A heron, a large wading bird, is hunting in a pond that contains three types of prey: fish, frogs, and snakes. All three types of prey are abundant and provide the same amount of energy to the heron. The heron has the highest handling time capturing fish, an intermediate handling time capturing snakes, and the lowest handling time capturing frogs. What prey item would foraging theory predict that the heron should catch most frequently?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Foraging theory predicts that an animal will target prey that provides the highest net energy gain per unit of handling time. In this case, although fish provide the highest amount of energy, they also require the longest handling time. On the other hand, frogs provide the lowest amount of energy but require the shortest handling time. Therefore, the heron should catch frogs most frequently since they have the lowest handling time, followed by snakes and then fish.

A Heron, a Large Wading Bird, Is Hunting in a Pond