When animals stay together in a group it is called a herd.

A herd of animals usually

does everything together. They stay together and usually all move in the same
direction. The animals don’t plan to stay together they just do what the other members
of the group do. They stay together for various reasons:

Protection from Predators

Animals sometimes form groups to protect themselves from being eaten.
They often build homes and look out for danger together. Zebras for
example, stay in groups so they can blend in with each other if an
animal tries to eat them. Their stripes all blend together and make it hard
for a predator (the hunting animal) to identify a prey (hunted animal).

Some animals protect themselves by forming groups to discourage or

make other animals not want to attack them since they are in a
group. While a lion may try to attack one elephant if it were by itself,
it is less likely to attack a herd of elephants because it would be
outnumbered.

To Obtain Food Easily

Some animals form groups so that they can easily get food.
Predators that hunt in groups find food faster because there are
more animals hunting for prey. If the predator is smaller than the
prey it is hunting, like in the lion and elephant example above, the
lion might lose if there were only one lion versus a big elephant. If
there were five or more lions then the lions might be able to
overpower the elephant since there are so many of them.

Following the Leader

Sometimes animals are just born into groups and follow
whatever the “control animal” or leader does. Wolves for
example just grow up learning that they follow the lead
of the “alpha” wolf. The leader is usually the strongest or
biggest animal in the group.

3-LS2-1 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.
 Name:____________________ Number:____
Now that you have read about why animals form groups, let’s see how much
you remember. Read the questions below and choose the correct answer.

1. A predator is __________________. 3. What are two reasons animals form groups?

the animal hunting for protection
the animal being hunted to communicate
the biggest animal to obtain food
the smallest animal to be popular

2. A prey is __________________. 4. What is the leader of a wolf pack called?

the animal hunting the beta wolf
the animal being hunted the apple wolf
the biggest animal the alpha wolf
the smallest animal the wolfer

Based on the pictures below, choose how these animals are benefitting by living in groups.
5. 6. 7.

protection from predators protection from predators protection from predators

obtaining food easily obtaining food easily obtaining food easily
following the leader following the leader following the leader

Living in a herd is not always good. Think about it, it’s easier for one animal to hide from a
predator than it is for 50 animals. If you were a zebra, would you want to live alone or in a herd?
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