Examples of Apex Predators

An apex predator is an animal at the top, or apex, of its food web that has no natural predators. These top predators often have large home ranges and small population densities, which means human interference and habitat encroachment can pose serious threats to their survival.

But apex predators fulfill important ecological roles, helping to regulate prey populations and changing prey behavior in ways that benefit other species.

Below are some examples of apex predators — but first, one familiar apex predator.

What Is an Apex Predator?

An apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators or enemies of its own.

An animal that kills and eats other animals but is not normally eaten by any other animals.

Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the highest trophic levels. Food chains are often far shorter on land, usually limited to being secondary consumers – for example, wolves prey mostly upon large herbivores (primary consumers), which eat plants (primary producers). The apex predator concept is applied in wildlife management, conservation, and ecotourism.

Apex predators have a long evolutionary history, dating at least to the Cambrian period when animals such as Anomalocaris dominated the seas.

Humans have for many centuries interacted with apex predators including the wolf, birds of prey, and cormorants to hunt game animals, birds, and fish respectively.

More recently, humans have started interacting with apex predators in new ways. These include interactions via ecotourism, such as with the tiger shark, and through rewilding efforts, such as the proposed reintroduction of the Iberian lynx.

The Importance of Apex Predators In Ecosystems.

Apex predators occupy the highest trophic positions in food webs and serve profoundly important roles in ecological and evolutionary processes, shaping and re-shaping the traits of prey and how they interact with one another and the ecosystem.

These top-level predators can have far-reaching effects on ecosystems. They control prey numbers and consequently limit smaller predators. The removal of an apex predator can have knock-on effects on the entire ecosystem, including the landscape.

For example, when grey wolves were hunted to extirpation in Yellowstone National Park the population of elk, their primary prey soared. This in turn led to overgrazing of woody trees such as aspen and willow. Beavers declined because of this, as they depend on willow to survive the winter.

When wolves were reintroduced into the park in 1995 beneficial effects cascaded down the food chain. Elk populations were controlled, and due to increased predation pressure, they grazed more widely, allowing the trees to recover, and consequently beaver numbers to once again flourish.

In this way, apex predators can be seen to ‘balance’ an ecosystem, and as such they are an important concern for conservationists. Worryingly, many apex predator populations are in decline, due to hunting by humans.

Examples of Apex Predators

1. Lions

It’s no secret that the lion is the “king of the jungle”. In sub-Saharan Africa they are at the absolute pinnacle of the food chain and have no predators. None of the other species of big cats in its ecosystem will risk a conflict with a lion. That being said, they do still face dangers and because of this, they live in family groups called prides.

So, while there are no animals that would be able to prey upon a healthy adult lion, there are those who may attempt to steal a cub. Or even attack wounded or sick lion. The healthy young lions of the pride will protect all other lions within it, and make sure they are safe and get enough to eat.

2. Tigers

Due to their enormous size, razor-sharp fangs and claws, muscular physique, and hunting skills, tigers are among the top apex predators.

Tigers are heavier and bigger compared to their relatives, lions. They are also the largest cats in the world, and people love them for their eye-catching colors and unusual stripes that help them blend in.

Tigers may be found in various habitats, including grasslands, savannas, rainforests, mangrove swamps, and more. Their distribution location includes Southwest Asia, North Korea, India, China, Russia, and Indonesia.

Hunting-wise, tigers utilize their vision and hearing to find their prey. After they spot prey, they start to stalk from behind and slowly get closer.

They pounce on the animal and bite the throat. Typically, their prey weighs an average of 45 pounds. Their favorite meals include goats, pigs, cows, moose, tapirs, and rhinos.

3. Polar bears

The polar bear is easily recognized by its massive size and white fur. In fact, the bear’s “white” fur is actually clear and hollow, making it appear white when light passes through the hairs.

This bear is considered a marine mammal due to the large amount of time it spends in the water. It is an extremely agile hunter, both on land and underwater.

The polar bear is the top predator of the Arctic region, where it feeds mainly on seals. The fatty flesh of these animals allows the bear to meet its high calorific requirements and maintain its own insulating fat layer.

