Question

unit 1 lesson 4a: life as a hunter
brainstorming:
after your hunt, what is your net gain?

	mass of prey item	total energy cost to hunt & kill (kcal)	total energy available per kill (kcal)
warthog	60 kg	-5,000	+12,000
wildebeest	265 kg	-10,000	+25,000
zebra	310 kg	-55,000	+170,000

questions | answers
what do you think was motivating the lions to behave the way they did in the video: battle at kruger? | the factor(s) that motivated the lions to behave they way they is/are:
why do organisms like lions consume things? | lions consume specific things because...
based on the data you see on the table, what do you think would be the optimal prey for lions? | based on the data from the table, the best prey for lions is ____________ because...
what prey could give lions the greatest net gain of energy? net gain means: the total increase or profit after all energy molecules/ costs, expenses, and losses have been subtracted from the total value so, net gain= amount of energy at the beginning (before hunting this prey) - the amount of energy gained from prey | the prey that would give the greatest net gain is the ____________ because....
activity:
using your kcal cash to represent the amount of energy a lioness begins her day, 15,000 kcal. she must consume for herself 13,500 kcal/day to survive and succeed in the environment. use the 15,000 kcal cash and the table above to calculate and design her meal for the day. ensure she consumes enough to make it through the day- which is 13,500 kcal.
what should she eat/hunt for? | why should she hunt for those specific prey?
what happens if she does not catch what she sets out to hunt for? | would the lioness be able to take care of herself, 2 cubs, and a lion? explain your answer.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate net - gain for each prey

Net gain = Total energy available per kill - Total energy cost to hunt & kill.
For Meerkat: $1000-3000=- 2000$ kcal.
For Warthog: $12000 - 5000=7000$ kcal.
For Wildebeest: $25000-10000 = 15000$ kcal.
For Zebra: $170000-55000=115000$ kcal.

Step2: Answer questions

What do you think was motivating the lions to behave the way they did in the video: Battle at Kruger?

The lions were motivated by the need for food (energy) to survive and reproduce.

Why do organisms like lions consume things?

Lions consume things to obtain energy and nutrients necessary for their survival, growth, and reproduction.

Based on the data you see on the table, what do you think would be the optimal prey for lions?

The zebra is the optimal prey because it has the highest net - gain of energy (115000 kcal), which means more energy is available for the lions after the hunting effort.

What prey could give lions the greatest net gain of energy?

The zebra gives the greatest net gain of energy because, as calculated above, its net gain is 115000 kcal, which is higher than the other preys.

What should she eat/hunt for?

She should hunt for a zebra.

Why should she hunt for those specific prey?

Because the zebra provides the most energy (170000 kcal available per kill) and has the highest net - gain (115000 kcal), which is sufficient to meet her daily energy requirement of 13500 kcal.

What happens if she does NOT catch what she sets out to hunt for?

If she does not catch the zebra, she may not be able to consume the 13500 kcal she needs to survive and succeed in the environment. She may become weak, and her ability to care for herself, her cubs, and the lion may be compromised.

Would the lioness be able to take care of herself, 2 cubs, and a lion?

If she catches a zebra, she should be able to take care of herself, 2 cubs, and a lion as the energy from the zebra (170000 kcal available per kill) is more than enough to meet her and their energy needs. If she fails to catch it, she may not be able to meet the energy requirements and thus may not be able to take care of them.

Answer:

• What do you think was motivating the lions to behave the way they did in the video: Battle at Kruger? The need for food (energy) to survive and reproduce.
• Why do organisms like lions consume things? To obtain energy and nutrients for survival, growth, and reproduction.
• Based on the data you see on the table, what do you think would be the optimal prey for lions? Zebra, because it has the highest net - gain of energy.
• What prey could give lions the greatest net gain of energy? Zebra, due to its high net - gain of 115000 kcal.
• What should she eat/hunt for? Zebra.
• Why should she hunt for those specific prey? Because zebra provides the most energy and has the highest net - gain to meet her daily energy requirement.
• What happens if she does NOT catch what she sets out to hunt for? She may not be able to consume the 13500 kcal she needs, becoming weak and unable to care for others.
• Would the lioness be able to take care of herself, 2 cubs, and a lion? If she catches a zebra, yes; if not, probably not.