themselves in an evolutionary arms race, a cycle of adaptations and counter-adaptations. Predation has been a major driver of evolution since at least the Cambrian period.
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