Mesopredator

Okay kiddo, so imagine you are outside playing with your friends and you see a little animal like a squirrel or rabbit. Well, that animal is usually called a prey because other animals sometimes eat them.

But sometimes there are animals that are in between being a prey and a predator, meaning they sometimes eat smaller animals but they also get hunted by bigger animals. These animals are called mesopredators.

Think of them like the middle child in a family, not as big as the oldest but not as small as the youngest. They have to learn to survive and hunt for themselves, but they have to be careful not to become someone else's dinner.

Some examples of mesopredators include raccoons, coyotes, and foxes. They are important because they help control the population of smaller animals but they also have to be kept in check themselves by larger predators to avoid overpopulation.

So next time you see a cute little animal roaming around, remember that they might be a mesopredator, playing an important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.