Which of the organisms is a primary consumer?

Step 1: Analyze the question We need to identify which organism is a primary consumer, meaning the first-level consumer in a food chain.

Step 2: Key concept

• Producers make their own food through photosynthesis (green plants such as cassava).
• Primary consumers are herbivores. They feed directly on producers.
• Secondary consumers are carnivores or omnivores that feed on primary consumers.
• Tertiary consumers feed on secondary consumers.

A typical food chain: Producer → Primary consumer → Secondary consumer → Tertiary consumer

Step 3: Evaluate each option

• A. Cassava: a green plant, so it is a producer, not a consumer.
• B. Grasshopper: feeds on leaves and grass, so it is a herbivore and a primary consumer.
• C. Hawk: a predatory bird that eats lizards, toads and other animals, so it is a higher-level consumer (secondary or tertiary).
• D. Lizard: eats insects such as grasshoppers, so it is a secondary consumer.
• E. Toad: eats insects, so it is a secondary consumer.

Step 4: Answer The grasshopper is the only herbivore among the options, so it is the primary consumer.

Example food chain: Cassava (producer) → Grasshopper (primary consumer) → Lizard (secondary consumer) → Hawk (tertiary consumer)

Exam tip: "Primary" means "first". The primary consumer is the first one to consume, so it eats plants directly. If an option is a plant-eater (herbivore), such as a grasshopper, goat, cow or rabbit, that is your primary consumer. Plants themselves are always producers, so never choose them for a "consumer" question.