Hint: A carnivore is an animal whose food and energy needs are derived entirely from animal products (primarily muscle, fat, and other soft tissues), either through hunting or scavenging. Animals that depend entirely on animal meat for their nutritional needs are called hypercarnivores or obligate carnivores, and those that also eat non-animal food are called meso carnivores or facultative carnivores.
Complete answer:
The top carnivores or apex predators, also known as alpha predators, are predators at the top of the food chain and have no natural enemies. Top predators are generally defined in terms of trophic dynamics, which means that they occupy the highest trophic levels. The food chain on land is usually much shorter and is often limited to secondary consumers.
Examples of top carnivores include lion, tiger and hawk.
Top predators affect the population dynamics of prey and other predators in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Predators that exert top-down control of creatures in their communities are generally considered keystone species. Humans are not considered top predators because their diets are often diverse, although human nutrition levels increase with the consumption of meat.
Top predators can have profound effects on the ecosystem, such as controlling prey density and limiting the consequences of smaller predators, and they may be able to self-regulate. Because top predators have a powerful influence on other predators, herbivores and plants, they are important in nature conservation.
Note:
Humans have hunted and killed many top predators that are endangered, but in some parts of the world, these predators are now making a comeback. They are increasingly threatened by climate change. For example, polar bears need large areas of sea ice to hunt their prey, usually seals, but climate change is reducing Arctic Sea ice, forcing polar bears to fast on land for longer and longer periods of time.
