What is a secondary consumer?

• A. An organism that feeds on producers
• B. A decomposer
• C. An organism that feeds on detritus
• D. An organism that feeds on primary consumers

Answer: (D)

A secondary consumer is an organism that feeds on primary consumers. In a simple food chain, plants are producers, herbivores are primary consumers, and when a carnivore or omnivore eats those herbivores, it becomes a secondary consumer. This position means it gains energy by preying on organisms that have already eaten producers. Decomposers break down dead matter, detritivores feed on detritus, and producers are the ones that make energy-rich matter from sunlight, so those roles don’t describe a secondary consumer.