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Predation, Herbivory, and the Competitive Exclusion Principle
Defenses against predation and herbivory
The (a) honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos) uses thorns, a mechanical defense, against herbivores, while the (b) Florida red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) uses its shell as a mechanical defense against predators. (c) Foxglove (Digitalis sp.) uses a chemical defense: toxins produced by the plant can cause nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, convulsions, or death when consumed. (d) The North American millipede (Narceus americanus) uses both mechanical and chemical defenses: when threatened, the millipede curls into a defensive ball, producing a noxious substance that irritates eyes and skin.
Source
Boundless vets and curates high-quality, openly licensed content from around the Internet. This particular resource used the following sources:
"OpenStax College, Community Ecology. October 17, 2013."
http://cnx.org/content/m44878/latest/Figure_45_06_02abcd.jpg
OpenStax CNX
CC BY 3.0.