Food Webs and Food Chains Worksheet worksheet - Free Printable

Let's go through each question step by step based on the food web provided in the image.

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1) Which of the following is an omnivore?

a) Bird
b) Snake
c) Mongoose
d) Rat

- An omnivore eats both plants and animals.
- Looking at the food web:
- Bird: Eats caterpillars (animals), but also might eat seeds or fruit (plants). However, here it only shows eating caterpillars.
- Snake: Eats birds and rats — only animals → carnivore.
- Mongoose: Eats rats — only animals → carnivore.
- Rat: Eats seeds and nuts (plants) and is eaten by mongoose and hawk. But does it eat animals? No clear indication. It appears to be a herbivore here.
- Wait — actually, birds are often omnivores in real life, but in this diagram, the bird only eats caterpillars → carnivore.
- The rat eats seeds and nuts (plants) — so herbivore.
- The mongoose eats rats — carnivore.
- The snake eats birds and rabbits — carnivore.
- The hawk eats snake and mongoose — carnivore.

But wait — is any animal shown eating both plants and animals?

Actually, none of the animals are clearly shown as omnivores in this web.

But let’s look again: Bird → eats caterpillar (animal), but what about plant matter? Not shown.

Wait — perhaps bird is the best choice if we consider real-world biology. But in this diagram, only caterpillars are shown as its food.

Alternatively, rat eats seeds/nuts (plants), but no animal food shown.

Hmm.

Wait — mongoose eats rat (animal), but could it eat plants? Not shown.

So, none are clearly omnivores?

But the question says “which of the following is an omnivore?” implying one is.

Wait — perhaps bird is intended to be omnivore? But not shown.

Wait — maybe rat? Rats are omnivores in reality, but in this web, they’re only shown eating seeds and nuts → herbivore.

But cat isn’t here.

Wait — bird? Birds can eat seeds and insects.

In this diagram, bird eats caterpillar, which is animal → carnivore.

But perhaps the bird could also eat seeds? Not shown.

Wait — no animal is clearly shown as omnivore.

But let's reconsider: Rat — in nature, rats are omnivores, but here it only eats seeds and nuts → herbivore.

Mongoose — eats rats → carnivore.

Hawk — eats snake and mongoose → carnivore.

Snake — eats bird and rabbit → carnivore.

Bird — eats caterpillar → carnivore.

Caterpillar — eats plants → herbivore.

Rabbit — eats plants → herbivore.

Rat — eats seeds/nuts → herbivore.

So none are omnivores?

But the answer must be one of them.

Wait — perhaps bird is meant to be omnivore? Or maybe rat?

But in this food web, no animal is shown eating both plants and animals.

But perhaps the bird is the only one that might eat both — but not shown.

Wait — look at the bird: it eats caterpillar, but is there any plant connection?

No.

Wait — perhaps the question assumes knowledge outside the diagram?

But usually, such questions base answers on the diagram.

Wait — maybe "bird" is the correct answer because birds are commonly omnivores.

But in this web, it's only shown eating caterpillar.

Alternatively, rat — in real life, rats eat plants and sometimes small animals, but here only seeds/nuts.

So perhaps none, but since it's multiple choice, and only one answer allowed...

Wait — perhaps I missed something.

Wait — mongoose? It eats rat, but could it eat plants? Not shown.

No.

Wait — the bird is shown eating caterpillar, but maybe it eats seeds too? Not indicated.

So unless we assume, we can't say.

But perhaps the intended answer is d) Rat — because rats are omnivores in real life, even though in this web it's shown as herbivore.

But that would be incorrect based on the diagram.

Wait — let’s re-express:

The question is: Which of the following is an omnivore?

And options are:

a) Bird — eats caterpillar → carnivore

b) Snake — eats bird and rabbit → carnivore

c) Mongoose — eats rat → carnivore

d) Rat — eats seeds and nuts → herbivore

None are omnivores based on the diagram.

But perhaps the bird is intended to be omnivore?

Wait — wait! Look again: Bird eats caterpillar, but does it eat plants? Not shown.

But Rat eats seeds and nuts → herbivore.

Wait — maybe the bird is the only one that could be considered omnivore in real life, so perhaps the answer is a) Bird.

But that’s not based on the diagram.

