Greetings Friends!
As a human, I'm sure you have never had to worry about getting eaten. And I'm sure that feels nice. Unfortunately, as a raccoon, I have never had the luxury of being a top predator. When I say "top predator" I am talking about an animal that is a
carnivore (or in your case an
omnivore) and at the top of a food web.
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| http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/foodweb.html |
Now, don't forget that a
food web contains multiple
food chains. A top predator is one of the scary animals at the top like a wolf or bald eagle. Or human... we can still be friends, though. I know raccoon isn't on your list of yummy animals.
So what makes a top predator so scary?
I am glad you asked! They have special things (or
adaptations) that help them achieve that rockstar status. They are great hunters. This could be because of some awesome eyesight like the bald eagle or a great sniffer like the wolf! They also have some great weapons! The birds of prey (the family of birds the eagle is in) have super sharp talons and can be really stealthy in flight. Coyotes have mastered the hunt and actually change their behavior based on the type of prey they are hunting. They will sneak up on a small mouse by themselves but take on a deer with a whole team.
I know what you are thinking... Those poor widdle prey animals! As a member of that group I appreciate your sympathy but we don't need your pity. We are pretty good at what we do, too!
I have a buddy who is an opossum. Whenever he is attacked by a predator he lays down and plays dead. And I mean really dead. Most people think of a dog trick when they hear "play dead" but the opossum is hardcore. The more accurate name for it is
apparent death. They can't wake up when he want to. It's a state of shock where they are just laying there until their body snaps out of it. Some lizards, sharks, rabbits, beetles, and stingrays also can go through
tonic immobility (another fancy name for it).
There are so many reasons why prey animals are good at staying alive. Camouflage, special hiding tricks, staying with a herd or large group but there is one amazing one I will leave you with...
Smaller animals perceive time differently than larger ones. Let that sink in for a minute. The distance of your head to the ground actually makes a difference. So as a raccoon, my little brain processes information at a faster rate than you lumbering humans. That's why flies are so hard to swat!! Even though predators may be big, small preys' brain gives them more time to react. Score one for the prey!
Until next time my friends,
Eco
