What limits the number of top predators in the food chain?

[strateguy632]

coyotes, dogs, jackals n wolves *ar top predators eating other animals but at top, meaning nobody eats them, so what limits their numbers in the wild? noone eats them?

[Grond21]

Food supply, habitat, and competition with other predators. Including their own species

[Likes2drive]

Lack of food and mates , plus humans killing them off sometimes

[strateguy632]

so starve to death?

[IslaTheWitch]

Predators have less youngs and they require longer time of care to reach adulthood... so females are available for mating less frequently.

They have to compete for territory and food...

[strateguy632]

dogs have 7 to 8 pups each birth n wolves etc. are same species. not 'have less young" far more than average human family 2 kids or less!

[strateguy632]

also see reply by light here.

[lightbulb27]

good question...

you'd think "coyotes" would have lots of pupps like dogs.

probably lack of food causes weak to die, car accidents.

[purplepoppy]

Territoriality. They'll often have territories covering several square miles and don't tolerate intruders.

[strateguy632]

but think of scandanavia Canada russia they could fit millions but what happens?

[normalice]

They are self limiting. They don't cultivate their food and they can't produce more children than their food can produce. So it evens out.

[jahaims]

Every animal you listed has predators that eat them

[strateguy632]

they are caled "top" for a reason. but believe whatever!

[strateguy632]

in fact the marvel film eternals 2021 included the idea of apex to make it famous!

[OtterMan68]

supply of food

[strateguy632]

but imagine the millions of coyote skeletons if they were born but died of hunger, with nobody eating them?

[Twalli]

Their prey.

[Twalli]

I also think it's harder for thrm to reproduce, or produce as many