Apex predators (Alpha-Predators, Super-Predators, and in a few cases Man-eaters) are predators that are not themselves preyed upon as a species in the wild. These animals are often at the end of long food chains, where they have a crucial role in maintaining and determining the health of ecosystems. Even if not dangerous to Man, they are formidable predators in their respective niches.
Apex predators often have a special place in human culture and they have come to represent aspects of nature that humans find important and often appear in heraldry. The eagle was the symbol of the Roman Empire and is the animal symbol of the United States of America; a lion has so served ancient Assyria and modern Great Britain; bears have symbolized Russia for centuries despite revolutionary changes. Some, such as tigers and lions are hunted by humans for trophies or used in Chinese medicine. Almost paradoxically, two apex predators are often human companions; (dogs and cats exist mostly as pets; the talents that these two creatures show as hunters are either useful in their own right or make them adept at assessing human behavior. Humans qualify in their own right as apex predators.
Even the most efficient of these creatures (Man excepted) have difficult ecological niches to fill; any loss of abilities makes them vulnerable to other predators, even of their own species, and starvation. Disappearance of their usual prey often lead to their demise as populations. Such toxic substances in the food chain as DDT and mercury often concentrate in apex predators to the detriment of reproduction to an extent impossible in creatures lower in the food chain.
The taxonomy of apex predators:
- Kingdom Monera
- Phylum Schizomycetes: Bacteria and Viruses
- Kingdom Plantae
- Phylum: Carnivorous plants
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Cnidaria
- Phylum Arthropoda
- Class Insectae: Insects
- Order Hymenoptera: Bees, Wasps, Sawflies, and Ants
- Family Formicidae: Ants
- Order Mantodea: Mantises
- Order Hymenoptera: Bees, Wasps, Sawflies, and Ants
- Class Arachnida
- Order Aranae: Spiders
- Order Scorpiones: Scorpions
- Class Insectae: Insects
- Phylum Mollusca
- Class Cephalopoda
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Chondrichthyes
- Order Lamniformes: Sharks
- Class Actinopterygii
- Order Characidae: Piranhas
- Class Reptilia
- Order Squamata: Lizards and Snakes
- Family Boidae: Pythons, Boas, and Anacondas
- Family Colubridae: Cobras and King Snakes
- Family Varanidae: Monitor Lizards and especially the Komodo Dragon
- Order Testudines: Turtles
- Family Chelydridae: Snapping Turtles
- Order Crocodilia: Crocodiles and Alligators
- Order Squamata: Lizards and Snakes
- Class Aves
- Order Falconiformes: Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, Ospreys, Kites, Secretary birds
- Order Strigiformes: Owls
- Class Mammalia
- Order Carnivora: Carnivores
- Family Felidae: Cats
- Family Canidae: Wolves, Dogs, Foxes and Coyotes
- Family Hyaenidae: Hyenas
- Family Ursidae: Bears
- Family Mustelidae: Badgers, Wolverines, Mongooses and Otters
- Order Pinnipedia: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses
- Family Phocidae: Walruses and the Leopard Seal
- Order Cetacea: Whales
- Family Physeteridae: Sperm Whales
- Family Delphinidae: Dolphins and Orcas
- Order Primata: Lemurs, Monkeys, Apes
- Family Cercopithecidae: Baboons
- Family Hominidae: Humans and Chimpanzees
- Order Carnivora: Carnivores
- Class Chondrichthyes
Extinct superpredators include the dinosaurs Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex; among mammals the sabertooth cats, and the marsupial Thylacine, the last known specimen of which died in 1939.