Food Chain And Food Web Worksheet - Free Printable

Food Webs and Food Chains Analysis

Let's solve each question step by step based on the provided food web diagram.

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#### 1) Which of the following is an omnivore?
- Options:
a) Bird
b) Snake
c) Skunk
d) Squirrel

- Explanation:
An omnivore is an organism that eats both plants and animals.
- Bird: Eats seeds (plants) and insects (animals).
- Snake: Eats only animals (e.g., bird, rabbit).
- Skunk: Eats both plants (seeds and nuts) and animals (squirrel).
- Squirrel: Eats only plants (seeds and nuts).

- Answer:
c) Skunk

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#### 2) How many apex predators are shown on this food web?
- Explanation:
An apex predator is at the top of the food chain and has no natural predators. In the food web:
- The Owl is an apex predator because it preys on other animals (snake, skunk, bird) but is not preyed upon by any other animal in this web.
- No other animal in the web fits this description.

- Answer:
1

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#### 3) List three herbivores shown on the food web.
- Explanation:
A herbivore is an organism that eats only plants. From the food web:
- Rabbit: Eats plants.
- Caterpillar: Eats plants.
- Squirrel: Eats seeds and nuts (plants).

- Answer:
1. Rabbit
2. Caterpillar
3. Squirrel

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#### 4) What would happen to the snake population if the rabbit became extinct?
- Explanation:
The rabbit is a primary food source for the snake. If the rabbit becomes extinct:
- The snake would lose a significant food source.
- This could lead to a decrease in the snake population due to reduced food availability.
- The snake might have to rely more heavily on other prey (e.g., bird), which could also lead to increased competition for those resources.

- Answer:
The snake population would likely decrease due to the loss of a primary food source.

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#### 5) Where does the owl get its energy from?
- Explanation:
The owl is a predator that feeds on other animals in the food web. From the diagram:
- The owl preys on the snake, skunk, and bird.
- These animals, in turn, obtain their energy from plants or other animals lower in the food chain.

- Answer:
The owl gets its energy from the snake, skunk, and bird.

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#### 6) Which of the following is a food chain shown in this web?
- Options:
a) Plants → Bird → Snake → Owl
b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Owl
c) Plants → Caterpillar → Skunk → Owl
d) Plants → Caterpillar → Squirrel → Owl

- Explanation:
A food chain shows the flow of energy from one organism to another. Let's analyze each option:
- a) Plants → Bird → Snake → Owl: Correct. The bird eats plants, the snake eats the bird, and the owl eats the snake.
- b) Plants → Rabbit → Snake → Owl: Incorrect. The snake does not eat rabbits in this food web.
- c) Plants → Caterpillar → Skunk → Owl: Correct. The caterpillar eats plants, the skunk eats the caterpillar, and the owl eats the skunk.
- d) Plants → Caterpillar → Squirrel → Owl: Incorrect. The squirrel does not eat caterpillars; it eats seeds and nuts.

- Answer:
a) Plants → Bird → Snake → Owl
c) Plants → Caterpillar → Skunk → Owl

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#### 7) What would happen to the plant population if the caterpillar population decreased?
- Explanation:
The caterpillar is a herbivore that feeds on plants. If the caterpillar population decreases:
- There would be less consumption of plants.
- This could lead to an increase in the plant population due to reduced grazing pressure.

- Answer:
The plant population would likely increase.

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#### 8) List the carnivores shown in this food web.
- Explanation:
A carnivore is an organism that eats other animals. From the food web:
- Owl: Preys on snake, skunk, and bird.
- Snake: Preys on bird and rabbit.
- Skunk: Preys on squirrel.
- Bird: Preys on caterpillar.

- Answer:
1. Owl
2. Snake
3. Skunk
4. Bird

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Final Answers:

1. c) Skunk
2. 1
3.
1. Rabbit
2. Caterpillar
3. Squirrel
4. The snake population would likely decrease due to the loss of a primary food source.
5. The owl gets its energy from the snake, skunk, and bird.
6. a) Plants → Bird → Snake → Owl
c) Plants → Caterpillar → Skunk → Owl
7. The plant population would likely increase.
8.
1. Owl
2. Snake
3. Skunk
4. Bird

Final Boxed Answers:
1. \boxed{c)}
2. \boxed{1}
3.
1. Rabbit
2. Caterpillar
3. Squirrel
4. \boxed{\text{The snake population would likely decrease due to the loss of a primary food source.}}
5. \boxed{\text{The owl gets its energy from the snake, skunk, and bird.}}
6. \boxed{a, c}
7. \boxed{\text{The plant population would likely increase.}}
8.
1. Owl
2. Snake
3. Skunk
4. Bird