The polar bear serves a very important role in the Arctic ecosystem by inadvertently providing food for weak or inexperienced bears, as well as other animals such as the Arctic fox, as it usually eats just the skin and blubber of its kill, leaving behind the unconsumed meat.

4. Jaguars

Apex predators of the Amazon, jaguars are skilled wild cats in the American continent as they can swim and climb trees.

Jaguars are solitary big cats with the strongest bite of all felines. They deliver a fatal blow to the prey’s brain, killing it instantly.

The species’ ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by indigenous people and field researchers. These skills are probably a product of their role as apex predators in several different environments.

They prey on turtles, anteaters, agoutis, capybaras, fish, and caimans.

5. Wolves

Gray wolves are found mainly in the northern hemisphere, from Alaska to eastern Russia. They are wild dogs and have black-tipped, long, and bushy tails.

When hunting, gray wolves kill the victim by biting the neck. They may hunt for the small-size prey on their own, however, typically, they hunt in packs.

This technique is not only for protection but also for higher success in hunting. These apex predators often consume larger animals such as elk, moose, bison, and deer.

6. Cougars

With a nose-to-tail length of up to 2.75 m/9 ft, and a weight of up to 100 kg/220 lb., the cougar is the second-largest cat species of the Americas; only the jaguar is larger.

The cougar is not considered to be a “true” big cat, despite being larger on average than both the leopard and the snow leopard. This is because it does not belong to the genus Panthera., and in fact is more closely related to a house cat than it is to lions, tigers and leopards, and other “big cats”.

The cougar is known by several other names, including “puma”, “mountain lion” and “catamount”. It is found from Canada to Chile and has the largest range of any mammal in the Americas. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, from deserts to thick forests.

Like all cats, the cougar is an obligate carnivore; only meat can provide the nutrients it needs to survive. In North America, deer make up the majority of the cat’s diet.

Although a cougar may be driven from its prey by a determined black bear or pack of wolves, it has no true predators and is therefore an apex predator.

7. Orcas

Orcas are widely distributed, more so than any other mammal. They live in the coastal areas surrounding most countries and are capable of adapting to any climate.

Orcas have a diverse diet. Some only eat fish while others hunt, something that has led to their name, “killer whale.”

They prey on mammals, like seals, as well as other dolphins. Orcas have even been known to attack larger whales, like baleen whales. Orcas sometimes beach themselves to catch seals on land. Meaning they jump out of the water, land on the ice or shore, latch onto their prey, and drag it back into the water.

8. Great White Sharks

They can smell a single drop of blood floating in 10 billion drops of water. They can detect movement from as far away as 820 feet away. And with powerful, streamlined bodies and razor-sharp teeth, great white sharks are as scary as it gets. (But don’t worry, they generally don’t eat people, and most attacks on humans aren’t fatal anyway.)

Great white sharks prefer to gobble up sea lions, seals, dolphins, small, toothed whales, sea turtles, seabirds, and even the rotting flesh of dead animals. They can reach speeds of 43 miles (69 km) per hour, which allows them to surprise their prey and subdue it with a single bite.

Great white sharks can even leave the water completely, breaching like whales when attacking prey from underneath.

9. Saltwater crocodiles

Saltwater crocodiles are found in the coastal waters of Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.

They are the largest living reptile and are apex predators in their habitat. Saltwater crocodiles are known for their powerful jaws and are capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves.

10. Tiger sharks

The tiger shark is a requiem shark and can reach lengths of around 16.5 ft or 5 meters. They are usually found in tropical and temperate waters in and around the Pacific islands. They are named for the dark stripes down the sides of their bodies, which are said to resemble a tiger.

Tiger sharks are solitary creatures and night hunters. They prey on fish, seals, birds, dolphins, porpoises, and more. Tiger sharks as listed as “near threatened” due to hunting, specifically finning.

11. Leopard seals

Leopard seals are quite cute—until they open their mouths. Their jaws are wide and powerful and are lined with long, razor-sharp teeth. They have no trouble ripping apart penguins and seal pups, their favorite meals.

