mesopredator

plural mesopredators

1. biologyA medium-sized predator which often increases in abundance when larger predators are eliminated.

   Raccoons, skunks, snakes, cats, and foxes are mesopredators.

   1 more example

   Large predators are equally important as keystone species; their removal can allow predators in the next size class down to proliferate. This phenomenon, known as meso-predator release, can have a huge impact on ecosystems.

   2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 227