The biological resources that animals compete for can vary from organism to organism but typically include food, water, shelter, and mates. Some animals, such as lions, need large amounts of meat to survive; other creatures, such as bees, rely on pollen and honey for sustenance.
Many animals also compete for space. In the Amazon rainforest, the jaguar, ocelot, and puma compete for prey. And the elephant seals that live on the coast of California are competing for space on the beach and in the kelp forests.
Some animals, such as the blue whale, are thought to use resources to attract mates. The largest animal on earth, the blue whale can consume more than one ton of food per day. To survive, the whale needs to find food that is abundant and nutritious enough to keep it healthy and strong.
