Predation refers to the consumption of an organism known as prey by another known as predator in which the prey is alive when the predator first attacks it time. Predation is beneficial to the predator and harmful to the prey. This is a large group that covers a wide variety of interactions and numerous types of predators. For the purposes of this essay we will focus on classifying predators based on their individual taxonomic and functional responses. When predator and prey meet, they interact with each other. Natural predators appear to regulate prey numbers. This brings us to a key question that this essay aims to answer: if the number of prey increases, can the predator quickly adapt its capture rate to take advantage of the situation? Predators called prudent predators select prey of the highest quality and will switch prey when other foods become more profitable. Prudent predators show preference for the prey they consume, in order to maximize net energy gain per unit time. An important factor in predation-prey interactions is the speed with which individual predators can capture individual prey. The response of predator consumption rate to increasing prey density is called the functional response. Probably the simplest method for classifying predators is the taxonomic classification system. Carnivores are predators that consume animals. True predators kill their prey immediately after attacking them. During their life they kill many prey. This is an approach to carnivores, for example lions, snakes, seagulls and carnivorous plants. Plankton feeding on large mammals, seed-eating rodents, and ants are also included in this classification. Grazers attack enormous n...... middle of paper ......w density of prey. Examples include snails that feed on grass. Handling time is the time spent capturing, killing, processing, eating, and digesting prey. Handling time varies with different types of prey. As prey density increases, finding prey becomes easy, yet handling it still takes the same amount of time. The consumption rate reaches a maximum determined by the maximum number of handling times that can be included in the total time. The type three functional response occurs in predators that increase their search activity with increasing prey density. Initially there is a slow increase in predation rate at low prey densities, then mortality increases with increasing prey density and then decreases. Examples include a fly that feeds on sugar. The graph shows changes in the number of prey attacked per unit of time by a single predator as the initial prey density varies..