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List of apex predators

 
Wikipedia: List of apex predators
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This is a partial list of apex predators — those predators that are not preyed upon as healthy adults in the wild. Full scavengers (e.g. most vultures), although they may not be preyed on either, are not counted as apex predators unless they at least partially depend on capturing live prey.

Contents

Extant predators

The African Wild Dog is a predatory canine found across much of southern and central Africa.
The clouded leopard is an apex predator of East Asia.
The lion is a predatory feline of central and southern Africa. It is Africa's apex predator.
The Gray Wolf is a predatory canine of North America and Eurasia.
The Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard and the top predator of the Komodo (island).
The largest surviving carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil is both a scavenger and a fierce predator.
Humans have proven themselves to be very versatile predators. Man's use of tools (ranging from sharpened sticks to firearms) and capacity for complex problem solving has allowed him to take on prey many times his size and strength with high rates of success and little risk of injury. Humans are often considered the "ultimate" predator.

On land

The Golden Eagle is a bird of prey found across most of the Northern hemisphere.
The South Polar Skua both bullies other seabirds for their catches and preys on the other seabirds.

In the air

The American alligator is the apex predator of the marshlands in the southern USA.
The Electric rays are marine predators of the tropics.
The Orca or Killer Whale is the apex predator of most of the world's oceans.
The Saltwater Crocodile is the largest living reptile and is the dominant predator throughout its range.

In aquatic environments

Notes: Animals with an "*" are only apex predators as introduced species

Extinct predators that were likely apex predators

Size comparision of selected apex predators

References

  1. ^ http://www.kidsgowild.com/kidsgowild/animalfacts/87891/87905
  2. ^ Dinerstein, Eric (2005). Tigerland and Other Unintended Destinations. Island Press. p. 113. ISBN 1-559-63578-9. 
  3. ^ Bargagli, Roberto (2004). Antarctic Ecosystems. Springer. pp. 282–287. ISBN 3-540-22091-7. 
  4. ^ ELECTROPHORUS ELECTRICUS, http://helium.vancouver.wsu.edu/~ingalls/eels/index.html 
  5. ^ DeMartini, Edward E., Friedlander, Alan M., and Holzwarth, Stephani R. (2005). "Size at sex change in protogynous labroids, prey body size distributions, and apex predator densities at NW Hawaiian atolls". Marine ecology progress series 297: 259 -271. ISSN: 0171-8630. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
  6. ^ a b Lepak, Jesse M., Kraft, Clifford E., and Weidel, Brian C. (2006). "Rapid Food Web Recovery in Response to Removal of an Introduced Apex Predator". Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63(3): 569-575. ISSN: 0706-652X. Retrieved on 2006-12-13.
  7. ^ Kuhn, Carey E., McDonald, Birgitte I., Shaffer, Scott A., Barnes, Julie, Crocker, Daniel E., Burns, Jennifer, and Costa, Daniel P. (2006). "Diving physiology and winter foraging behavior of a juvenile leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)". Polar Biology 29(4): 303-307. ISSN: 0722-4060. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
  8. ^ Levner, Eugene; Linkov, Igor; Proth, Jean-Marie (2005). Strategic Management of Marine Ecosystems. Springer. p. 41. ISBN 1-402-03158-0. 
  9. ^ Conrad, Norman (2000). Reading the Entrails: An Alberta Ecohistory. University of Calgary Press. p. 9. ISBN 1-552-38012-2. 
  10. ^ "Rare & Extinct Creatures: Warrah or Falkland Islands Wolf". The Messybeast. http://www.messybeast.com/extinct/warrah.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
  11. ^ Prehistoric Predators - Monster Shark. [TV-Series]. National Geographic. 2007. 

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