Explore the Outdoors!
Here, I write about animals and their small curiosities, feeding habits, and their role in the ecosystem!
Squids may look somewhat defenseless with their soft bodies and long slimy arms that are easy to rip off for a larger stronger animal. However, as I will show you, squids are not completely without tricks when it comes to defending themselves! I recently wrote a blog post about the main predators of squid in…
Producers are organisms that get their energy from their environment, for example, from the sun or from breaking down chemical compounds. Decomposers are a type of consumer that break down organic matter into simple chemical nutrients essential for producers. Even though different bird species have different diets, they are all consumers. In ecology, consumers are…
Oysters are filter-feeding herbivores that live in marine habitats. They play an important role in the ecosystem by filtering large amounts of water and removing algae, plankton, and debris. As a result, oysters help to keep the water clean and improve water quality. Oysters are classified as herbivores because they primarily eat plant material that…
Fish come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and most are either carnivores or herbivores but few feed entirely as scavengers! In the wild fish mainly eat algae, worms, plankton, and each other (!) but some species of fish are opportunistic feeders that will eat anything they can get hold off. Most fish are…
Sea slugs are a type of mollusc that live in the ocean. Like all gastropod molluscs, they have a soft body that, contrary to snails, is not protected by a hard shell. Sea slugs have lost their shell during the course of evolution and instead rely on other methods of defence – such as venom!…
Magpies are omnivorous birds that are native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are easily recognizable by their black and white plumage, and their long tail. Magpies eat a wide variety of food items, including seeds, nuts, worms, small animals and carrion. If available, they actually prefer to eat animals due to their higher…
Barnacles are filter feeders that live on the bottom of the sea. In the wild, barnacles form an important part of the food web since they eat a wide variety of food items and provide a nutritious meal to many other animals in the sea. Barnacles are not primarily decomposers but can function as scavengers…
If you don’t know what a lobster is already, they are large crayfish-like creatures that live exclusively in saltwater. A lobster’s defining feature is its large front claws and its dark red color. They are ancient creatures with many interesting abilities, some of which I will look into in this post! Perhaps the most interesting…
Hawks are carnivorous birds of prey that hunt small mammals like mice and gophers. They are at the top of the food chain in their ecosystem and play an important role in controlling the population of these small animals. Hawks are carnivores and tertiary consumers, which means they exclusively eat other animals that are primary…
Pigeons are interesting creatures that have adapted to live in cities alongside humans. Pigeons and birds are omnivores, which means they will eat almost anything. However, in the wild, their diet consists of seeds, insects, fruits and plants. It also varies a bit between species, but here I will focus on the rock pigeon most…
