Am I the only one who noticed…

food-chain
(Tim Cee) #1

Mammals with bulky torsos tend to be on the menu for mammals with a more lithely physique?Let’s say dogs vs deer, for example. Or cats vs hares.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

Carnivores do often prey on herbivores, yes. Though some herbivores, such as gorillas, don’t tend to get eaten by carnivores, for some reason, so this is not a universal observation.

And herbivores have bulkier frames because they need much longer digestive tracts in order to extract maximum value from their low-quality diet. Whereas carnivores need to be lithe and strong in order to run down their prey.

(Robin) #3

Another reason I’m glad I lost all the weight. I could have been stalked, pounced upon and eaten by my dog.

(Tim Cee) #4

And herbivores tend to eat constantly while carnivores tend to have periods of extended activity between meals. Talking about mammals in general and of course there are exceptions.

(Tim Cee) #5

Exactly! I don’t want my big mastiff mutt confusing me for food. But given the common distinction, it just seems like maybe there’s a reason why Americans look more like bears than jaguars. It’s probably because we’re following the wrong animal guide.

(Bob M) #6

Ah, have you seen a male gorilla? :wink:

I wonder if where they live does not have many predators? Or because they are in a group, they are less likely to be attacked? Or maybe it’s easier to get food elsewhere?

I have seen carnivores go after carnivores though.

#7

predators have big strong muscles, needed to over power prey.

prey have to be strong obviously but speed is life for them mostly or size, like a moose will turn and fight easily with a wolf while a deer is gonna run full speed away :slight_smile:

big herbivores get taken down alot, usually packs of predators can handle that issue.

Meat eaters rule! There is bulky and muscle strength and then there is bulky thru pure fat deposits on the body. So those carnivores while some might seem bulky, that is pure power under that hide. Most animals, regardless of what they are, are kinda hiding alot of power. Even a python, seems like a simple critter ya know, just a rope, but put one in your hands and feel that squeeze of those muscles and power and ya think, WOW that sucker is extremely strong.

(Tim Cee) #8

And as has been mentioned, herbivores have a big gut so they can digest huge amounts of poor quality food continually. Humans digesting huge amounts of food continuously adopt the shape but not in a healthy way. When I was a child I had the impression that black bears are apex predators just under the grizzly. In a way they are, but they eat a very high percentage of plants in their diet. The bears around here always have fiber in their scat on a level that would surely make a human sick. I’ve seen them grazing on the seeds of grasses and weeds. Compare that to the wolf who seems to be most like us in their digestive attributes. There is a muscular animal with the ability to eat a limited amount of plants, work hard on an empty stomach, and work as a team to overpower and harvest almost any other mammal. So their behavior is like ours too. Our family got our first puppy recently. I’m amazed at how much a puppy resembles a child in its behavior. Just looking at this observationally, we would be classified as canines if we were classified on behavior instead of shape. Thinking of ourselves as apes promotes the confusion about our rightful place in the food chain.

(Tim Cee) #9

A moose will lose to a wolf pack. Wolves are like us. They develop an understanding of their food’s behavior and work as a team to outwit their dinner. For example, a wolf pack will harass a moose and wear it down inciting panic. As long as the moose stands his ground or can quickly get into deep water, he has a chance. But when he panics and tries to run, he turns his unprotected regions to their reach and the pack will kill him.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #10

It is clear that our hominin ancestors’ diet changed, for whatever reason, from leaves and berries to meat, allowing our intestines to shrink and our brains to grow. As you say, thinking of ourselves as apes promotes confusion.

#11

agree. a pack is a killer pack for sure.

a moose against 1 lone wolf. well that moose can easily win for sure.

or ya got prey like yaks and more that circle the young…even a pack against a circle of giant thick wooled yaks with that butting hard head and skull are taking their lives into their hands trying to take them suckers down LOL

predators are very respectful of when and what they go after, cause alot of prey can cause serious hard to a predator.

it is very interesting out there in ‘true wild’ for sure

then ya got gators. Crocs. They wait at the shallows for big prey like Wildebeast to drink and bam, grab a leg and down those suckers go for a good meal. Who would think a low lying predator with almost no speed in truth can take down a big fast prey animal…sabotage and more works well out there in real nature for sure. I do find it very fascinating.

Survival techniques and more are very plentiful on predator and prey sides. Has to be that way :slight_smile: but it boils down to eat or be eaten in the end of it all LOL

#12

And there are the not powerful predators… The cheetah sacrificed a lot to be temporarily very quick. It can’t even save its prey from other predators and many prey animal can seriously hurt it.
Things get interesting when animals are strangely unbalanced, they may have some unusual great killer moves while being vulnerable to many other groups…

#13

very true S

I don’t find it unbalanced kinda in that Mother Nature made it that way so? is it unbalanced, well by human standards yes I guess they are.

But many predators are small and never strong, yet they have venom like snakes. One drop take down an elephant from some snakes so, yea it is never all about strength for sure just like you mentioned, it is all about ‘what they got’ to take another down for sure or what their own vulnerability is out there in nature…nature in truth is really freaky LOL :slight_smile: