My Puppy, My Self

Why are lions excluded from the list of mammals that hunt animals that are larger and more dangerous than themselves, and who do so by working together in a socially sophisticated manner? The animals that lions prey on, seem to correlate pretty closely to the animals that wolves & orcas prey on in regards to size and dangerousness. Each group's prey consists of large herd animals (deer, seals, wildebeast), with an occasional much larger, much more dangerous animal (wolves take moose, orcas hunt the occasional whale, lions on occasion take adult male giraffes) taken as a group and supplemented with smaller, easier to hunt animals. Am I missing something that sets lions apart from the other hunters?

Hi Courtney,

Thanks for the question. It's an important one.

It's true that lions prey on animals that are larger than they are. But as a general rule they don't prey on animals that are more dangerous than themselves.

All of the big cats -- lions included -- have far more predatory "firepower" than wolves do. They're stronger, bigger, have powerful claws with which to grab their prey and/or rip its flesh, and have much bigger teeth and more powerful jaws.

I hope this clarifies my position.

LCK

Animal behavior, biochemistry and evolution. Delicious! Love this blog.

...me too!

LCK