Alternatively, perhaps none are omnivores, but the question expects d) Rat?

Wait — no, rats are omnivores, but in this web, only shown eating plants.

So likely, the correct answer based on the diagram is none, but since it’s multiple choice, perhaps the intended answer is a) Bird, assuming it eats both.

But let's see other questions.

Wait — perhaps I'm overthinking.

Let’s move to question 3: List three herbivores.

We can see:

- Rabbit → eats plants
- Caterpillar → eats plants
- Rat → eats seeds and nuts (plants)
- Bird → eats caterpillar → carnivore
- So herbivores: Rabbit, Caterpillar, Rat

So Rat is herbivore here.

So Rat is herbivore, not omnivore.

Therefore, no omnivore is shown.

But the question asks “which of the following is an omnivore?”

If none are, but one must be chosen, then perhaps bird is intended?

Wait — what about the bird? In many ecosystems, birds eat both seeds and insects. Here, it only eats caterpillar.

But maybe the bird is the only one that could be omnivore, so perhaps a) Bird is the answer.

But let's check online or standard practice.

Wait — perhaps the answer is d) Rat, because rats are omnivores.

But in this diagram, it only eats seeds and nuts.

So not accurate.

Wait — maybe the question is flawed, but likely the intended answer is a) Bird, because birds are often omnivores.

But let's skip for now and come back.

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2) How many apex predators are shown on this food web?

Apex predators are at the top of the food chain — nothing eats them.

Look at who has no arrows pointing to them (i.e., no predator).

- Hawk → eaten by? No, nothing eats hawk → apex predator
- Snake → eaten by hawk → not apex
- Bird → eaten by snake → not apex
- Rabbit → eaten by snake → not apex
- Rat → eaten by mongoose and hawk → not apex
- Mongoose → eaten by hawk → not apex
- Caterpillar → eaten by bird → not apex
- Plants → producers

So only Hawk has no predator.

Is there another?

Snake is eaten by hawk → not apex.

So only one apex predator: Hawk

✔ Answer: 1

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3) List three herbivores shown on the food web.

Herbivores eat plants.

From the diagram:

- Rabbit → eats plants
- Caterpillar → eats plants
- Rat → eats seeds and nuts (which are plant parts)

So:

1) Rabbit
2) Caterpillar
3) Rat

✔ Answer:
1) Rabbit
2) Caterpillar
3) Rat

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4) What would happen to the Snake population if the Rabbit became extinct?

Snakes eat rabbits (as shown by arrow from rabbit to snake).

If rabbits go extinct, snakes lose a food source.

But snakes also eat birds.

So snakes have two food sources: rabbit and bird.

So if rabbits die out, snakes may still survive by eating birds.

But their population might decrease due to reduced food supply.

So: The snake population would likely decrease because one of its food sources (rabbit) is gone, although it might still eat birds.

✔ Answer: The snake population would likely decrease because rabbits are a food source for snakes. With fewer rabbits, snakes may struggle to find enough food, leading to a decline in their population.

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5) Where does the Hawk get its energy from?

Hawk eats snake and mongoose.

So its energy comes from the snake and mongoose.

But ultimately, all energy comes from the sun via plants.

But the direct source: from the animals it eats — snake and mongoose.

So: The hawk gets its energy from eating snakes and mongooses.

✔ Answer: The hawk gets its energy from eating snakes and mongooses.

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6) Which of the following is a food chain shown in the web above?

Check each option:

a) Plants → Bird → Snake → Hawk
- Plants → Bird? Yes, bird eats caterpillar, but caterpillar eats plants. But bird doesn't directly eat plants. So no direct link. Also, bird eats caterpillar, not plants. So this chain is invalid.

b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Hawk
- Plants → Rabbit? Yes (rabbit eats plants)
- Rabbit → Snake? Yes (arrow from rabbit to snake)
- Snake → Hawk? Yes (arrow from snake to hawk)
✔ This is a valid food chain.

c) Plants → Caterpillar → Mongoose → Hawk
- Plants → Caterpillar? Yes
- Caterpillar → Mongoose? No, mongoose eats rat, not caterpillar. Arrow from caterpillar to bird, not mongoose.
✘ Invalid

d) Plants → Caterpillar → Rat → Hawk
- Plants → Caterpillar? Yes
- Caterpillar → Rat? No, rat eats seeds/nuts, not caterpillars. No arrow.
✘ Invalid

✔ Answer: b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Hawk

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7) What would happen to the Plant population if the Caterpillar population decreased?

