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Ep308: Apex Predators · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder open
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  wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats. Daily starts your day.
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  Fun and laughter come your way. Sports and trivia games galore.
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  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today we are exploring the world of apex predators.
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  An apex predator is an animal at the top of its food chain in a
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  particular place. That means it does not have
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  another animal that regularly hunts it once it is full grown
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  and healthy. Apex predators help keep
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  ecosystems balanced by controlling the numbers of other
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  animals. When they do their jobs, plants,
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  smaller animals, and even habitats like forests and coral
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  reefs can stay healthy. To understand apex predators, it
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  helps to know what a food web is.
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  A food web shows who eats what. In nature, plants use sunlight
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  to make energy. Plant eating animals called
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  herbivores eat the plants. Meat eating animals called
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  carnivores eat other animals. Omnivores eat both plants and
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  animals. At the very top are the apex
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  predators. They are not the only hunters,
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  but they are the top hunters in their homes.
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  Decomposers such as fungi and bacteria breakdown what is left
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  after animals and plants die, putting nutrients back into the
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  soil and water. All these parts connect to make
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  a living system. Apex predators live in many
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  habitats in the ocean. Great white sharks and orcas are
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  top hunters on land. Lions in certain parts of Africa
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  and tigers and some Asian forests are apex predators in
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  the sky. Golden Eagles and harpy eagles
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  are top hunters of birds and small mammals in their ranges.
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  In rivers and wetlands, crocodiles and alligators are
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  apex predators in cold seas. Polar bears are top hunters on
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  ice, focusing mainly on seals, each of these animals has
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  features that help them find food and avoid danger.
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  Even though they have few natural enemies, apex predators
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  have special adaptations. Many have excellent senses.
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  Owls can hear very small sounds made by mice.
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  Sharks can detect tiny electrical signals made by
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  mussels of fish. Cats, such as tigers have eyes
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  that see well in low light. Many have strong bodies.
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  Crocodiles have powerful jaws. Eagles have sharp talons.
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  Some move quietly, such as big cats that step softly.
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  Others hunt together. Wolves can work as a pack to
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  find and surround prey, each member helping the group.
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  Here is a fun fact, some apex predators are not the biggest
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  animals around, but they're still at the top because of
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  their skills and the role they play.
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  A Jaguar is not the largest cat in the world, but in many
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  tropical forests it is the top hunter because it is strong,
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  quiet, and able to climb and swim in the sea.
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  Orcas are not the biggest whales, but they hunt
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  cooperatively and use smart tactics which puts them at the
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  top in many oceans. Did you know that scientists
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  study how apex predators shape the environment without changing
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  it physically themselves? When top hunters keep herbivore
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  numbers from getting too high, plants can grow better.
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  This can increase shade along stream edges, keep soil in
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  place, and even affect how much water stays clean and cool for
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  fish. This is one reason many parks
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  and reserves protect apex predators.
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  Healthy top hunters often mean a healthier food web.
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  Here is our first question for you.
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  Which bird is the fastest in a hunting dive, reaching speeds
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  over 200 mph? The answer is the peregrine
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  Falcon. It tucks its wings and dives
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  toward birds in Medair, using strong eyesight to track its
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  target. In many cities, peregrines nest
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  on tall buildings and hunt pigeons and starlings.
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  They show how apex predators can live near people when there is
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  enough food and safe nesting space.
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  Yes or no Question. Do orcas have different call
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  patterns, sometimes called dialects in different family
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  groups and can young orcas learn them?
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  Yes, different pods use unique sets of calls, and young orcas
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  learn them by listening. This social learning helps
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  groups coordinate hunting and stay together.
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  It also shows that behavior, not just body parts, can make an
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  apex predator successful. Let's look at how being an apex
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  predator depends on place and time.
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  A large adult tiger is an apex predator in a rainforest.
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  A young tiger cub is not because it still depends on adults and
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  could be at risk from other predators.
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  A healthy adult shark is an apex predator in open water.
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  If a predator gets injured or sick, it may not be able to hunt
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  well and can lose its top position.
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  In practice, even if it still has few natural enemies, apex
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  predators do more than hunt. Many will also scavenge, which
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  means they eat animals that are already dead.
