Predators must eat to survive — and to survive, prey must avoid being eaten. One theory, the Wolf-Mangel model, suggests predators could use false attacks to tire prey out or force them to take bigger risks, but this has been hard to show in practice.
Tag: Predator
Warmer and murkier waters favour predators of guppies, study finds
Changes in water conditions interact to affect how Trinidadian guppies protect themselves from predators, scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered.
Out of the frying pan: Coyotes, bobcats move into human-inhabited areas to avoid apex predators — only to be killed by people
In Washington state, the presence of two apex predators — wolves and cougars — drives two mesopredator species — bobcats and coyotes — into areas with higher levels of human activity, with deadly results for the mesopredators.
Frogs use brains or camouflage to evade predators
Throughout evolution, prey animals have adopted a range of strategies to evade their predators. But these oftentimes elaborate strategies come at a cost.
Animals fake death for long periods to escape predators
Many animals feign death to try to escape their predators, with some individuals in prey species remaining motionless, if in danger, for extended lengths of time.