Ecology
10) Spider tarantula
Tarantulas are one of the most frightening living creatures in the world, and for good reason. These creatures are not only impressive in size, but are very skilled and silent hunters, so not a single small animal can escape from their tenacious paws.
The spider knows a lot about hunting and knows how to wait. He patiently waits for his unfortunate victim, and as soon as she is in his field of reach, he quickly pounces on her without warning, leaving no chance for survival.
The body of the tarantula reaches up to 13 centimeters in diameter, and the span of the paws can be up to 30 centimeters. They very quickly immobilize the prey by squeezing it with their poisonous teeth, then douse the victim with a shower of their gastric juice and greedily eat the delicacy.
9) Black Mamba
Most frightening animals live in Africa, including the black mamba, a giant poisonous snake, which can be found in the southeastern part of the continent. She got her name from her black skin. inside mouth, which she opens before hitting the victim.
These reptiles are usually rather timid, but if disturbed, they can be extremely aggressive. If they do attack, they try to hit their prey multiple times by injecting their lethal venom, which consists of a neurotoxin and a cardiotoxin. In the past, the bite of the black mamba was fatal in all cases. Today, deaths are much less common, thanks to the fact that people have found an antidote that is used wherever they might encounter a black mamba.
8) Piranha fish
Among all the fish in the world, piranha has a very bad reputation, except for a few more marine predators. Just one look at sharp teeth and the powerful jaws of the piranha will give you goosebumps. Known around the world for its aggressive predatory behavior, the piranha lives in fresh water reservoirs South America.
The fish usually feed at dawn or dusk, swarming in the water in anticipation of small animals that may be nearby. Once creature in the water, the fish strike without warning and devour the victim with a ferocity that is unusual for any inhabitant of fresh water. In some cases, fish can form hunting groups and attack much larger prey, including horses, capybaras, and even humans. It is clear that it is better not to swim in such reservoirs.
7) Wolf
Most of the most dangerous predators are loners, preferring to rely only on their own strength in order to get their own food. But as far as ordinary wolves, then the success of their hunt depends on the overall efforts of the pack.
The hunting of wolves begins with the fact that the members of the pack begin to pursue the prey, which is forced to flee. The dominant male is hunting, and the dominant female is somewhere nearby. As soon as the victim accidentally stumbles and falls, the pack immediately surrounds it and kills it.
6) Komodo dragon
The largest of all lizards komodo dragon – big reptile, which can weigh about 150 kilograms and reach a length of more than 3 meters. This predator has a lot of advantages that it uses in hunting: speed, strength and the ability to fill up a prey twice its size. The bite of monitor lizards is toxic, so if the victim manages to escape from the mouth of a predator, her age is short.
The Komodo dragon prefers to ambush its prey, but if necessary, it can run fast and swim well. What's more, their incredible hunting abilities were developed through their impressive ability to consume meat. At one time, the monitor lizard eats game, only half its size in weight.
5) Crocodile
There is nothing more terrible than a predator that quietly waits for prey under water, merging with environment, silently watching the victim, waiting for the right moment to attack. This is how a crocodile, a very secretive and bloodthirsty predator, hunts.
With the help of powerful jaws and sharp teeth, crocodiles catch a huge variety of animals. Some types, for example, Nile crocodile, can overwhelm even very large prey: a zebra or a buffalo. Usually, the crocodile waits motionless at the surface of the water until the animal comes to drink. Suddenly, he attacks, grabs with tenacious teeth and drags the poor victim under the water. Then, with force, he begins to rotate his head from side to side until he bites off a piece of meat.
4) Killer whale
English name for killer whale Killer Whale translates as "Killer whale", from which it is clear that this animal is a rather dangerous predator, which combines impeccable possession of the secrets of hunting and impressive physical strength. Killer whales know a number of skillful hunting techniques, which is why they have the richest diet of all marine predators. For example, they love seals and penguins, which they grab underwater.
