▁In ters pec ific ▁competition ▁may ▁occur ▁when ▁individuals ▁of ▁two ▁separate ▁species ▁share ▁a ▁limit ing ▁resource ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁area . ▁If ▁the ▁resource ▁cannot ▁support ▁both ▁populations , ▁then ▁lower ed ▁f ec und ity , ▁growth , ▁or ▁surv ival ▁may ▁result ▁in ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁species . ▁In ters pec ific ▁competition ▁has ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁alter ▁populations , ▁communities ▁and ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁interact ing ▁species . ▁An ▁example ▁among ▁animals ▁could ▁be ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁che et ah s ▁and ▁l ions ; ▁since ▁both ▁species ▁feed ▁on ▁similar ▁pre y , ▁they ▁are ▁neg atively ▁impact ed ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁because ▁they ▁will ▁have ▁less ▁food , ▁however ▁they ▁still ▁persist ▁together , ▁despite ▁the ▁prediction ▁that ▁under ▁competition ▁one ▁will ▁dis place ▁the ▁other . ▁In ▁fact , ▁l ions ▁sometimes ▁ste al ▁pre y ▁items ▁killed ▁by ▁che et ah s . ▁ ▁Pot ential ▁compet itors ▁can ▁also ▁kill ▁each ▁other , ▁in ▁so - called ▁' intrag u ild ▁pred ation '. ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁southern ▁California ▁co y otes ▁often ▁kill ▁and ▁eat ▁gray ▁fo xes ▁and ▁b ob c ats , ▁all ▁three ▁car n iv ores ▁sharing ▁the ▁same ▁stable ▁pre y ▁( small ▁m amm als ). ▁ ▁An ▁example ▁among ▁proto zo a ▁involves ▁Par ame ci um ▁a ure lia ▁and ▁Par ame ci um ▁ca ud atum . ▁Russian ▁e colog ist , ▁Georg y ▁G ause , ▁studied