Question

During a visit to a desert ecosystem, a student observes the
following:
• A hawk eats a snake.
• A lizard eats a fly.
• A tortoise eats small patches of grass.
• A snake eats a mouse.
Based on student's observations of how each of these organisms
obtain's energy, which of the following statements is the best
conclusion?
A. The hawk is a primary consumer.
B. The grass and the desert tortoise are both primary
consumers.
C. The lizard is a tertiary consumer.
D. The lizard and the snake are secondary consumers

Answer 1

Answer: D) The lizard and the snake are secondary consumers.

Explanation:

Producers are organisms that, simply put, produce their own food. All photosynthesizing plants are considered to be producers. Animals cannot be producers.

Primary consumers eat producers.

Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.

Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers, and so on.

The lizard eats a fly, which is a primary consumer. This makes the lizard a secondary consumer.

The snake eats a mouse, which is a primary consumer. This makes the snake a secondary consumer.

A) is incorrect because the hawk is a tertiary consumer.

B) is incorrect because grass is a producer, not a consumer

C) is incorrect because the lizard is a secondary consumer

Answer 2

Answer: D. The lizard and the snake are secondary consumers .

Explanation;

Option A is not correct because the hawk is a secondary consumer.

Option B is not correct because the grass is not a primary consumer.

Option C is not correct because the lizard is a secondary consumer.

This leaves us with option D: the snake is a secondary consumer (it eats the mouse) and the lizard is a secondary consumer (it eats the fly). This, option D is the correct answer.