Question

Why do posisons collect more in carnivores than in herbivores?

Answer 1

This is biomagnification, and it means that higher-level predators (fish, birds, and mammals) build up greater and more dangerous amounts of toxic materials than animals lower on the food chain.

Answer 2

The simple answer is bioaccumulation resulting from biomagnification. Carnivores consume organisms at higher trophic levels, and thus "poisons," such as heavy metals accumulate in these organisms at levels greater than those found in plants. Moreover, such chemicals typically accumulate in the fatty tissues of carnivores, such as the nervous, lymphatic, endocrine, and reproductive systems.