Leopard seals are one of the Antarctic’s most ferocious hunters. Take their penguin eating habits, for example: After they grab a penguin, they thrash the bird back and forth until the skin peels away. Then, they consume the carcass.

Topping out at 10 feet and weighing up to a ton, leopard seals have a virtually insatiable appetite and spend the majority of their time searching for prey. They’ll eat almost anything, including fish, squid, crustaceans, and even krill. One leopard seal, captured near Sydney, had eaten a full-grown platypus!

12. Bald Eagles

Driven nearly to extinction by hunting and pesticides, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is today a conservation success story.

These powerful birds are one of the largest raptors in North America. They tend to live close to rivers, lakes, and ocean waters to hunt fish, but they have a varied diet that includes water birds as well as small mammals like squirrels, rabbits, and sea otter pups.

Bald eagles scan for prey from the sky or a perch, then swoop to grab prey in their sharp talons. Bald eagles also feed on carrion and steal prey from other birds.

13. Giant Petrel

A giant petrel feeds on an elephant seal pup

Giant petrels are large seabirds from the southern hemisphere, specifically Antarctica and the subtropics of South America, Africa, and Oceania. They can reach up to 83 inches across the wings and weigh up to 17.5 pounds.

These apex predators have no natural predators but may come into harmful conflict when hunting skua chicks.

They can feed on land and sea, seeking carrion and scavenging penguin and seal colonies. They also feed on squid, fish, and krill. Giant petrels are very aggressive birds and will kill even large seabirds.

14. Owls

Great horned owls are large species native to North and South America. They have an extensive range and are highly adaptable, thriving around humans and their habitations.

These owls can give the ultimate stare-down using their huge bright yellow eyes and swivel necks. And their nighttime call is solemn and terrifying. They are known as the tigers of the sky, viciously attacking anything small enough they can get away with.

Great horned owls are among the most dangerous birds of prey, often reported for pet and livestock attacks. They can carry up to nine pounds and occasionally take off with small cats and dogs.

15. Condors

Andean condors are giant vultures native to the Andes Mountains and the Pacific coast of South America. They are among the largest flying species on earth, measuring over four feet long and weighing nearly 30 pounds.

They are intelligent and transparent creatures, able to communicate their emotional state through the color of their fleshy heads. Groups of condors also develop “pecking orders,” with mature condors at the top and young males at the bottom.

These enormous predators can live up to 70 years old and fly over 100 miles without flapping their wings.

16. Harpy Eagle

The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) has startlingly intense black eyes, fluffy gray feathers around the face, and long black feathers at the crown of the head that raise in a rather ominous fashion when it’s threatened. One of the world’s largest eagles, it stands over three feet high with a wingspan of nearly seven feet.

The neotropical rainforest species prey primarily on sloths and monkeys, although it can carry off lizards, birds, rodents, and even small deer using talons longer than a grizzly bear’s claws. Unfortunately, it is in danger from deforestation and poachers.

List Of Apex Predators

Here is the list of Apex Predators:

Threats to Apex Predators

Unlike small mammals who multiply like bunnies or some predators who’s boom or bust depends on said bunnies, large carnivores like lions and wolves keep their own numbers in check. According to a new work published in Oikos last week, population control is what distinguishes “apex predators” from the rest. 

Researchers have traditionally assumed that the densities of the largest of predators are determined by the availability of their prey supply, but recent studies seem to contradict a bottom-up control. And now, an international team led by Arian Wallach from Charles Darwin University proposes an alternate view: Apex predators naturally have the capacity to limit their own population densities—or self-regulate—helping to keep their ecosystems in balance.

The team tested their idea using a set of life-history traits that might contribute to self-regulation in mammalian carnivores, such as birth rate and investments by parents. They gathered research on more than a hundred species, Science reports, from skunks and stoats to polar bears, panthers, and wolves living in Yosemite.

They found that an average weight of 13 to 16 kilograms (29 to 35 lbs) marks a transition between self-regulated carnivores and those that are regulated by external factors.