There are also cases when, in pursuit of fur seals, killer whales could even wash ashore. Being social animals, killer whales prefer to live in the backwater with dozens of relatives, hunting in a group. Some of them even manage to catch and eat other dangerous predators, such as white sharks.
3) Grizzly bear
The grizzly bear, also known as the brown bear, is one of the most dangerous animals in North America. A ferocious predator can rise on its hind legs and reach a height of up to 2 meters with a weight of 400 kilograms! Powerful paws and huge jaws of a bear can kill a person. The bear has the ability to feed on a variety of animals, including large mammals. Grizzlies swim very well and run fast.
If you come face to face with this predator in wild nature- trouble cannot be avoided, but it is best to stand up to your full height and not allow the beast to run. Animals can reach speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour, and if you try to flee, you can provoke the hunting instinct of the beast.
2) Leo
The animal, known to everyone as the "king of beasts", received this nickname quite deservedly. Lions prey on some of the largest animals: buffalo and wildebeest. Part of the success of lion hunting is due to their ability to work together. Lions live in social groups called prides, all members of which take part in the hunt.
Young lions learn to take their place in the pride with early childhood. They are played with hunting to develop skills that will be useful to them for adult life and which will help determine what role they would best play. Lions do not always hunt successfully, they are more often pursued by failures, but given the size of the prey and its strength, we can say that lions are excellent hunters.
1) White shark
Any living creature that has the misfortune of being spotted by a shark has little chance of survival. This fish is the number 1 predator, as it has the most remarkable hunting abilities. Thanks to its streamlined body shape and powerful jaws, the white shark has great advantages as a hunter: it moves very quickly and makes agile maneuvers, and can jump out of the water, hitting the prey.
The white shark has many rows of sharp teeth. If a shark loses at least one tooth, a new one, no less sharp, will grow in its place in the very near future. In fact, up to 50,000 teeth can replace each other in a shark's lifetime!
White sharks usually start their attack with one test bite. Then the shark waits until the victim is weakened due to the wound, then attacks again and already begins to eat it. This technique allows the predator to feed without any danger to itself, since at first the prey simply does not have time to strike back, and then simply does not have the strength to do so.
Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything here. Everything somehow spun, spun, so the hands did not reach. But, it's time to fix it. And so, I have prepared a small (but colorful) post, which presents the Fifteen Largest Predators that have ever lived or still live on our planet.
15. DEINOSUCH
15.Deinosuchus (Deinosuchus rugosus) is the largest representative of the crocodile squad ever found. Lived 80 - 73 million years ago. Length - 12 meters, weight - 10 tons. Huge leather suitcase, with a very bad temper.
14. tyrannosaurus
14. tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrannosaurus rex
) - well, many people know this owner of the strongest bite in nature, he has long been an object mass culture and more than once acted as the hero of books, films and games. But in reality we have a 1.5-meter skull with 15-centimeter teeth and the strongest muscles capable of compressing the jaws with a force of 8 to 13 thousand newtons. But the dimensions let us down: 13 meters in length, 8 tons in weight. He lived at the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago.
13. COLOSSAL SQUID
13. colossal squid
(Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). The first representative of the marine fauna, to which we will turn again and again today. This fellow is often confused with giant squid
(Architeuthis dux), but since the height and weight parameters of the latter are not so simple, scientists still have not been able to decide which of the cephalopods will take the lead. In the meantime, the majority is on the side of the first and therefore he was included in this list. This monster still lives quietly in the depths of the southern regions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, where it sometimes grows up to 14 meters and weighs half a ton.
12. ELASMOSAUR
12. Elasmosaurus (Elasmosaurus platyrus). Representative of the Elasmosaurus family - marine reptiles characterized by a very long neck. He lived from 85 to 65 million years ago. With a length of 14 meters (60% of which is the neck) and a mass of 2.2 tons, this one was still not the longest of them.
11. carcharodontosaurus
11. Carcharodontosaurus (Carcharodontosaurus saharicus). Large carnivorous dinosaur North Africa. Once the discovery of its fossil teeth shook the throne of the "great" tyrannosaurus rex, but now it is not among the ten most-most. Unlike the T-rex, he was more elegantly built, did not have such a massive skull and such small front paws. He lived 100 - 93 million years ago. In length reached 14 meters, weighed 7.5 tons.
