Mesopredator

Raccoons and skunks are common examples of mesopredators. Pictured is a common raccoon and a striped skunk eating cat food in an urban area.

A Mesopredator is a predator that occupies a mid-ranking trophic level in a food web.[1] There is no standard definition of a mesopredator, but mesopredators are usually medium-sized carnivorous or omnivorous animals, such as raccoons, foxes, or coyotes.[2][3] They are often defined by contrast from apex predators or prey in a particular food web.[3][2][4] Mesopredators typically prey on smaller animals.[2]

Mesopredators vary across different ecosystems. Sometimes, the same species is a mesopredator in one ecosystem and an apex predator in another ecosystem, depending on the composition of that ecosystem.[3] When new species are introduced into an ecosystem, the role of the mesopredator often changes; this can also happen if species are removed.[4]

  1. ^ Groom, Martha; Meffe, Gary (August 5, 2005). Principles of Conservation Biology. Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN 978-0878935970.
  2. ^ a b c "mesopredator release | ecology | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  3. ^ a b c Hodge, Anne-Marie. "Laikipia Plateau: What is a Mesopredator?". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  4. ^ a b Prugh, Laura R.; Stoner, Chantal J.; Epps, Clinton W.; Bean, William T.; Ripple, William J.; Laliberte, Andrea S.; Brashares, Justin S. (2009-10-01). "The Rise of the Mesopredator". BioScience. 59 (9): 779–791. doi:10.1525/bio.2009.59.9.9. ISSN 0006-3568. S2CID 40484905.