Caterpillars eat plants.

If caterpillars decrease, fewer plants are eaten.

So plant population would increase (due to less predation).

✔ Answer: The plant population would increase because caterpillars are herbivores that feed on plants. With fewer caterpillars, there would be less consumption of plants, allowing more plants to grow and reproduce.

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8) List the carnivores shown in this food web.

Carnivores eat animals.

From the web:

- Bird → eats caterpillar → carnivore
- Snake → eats bird and rabbit → carnivore
- Mongoose → eats rat → carnivore
- Hawk → eats snake and mongoose → carnivore
- Rat → eats seeds → herbivore
- Rabbit → eats plants → herbivore
- Caterpillar → eats plants → herbivore

So carnivores: Bird, Snake, Mongoose, Hawk

✔ Answer: Bird, Snake, Mongoose, Hawk

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Now back to Question 1.

Revisiting Question 1: Which of the following is an omnivore?

Options:
a) Bird
b) Snake
c) Mongoose
d) Rat

Now, in real life:
- Birds: Many are omnivores (e.g., robins eat worms and berries).
- Rats: Omnivores (eat plants, seeds, insects, etc.)
- Mongooses: Carnivores (eat rodents, birds, reptiles)
- Snakes: Carnivores

But in this diagram, only rat is shown eating plants, and bird is shown eating insects, but no animal is shown eating both.

But rat is shown eating seeds and nuts → only plants → herbivore.

Bird is shown eating caterpillar → animal → carnivore.

So neither is omnivore in the diagram.

But if we use real-world knowledge, rat and bird are omnivores.

But rat is shown only as herbivore here.

Bird is shown only as carnivore.

So perhaps the intended answer is d) Rat, because rats are omnivores.

But in this context, it's ambiguous.

Wait — look at the rat: it eats seeds and nuts, which are plant products → herbivore.

But could it eat animals? Not shown.

Similarly, bird eats caterpillar → carnivore.

So none are omnivores.

But the question must have an answer.

Perhaps the bird is the only one that could be omnivore.

But in this web, it's not.

Wait — maybe the answer is d) Rat, because rats are omnivores.

But that’s not based on the diagram.

Alternatively, perhaps the bird is intended to be omnivore.

But given that in the diagram, rat is the only one shown eating plants, and bird is shown eating animals, and no animal is shown eating both, then none are omnivores.

But since it's multiple choice, and the most plausible answer based on real-world biology, d) Rat is often considered omnivore.

But in this diagram, it's herbivore.

Wait — perhaps the answer is a) Bird, because birds are often omnivores.

But again, not supported.

Wait — look again at the bird: does it eat anything else?

No.

But maybe the bird is the only one that could be omnivore, so perhaps a) Bird is the intended answer.

But I think the best answer based on the diagram is none, but since it's multiple choice, and rat is shown eating plant material, and could eat animals, but not shown.

Alternatively, maybe the question is testing knowledge, not just the diagram.

In many textbooks, rats are listed as omnivores.

So d) Rat is the correct answer.

Even though in this web it's shown as herbivore, in reality, it is omnivore.

So perhaps the answer is d) Rat

✔ Answer: d) Rat

Because rats are omnivores in real life, even though in this food web they're shown consuming only plant matter.

But strictly speaking, based on the diagram, none are omnivores.

But since it's a common misconception, and rat is the best choice, d) Rat is likely the intended answer.

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✔ Final Answers:

1) d) Rat *(Note: Based on real-world biology, though in the diagram it's shown as herbivore)*
2) 1
3)
1) Rabbit
2) Caterpillar
3) Rat
4) The snake population would likely decrease because rabbits are a food source for snakes. Without rabbits, snakes may struggle to find enough food, leading to a decline in their population.
5) The hawk gets its energy from eating snakes and mongooses.
6) b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Hawk
7) The plant population would increase because caterpillars are herbivores that feed on plants. With fewer caterpillars, there would be less consumption of plants, allowing more plants to grow and reproduce.
8) Bird, Snake, Mongoose, Hawk

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