Inside+the+Food+Chain

A producer is a living thing that can produce its own food. This organism does not need to consume another animal to grow and survive. Producers are found in the beginning of a food chain, or at the bottom of a food web. Plants are producers because they use the sun to produce their own food. This is called **photosynthesis**. Since plants use photosynthesis to produce their own food they can be called **autotrophs**.

Animals are not producers because they cannot make their own food. They must eat or consume other living things to get energy. These animals are called **consumers.** There are different levels of consumers. __Prey__- These are animals that are being eaten as food by other animals. __Predator__- These are the animals that hunt other animals for food. In a food chain, the lion is the predator and the zebra is the prey. This means that the lion is the carnivore and is eating the zebra which is the herbivore.
 * Herbivores- These are animals that get their energy from eating plants. They are usually the second animal in a food chain. Herbivores include deer, cows, and sheep.
 * Carnivores- Carnivores follow herbivores in the food chain. They are animals that eat other animals. Carnivores include lions, tigers, and sharks.
 * Ominvores- Omivores are animals that eat both plants and other animals. Humans are omnivores and so are animals like bears and pigs.

Take this [|Food Chain Quiz] to see how much you have learned about food chains.

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Use the food chain you used from the previous page The Food Chain and tell me which living things are producers, herbivores, and carnivores.