Predators

[littlepk]

Why do predatory animals in the wild never hunt and eat other predators? For example, a lion that has just killed a hyena or cheetah will never eat it but leave it for vultures. Have you ever seen a crocodile leap out of the water and grab a lion like how they do with wildebeast?

[B00]

Do we know for definite that a lion wont eat a hyena or cheetah?

As for your 2nd point a croc will choose a wildebeast for it's lunch over a lion as a lion will fight back twice as hard!

[cpheonix]

I always wanted to know this too, but from what I hear its because other predator meat doesnt taste too nice for them.

However I did see this nature programme years back (cant for the life of me remember what it was) where a lion broke its back on a tree so the other members of the pride pulled it down and started eating it!

[Clanad]

The reason most carnivore predators do not pursue, kill and eat other carnivore predators is that it's just to costly as relates to energy. Other such predators can fight back while the normal, usually herbivore prey are able to only flee. In fact the running away excites most carnivores and entices them, as much as any other behavior, into killing and eating them (watch your pet cat or dog's behavior around a mouse or a sheep, for example). Additionally, most carnivore predators only come into contact with each other in the vicinity of prey that one or the other has already killed. It's at these times they can fight and possibly kill the other, but they have little interest in eating them, since they already have partially eaten the aforementioned prey. By the way, hyenas, wild dogs and other such predators regularly kill and eat young lions if left unguarded...

[wildwood]

They do sometimes eat other predators . Lions regularly persue and kill feline competitors in their territory. Late last year I saw a doco where a leopard was half eaten by lions. The eating part was - I believe - more ritual than hunger. Male lions which have taken over another one's pride will persue and kill the existing cubs, and often eat one or two, again this is not due to hunger but more to get rid of another lions genes.

I believe cphoenix is onto something in that, because of their diet, predator's meat may not taste that nice. I am not going to eat the cat to find out.