It is known that zoologists distinguish in the class Mammals a detachment of Predatory animals, which include living organisms that eat meat. Their body is adapted to capture live prey, its killing and digestion. However, it is also true that not only mammals can be characterized as predatory animals. Reptiles, for example, crocodiles, snakes, also eat meat. There are predatory fish, these are well-known sharks, pikes, zander, catfish. There are also birds that catch the prey, kill it and eat it.
All of the above organisms are predators, and there are a great many of them on earth. There are only three types of nutrition, and in accordance with them, animals are divided into carnivorous, herbivorous and omnivorous. It is easy to guess that the first eat meat, the second - plant food, and the third are perfectly adapted and can use both.
If we consider mammals, then the order of Predatory animals includes land and aquatic creatures. The latter include such inhabitants of the seas as seals, seals, fur seals. Terrestrial predator animals are divided into suborders Cat-shaped, Psiform. The latter include the family Kunyi, Bear, Canids and others. Association in these groups occurs by the presence of certain features of anatomy and physiology.
In general, predator animals are characterized by certain signs of the structure of the body, which help them hunt, catch and kill prey. These include: limbs with 4 or 5 fingers with pronounced claws, a small rounded skull, well-developed organs of vision, smell and hearing, vibrissae, a differentiated dental system. Predators' teeth include incisors to tear off pieces of food, fangs to hold and kill the prey, molars and premolars for grinding food. Predatory animals have a flexible body, adapted for jumping, running, throwing. The speed of their movement and reaction is usually high.
The digestive system of such creatures is intended for the digestion of meat food: high acidity of the gastric juice, and the stomach itself is roomy and tensile. But their intestines are relatively small, the cecum is small or completely absent.
Why do we need such animals
From the point of view of biology, they perform a very important function of regulating the number of species of living creatures that serve as food. Predators also destroy old, sick, unproductive organisms, which is an important factor in natural selection.
Africa is a country of predators
The African continent, where harsh pristine nature is preserved, is one of the richest predators due to the difficult conditions of survival. Many cat and dog species live there, such as panthers (leopards), hyenas, lions, cheetahs, jackals, hyena-like dogs, and phenes. But the list of "predatory animals of Africa" is not limited to them. Huge deadly reptiles - crocodiles - and giant poisonous snakes also live there. Among the latter are cobras, vipers and mambas. Non-toxic reptiles - pythons - also eat meat, although they kill the victim in a different way.
In the world there are more than 250 species of predatory mammals. Oddly enough, and they need protection. Due to human activities, many of them are threatened with extinction and are listed in the Red Book.
