Apex predators (also alpha predators or superpredators) are predators that are not preyed upon in the wild. These species are often at the end of long food chains, where they have a crucial role in maintaining and determining the health of ecosystems. Even those not dangerous to humans (for example, owls) 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. A hawk appears on the national symbol of Egypt. The eagle is the animal symbol of several European countries (such as Austria, Germany, Poland, Serbia and Russia), Mexico, and the United States of America; a lion has so served ancient Assyria and modern Great Britain, Bulgaria, Flanders and the Netherlands. Tigers represent Korea, Bangladesh, and India. Bears symbolize Russia. Some, such as tigers and lions, are hunted by humans for trophies or used in Chinese medicine.

Humans are themselves superpredators, and under some conditions, so are dogs, particularly if large, in packs, attack-trained, or fight-trained. Damage that dogs do to wildlife and livestock qualifies at least the large or pack-organized gangs as superpredators. The mutualistic human-dog collaboration in herding and hunting makes them rivals of the big cats in effectiveness.

Due to their placement atop the food chain, many (but not all) apex predators are also keystone predators. For instance, the Great White Shark is an apex predator, but it is not a keystone predator: it has not been demonstrated to regulate prey species within the ecosystem. The gray wolf, on the other hand, is both an apex predator and a keystone predator, as it keeps populations of deer (or caribou), hares, and beavers in control.

Image:Tiger_Bandavgarh.jpg|Tigers are superpredators. Image:Peeking_Orca.jpg|Orcas are aquatic superpredators. Image:Polar Bear.jpg|Polar bears are the largest bear species in the world. Image:Reticulated_Python_01.jpg|Large snakes, such as the Green Anaconda and Reticulated Python are deadly superpredators. Image:Serengeti_Lion_Running.jpg|Lions are superpredators that operate in groups called prides. Image:Large_white_shark.jpg|The Great White Shark is another example of a superpredator. Image:Grey Wolf 3.jpg|Wolves are superpredators because they are efficient and cooperative hunters. Image:GoldenEagle1.jpg|Eagles are formidable superpredators. The eagle pictured is a Golden Eagle.

External links

• "Super-predator is regular visitor," The Guardian, June 2, 2005
• "Man-eating lions not aberrant, experts say," National Geographic News, January 4, 2004
• "Making the Case for Man-Eaters," National Geographic Today, October 9, 2003
• "Native Carnivores in the Southern Rockies

Ecology