A consumer is an animal or other organism that consumes food or obtains energy by eating other organisms. Sometimes, the organism will consume other organisms that have died already. Producers are the opposite because they gain energy and food by not feeding on other organisms. They acquire their energy through other methods. Photosynthesis usually plays a part in a producer’s way of living.
The organism is usually a plant that obtains sunlight and converts the light into energy. Not all consumers can eat any organism that they wish. Obviously, a toad could not consume a lion. It would be too big to feed off of. Therefore, there are different layers and levels of consumers. In this situation the snake is a third consumer due to the number of animals that eat other organisms on different levels.