Xplor More: Predator vs. Prey

In nature, everything has to eat. Some animals, called predators, catch and eat other animals to survive. The animals they catch are called prey.

“Predator vs. Prey” is played like the classic card game, “Memory.” In this game, instead of matching cards that look alike, you match the predator with its prey.

Prepare to Play

Glue a piece of construction paper to the back of Page 19. (This way, the back of every card will look the same.) Once the glue dries, cut out the cards along the dotted lines. Keep them in a zip-top bag so you don’t lose them.

Rules

1.  This game works best with two to four players. Mix up all of the cards and then lay them in rows, face down.

2.  Decide who goes first. The first player turns over any two cards. If one of the cards is a predator and the other is the prey it eats (listed to the right), that player gets to keep the two cards and go again.

3.  If they aren’t a predator and its prey, turn the cards back over. It’s another player’s turn. Hint: Watch which cards other players turn over. You may need them to match a predator with its prey.

4.  The game ends when all the cards have been matched. The player with the most matches wins.

Predators and Prey

Most predators eat more than one thing. For this game, these predators eat ONLY the animal listed as their prey.

Coyote and Prairie vole

River otter and Crayfish

Little brown bat and Cecropia moth

Bobcat and Eastern cottontail

Great horned owl and Striped skunk

Peregrine falcon and Mourning dove

Pileated woodpecker and Carpenter ant

American robin and Earthworm

Summer tanager and Bumblebee

Western ratsnake and White-footed mouse

Black-and-yellow garden spider and Cricket

Collared lizard and Lichen grasshopper

American bullfrog and Dragonfly

Largemouth bass and Baby bluegill

Rainbow trout and Mayfly