alpha predators

Food chain rulers

Alpha predators, also called apex predators, are animals at the top of their food chain—creatures that hunt but aren't hunted by other species.

Lions, great white sharks, and orcas are classic examples.

The term emphasizes dominance: Wolves are the alpha predators of Yellowstone.

In figurative use, it describes people who dominate their domain through aggression or skill.

Opposites

trophic position

alpha predatorsprey

Animal being hunted

feeding strategy

alpha predatorsscavengers

Creatures consuming dead matter

ecological dominance

Conservation category below endangered

Family