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  Lions, tigers, and sharks will sometimes scavenge when the
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  chance appears. This matters because scavenging
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  recycles nutrients and reduces waste.
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  In nature, apex predators also compete with other predators.
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  For example, a leopard and a hyena might both want the same
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  food, and their choices can shift depending on who is
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  around. That competition creates a
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  balance so that no single species takes over every
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  resource. Here is a second question.
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  In a kelp forest, which animal do sea otters eat?
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  That helps protect the kelp from being overgrazed.
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  Sea otters eat sea urchins. When otters keep urchin numbers
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  in check, kelp forest stay thick and tall.
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  Kelp provide shelter for fish, crabs, and many other creatures.
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  In places where otters declined in the past, urchins multiplied
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  and mowed down kelp. When otters returned, kelp often
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  recovered. Now a yes or no question Can
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  apex predators help plants grow by controlling the number of
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  plant eating animals even though predators do not eat plants
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  themselves? Yes.
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  This is called a trophic cascade.
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  For example, when top hunters reduce browsing by deer or
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  grazing by other herbivores, young trees and shrubs can
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  survive, which then helps birds nest and insects find food.
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  Apex predators also have daily routines.
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  Some hunt mostly at night, such as many big cats.
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  Others are active in daylight, such as many eagles and Hawks.
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  Some, such as sharks, can be active at different times
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  depending on the tides and the movements of their prey.
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  Weather matters too. After heavy rain, river
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  predators may move to calmer pools.
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  In strong winds, birds of prey adjust their flight paths to
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  glide and save energy. Here is a third question.
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  Which large shark can live in both salt water and fresh water
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  for short periods by adjusting the salt levels inside its body?
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  The bull shark. It has special kidneys and other
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  features that let it swim far up rivers and then return to the
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  sea. This ability helps it find
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  different hunting grounds and avoid stronger ocean currents
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  when needed. Did you know that some apex
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  predators use tools? Sea otters sometimes use small
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  rocks to crack open shellfish on their chests while floating on
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  their backs. This behavior lets them eat
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  tough prey that many other animals leave alone.
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  Another example involves chimpanzees using sticks to fish
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  for termites. Although chimpanzees are not
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  apex in all places because large cats and other predators can
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  threaten them, tool use shows flexibility and problem solving.
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  Apex predators can live near people when habitats overlap.
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  In many cities, red tailed Hawks nest on buildings and hunt
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  squirrels and pigeons. In some suburbs, coyotes manage
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  rodent populations. In coastal towns, Ospreys nest
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  on platforms and catch fish in nearby bays.
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  People can help by keeping wildlife wild, securing trash
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  and giving animals space. Wildlife managers study these
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  interactions to reduce conflicts and keep both people and animals
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  safe. Even apex predators face
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  challenges. Habitat loss, pollution and
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  climate change can reduce prey or alter hunting grounds.
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  Some species get caught accidentally in fishing gear.
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  Others lose nesting sites. Conservation groups work with
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  communities to protect nesting cliffs, create wildlife
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  corridors, and set fishing rules that reduce bycatch.
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  Tagging programs track movements so we learn where animals travel
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  and where they need protection. Let's recap the key ideas.
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  An apex predator sits at the top of its food chain in a given
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  place. It helps maintain balance by
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  managing prey numbers, which can lead to healthier plants and
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  habitats. Apex predators have strong
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  adaptations, including sharp senses, physical tools such as
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  talons and teeth, and smart behaviors such as teamwork and
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  learning. They live in many environments,
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  from forests and grasslands to oceans and cities.
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  Some, such as the peregrine Falcon, reach record speeds.
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  Others, such as orcas, use group calls and strategies.
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  Sea otters protect kelp forests by eating sea urchins.
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  Bull sharks can move between fresh and salt water.
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  Apex predators sometimes scavenge, compete with other
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  predators, and adjust their routines based on time of day
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  and weather. Keeping apex predators and their
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  habitats healthy helps the entire food web, from the
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  smallest plants to the largest animals.
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  Thanks for listening and keep your curiosity active.
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  The next time you see a bird soaring, read about ocean life
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  or learn about forests and rivers.
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  Every piece of the food web matters and understanding apex
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  predators helps us understand the whole living world.
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