In a food web, a secondary consumer is typically an organism that eats primary consumers (herbivores), while a tertiary consumer is an organism that eats secondary consumers.
Looking at the options provided:
- A rabbit is usually a primary consumer, as it eats grass (producers).
- A fox is typically a tertiary consumer, as it often eats secondary consumers such as rabbits or shrews.
- A grasshopper is also a primary consumer, as it feeds on plants.
- A shrew can be a secondary consumer, as it may eat insects like grasshoppers.
Based on this, the fox is the organism that serves as a tertiary consumer, while the shrew can act as a secondary consumer. However, the only organism that can be both a secondary and tertiary consumer in different contexts is the fox, since it can also consume secondary consumers depending on the ecosystem and available food sources.
If the question is asking for an organism present in multiple roles in the food web, shrew would fit as it consumes insects (secondary) but can also be preyed on by larger animals like the fox (tertiary). If you were to select the most common organism fulfilling both roles directly, you would refer to shrew.
In conclusion, the most suitable answer for an organism that can act as both a secondary and tertiary consumer depending on its role in the food web is the shrew.
1 answer