Food Webs 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) Skunk
d) Squirrel

✔ Answer: c) Skunk

Explanation:
An omnivore eats both plants and animals.
- Skunk: Eats seeds and nuts (plants) and also squirrels (animals).
- Squirrel: Only eats seeds and nuts → herbivore
- Bird: Eats caterpillars → carnivore
- Snake: Eats birds, rabbits, etc. → carnivore

So, skunk is the only one shown eating both plant and animal matter → omnivore.

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

✔ Answer: 2

Explanation:
Apex predators are at the top of the food web and have no natural predators.
From the diagram:
- Owl → eats skunk, squirrel, snake, bird → no one eats owl
- Snake → eats rabbit, bird, caterpillar → but owl eats snake, so not apex

Wait — snake is eaten by owl, so it's not apex.

Only owl has no predator shown.

But let’s double-check:

- Owl → no arrows pointing to it from others → apex
- Snake → eaten by owl → not apex
- Bird, Rabbit, Squirrel, Caterpillar, Skunk → all have predators

So only one apex predator: Owl

✔ Correct Answer: 1

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3) List three herbivores shown on the food web.

Herbivores eat only plants.

Looking at the diagram:
- Rabbit → eats plants ✔
- Caterpillar → eats plants ✔
- Squirrel → eats seeds and nuts (which are plant parts) ✔
- Skunk → eats seeds and nuts, but also eats squirrels → omnivore ✘

So, three herbivores:
1) Rabbit
2) Caterpillar
3) Squirrel

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

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4) What would happen to the snake population if the rabbit became extinct?

The rabbit is a prey for the snake. If rabbits go extinct:
- Snakes lose one of their food sources.
- Snake population may decrease due to lack of food.
- Some snakes might switch to other prey (like birds or caterpillars), but that depends on availability.

✔ Answer: The snake population would likely decrease because rabbits are a food source for snakes.

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5) Where does the owl get its energy from?

The owl gets energy by eating other animals:
- Owl eats: skunk, squirrel, snake, bird

These animals get their energy from lower levels (plants or other animals).

So, the owl’s energy comes indirectly from the sun, via the plants (producers), then passed up the food chain.

But directly, the owl gets energy from:
→ Animals it eats (skunk, squirrel, snake, bird)

✔ Answer: The owl gets its energy from eating skunks, squirrels, snakes, and birds.

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

Let’s evaluate each option:

a) Plants → Bird → Snake → Owl
- Birds eat caterpillars, not plants → invalid
✘

b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Owl
- Rabbit eats plants ✔
- Snake eats rabbit ✔
- Owl eats snake ✔
This chain exists in the web.
✔

c) Plants → Caterpillar → Skunk → Owl
- Caterpillar eats plants ✔
- Skunk eats squirrel, not caterpillar → no arrow from caterpillar to skunk ✘
Invalid
✘

d) Plants → Caterpillar → Squirrel → Owl
- Squirrel eats seeds/nuts, not caterpillars → no connection ✘
✘

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

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7) What would happen to the plant population if the caterpillar population decreased?

Caterpillars eat plants. So if fewer caterpillars:
- Less predation on plants
- More plants survive and grow

✔ Answer: The plant population would increase because fewer caterpillars would be eating them.

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8) List the carnivores shown in this food web.

Carnivores eat other animals.

Look at who eats animals:
- Bird → eats caterpillar ✔
- Snake → eats bird, rabbit, caterpillar ✔
- Owl → eats skunk, squirrel, snake, bird ✔
- Skunk → eats squirrel → yes! But wait: skunk also eats seeds and nuts → omnivore, not purely carnivore
- But since it eats squirrel, it is a carnivore too → technically carnivore, though omnivorous
- However, strict carnivores = animals that eat only meat

But in ecology, carnivore often includes meat-eaters, even if they eat some plants.

So list animals that eat other animals:
- Bird → eats caterpillar ✔
- Snake → eats bird, rabbit, caterpillar ✔
- Owl → eats skunk, squirrel, snake, bird ✔
- Skunk → eats squirrel ✔ (even if it eats plants too)
- Squirrel → eats seeds → herbivore ✘
- Rabbit → plant → herbivore ✘
- Caterpillar → plant → herbivore ✘

So carnivores:
- Bird
- Snake
- Owl
- Skunk

But note: Skunk is omnivore, but still considered a carnivore in many contexts because it eats animals.

✔ Answer:
Bird, Snake, Owl, Skunk

(Note: Some curricula classify "carnivore" as meat-eating animals, including omnivores that eat meat.)

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✔ Final Answers:

1) c) Skunk
2) 1 (Owl)
3)
1) Rabbit
2) Caterpillar
3) Squirrel
4) The snake population would decrease because rabbits are a food source for snakes.
5) The owl gets its energy from eating skunks, squirrels, snakes, and birds.
6) b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Owl
7) The plant population would increase because fewer caterpillars would be eating them.
8) Carnivores: Bird, Snake, Owl, Skunk

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Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!