In an ecological food chain, which type of consumers primarily feed on the flesh of herbivores?

• A. Decomposers
• B. Tertiary consumers
• C. Primary consumers
• D. Secondary consumers

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of a food chain: A food chain is a linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.
2. Identify the roles in a food chain: Producers (like plants) are at the base, followed by primary consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores that eat herbivores), tertiary consumers (carnivores that eat other carnivores), and decomposers (organisms that break down dead material).
3. Focus on the role of secondary consumers: These are organisms that primarily feed on primary consumers, which are herbivores.
4. Differentiate between the types of consumers: Primary consumers eat producers, secondary consumers eat primary consumers, and tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.
5. Conclude that secondary consumers are the ones that primarily feed on the flesh of herbivores, as they occupy the trophic level directly above primary consumers in the food chain.