Prey vs Predators
I’m back with another creature feature for writers. Today we are looking at prey vs predators. I will discuss the difference between prey and predatory animals, and how this affects their behaviours and physiology. There’s a lot of interesting biology going on here, so let’s get into it.
Predators
Predators are defined by their feeding behaviour, where they kill and eat another organism. It is different from scavenging or carrion eating, meaning they eat animals that are already dead, although many predatory animals do this as well.
There are two main types of strategy predators use to hunt their prey. Ambush predation means they lie in wait, often hidden or camouflaged and strike when the prey passes by their hiding place. Crocodiles are a great example of this, as they hide in the water, and catch animals as they stop to drink.
The other method is pursuit predation, where the predator will stalk the prey and give chase. Sometimes this is solitary, other species work as a group such as we see with wolves and hyenas. Team work makes the dream work, at least if you want to take down larger prey animals!
Predators are often opportunists, taking advantage of weakened or injured animals in a group of prey. Or seeking out younger animals that can’t spot them or evade them as quickly.
Predatory species have a huge number of different adaptations to aid them in getting their prey. I’ll cover the details in a future article. They employ sharp teeth and/or claws, speed, strength and camouflage techniques to be able to hunt. Their senses are geared towards making hunting easier as well.
Wild predatory species are used to not eating every single day and consume as much as possible at each meal to keep them going until their next catch. For this reason, many of these species are not fed every single day when kept in captivity such as zoo collections.
Prey
Prey species have two main aims in their lives. To avoid being eaten, and to reproduce enough to ensure their species continues. Prey species have a number of adaptations and tricks to keep themselves safe.
Prey animals almost always live in large groups or herds, because there’s safety in numbers. A large group means more eyes, ears and noses on alert for nearby predators. It also helps if you can run faster than another member of your group.
A lot of prey species will either hide when predators are active or flee. A lot of the larger animals like goats, deer, wildebeest, giraffes and other ungulates have speed on their side. Their offspring must be able to get up and walk within hours of birth, to ensure they can keep up with the herd.
Smaller prey species will often hide underground in burrows or warrens, where their predators may not be able to reach them. Especially if they have young, as they are more vulnerable to predation.
You may hear people touting the ‘benefits’ of eating the placenta after birth because animals do it. I’m afraid the reason for this isn’t because of any nutritional benefit. It’s because the mother wants to hide any evidence that there are newborn animals around, to protect them from predation. That’s why, so you really don’t need to eat your placenta if you don’t want to. I promise.
Why Not Both?
You might be surprised to learn that some animals are both prey and predator. I know, I know, Zootopia/Zootropolis made it clear it was one or the other. But plenty of animals are both, and this means there behaviour reflects this.
Want an example? You might well have one or two of these fuzzy little chaos gremlins yourself. Yup, I’m talking about cats. I mean, all cats are cats, but specifically I mean small cats, including Felis domesticus. Cats prey on small rodents, birds, house spiders and hair ties. But larger predators can and will hunt cats, especially if you live somewhere where there are wolves, larger cats or really big snakes.
Why does it matter? Because a lot of feline behaviour we find odd, is reflective of the dual role that cats play. If you ever wondered why your cat likes to sleep inside your sock drawer, or hide in that cardboard box… this is why. The reason a lot of cats bite if you rub their belly, is because they feel vulnerable.
The cat-nap, or cats being light sleepers is another indication. They need to be able to be alert to flee or fight at any time, especially when they are vulnerable. This can be the reason for them burying their droppings in the litter tray too.
Plenty of other species fit in to the ecosystem as both prey and predator. Seals are another example, as they eat fish but are also a common prey species for polar bears and orcas. Welcome to the real circle of life, it’s not as cute as Mufasa would have us believe. Nature is beautiful, but brutal.
Why Does This Matter?
A number of reasons. All animal behaviours are geared towards survival and reproduction. Survival meaning finding food, water and shelter. Reproduction obviously means mating, rearing offspring and the species continues to exist. Every aspect of their behaviour and physiology is designed to maximise these things.
It can help in real life, if you have behaviour problems with a pet. But as a writer, it’s also quite important if you are going to include animals in your stories, whether real world ones or magical, mythical ones. If you are creating your own, you need to figure out where they fit in to the ecosystem of your world.
Over the coming weeks I’ll discuss some of these strategies in more detail, with real world and possibly fictional examples of things that demonstrate these points. Even if you don’t believe in the Theory of Evolution (which is called that because there’s plenty of scientific evidence it is a thing, by the way), there’s no denying that each species has its role to play.
I hope you find this useful when considering the creatures to include in your world. There will always be a prey vs predators scenario somewhere in the ecosystem so it’s worth considering how to include it. For more useful tips on creatures, check out my quick tips. Subscribe for more and check back regularly as the website will be updated monthly with new information for you. I also talk about this kind of thing on my YouTube channel, focusing on gaming.
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