10. GIGANOTOSAUR
10. Giganotosaurus (Giganotosaurus carolinii). The top ten is opened by the one who finally "knocked out the throne" from under the t-rex, undermining its authority as the largest predatory dinosaur. This Argentine predator, close relative Carcharodontosaurus, but still somewhat longer and heavier, lived 95 million years ago and was 14.2 meters long and 8 tons in weight.
9. TITANOBOA
9. Titanoboa (Titanoboa cerrejonensis). Comrade Exupery reproached people that they did not see a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant in a hat sketch, to which they answered that such snakes did not exist. So, there were snakes. From 60 to 58 million years ago, a snake lived on the territory of modern Colombia, the size of which made it possible to kill and swallow Indian elephant(True, elephants had not yet appeared at that time). This reptile was 15 meters long and weighed 1.2 tons. Here, it was certainly difficult to warm such a chest.
8. PREDATOR X
8. Predator X (Pliosaurus funkei). Until recently, this representative of the family of pliosaurs - ancient marine reptiles, distinguished by a short, powerful neck and long jaws, did not have a specific name, but not so long ago its description was completed and it found its place in the taxonomy of the ancient marine fauna. Having huge four-meter jaws set with pointed teeth, he could rightfully be considered a real Leviathan of the Jurassic Seas (approximately 147 million years ago). It was up to 15 meters long and weighed 45 tons.
OUT OF CATEGORY
Quetzalcoatl (Quetzalcoatlus northropi). The laws of aerodynamics dictate their own rules, so flying creatures are very limited in their height and weight parameters, but still giants were found among them. This "winged serpent", although it had a light structure, was 8.2 meters in length, 15-meter wingspan and 250 kg in weight. He lived 68-65 million years ago and is rightfully considered the largest flying predatory animal that has ever lived.
7. MOSASAUR
7. Mosasaurus (Mosasaurus hoffmannii). This representative of the Scaly order, close relatives of modern monitor lizards, was also not the largest in his family, but still remained a formidable marine predator of that time. He lived from 70 to 65 million years ago, reached a length of 16 meters, with a mass of 17 tons.
6. TYLOSAUR
6. Tylosaurus (Tylosaurus proriger) - and here is just the largest representative of the Mosasaurus family. From an evolutionary point of view, this family was definitely a success and forced many former types of sea lizards to make room. Mesozoic era, but the global extinction did not allow them to be fully realized. Tylosaurus was 17.5 meters long and about 17.5 tons in weight. He lived 85 - 80 million years ago.
5. BASILOSAUR
5. Basilosaurus (Basilosaurus cetoides) - convergence in nature most interesting phenomenon, which more than once misled scientists, and in this case they gave the whale (mammal) a name more suitable for some kind of dinosaur or lizard. But, since changing the nomenclature in systematics is a tedious business, our participant from among the ancient cetaceans had to flaunt under the name of a lizard. Basilosaurs inhabited the seas in the Eocene 45-36 million years ago, which then occupied the territory of the modern Sahara. In length, they reached 18 meters, weighed up to 6 tons.
4. Spinosaurus
4. Spinosaurus (Spinosaurus aegyptiacus). Let's leave the water element for a while to get acquainted with the largest land predator in the history of the Earth. This carnivorous dinosaur from Northeast Africa this moment is the absolute leader among all known carnivores. It had some very good adaptations, such as a sail on its back, an elongated crocodile-like snout, and large, hooked claws on its front paws, which allowed it to take on the role of Supreme Superpredator in its habitat. The debut of this monster in the film "Park Jurassic- 3" gave him the love of many fans and it is possible that soon the tyrannosaurus will have to share the glory. He lived from 100 to 93 million years ago. It was up to 18 meters long and weighed 9 tons.
3. MEGALODON
3. Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon). Let's go back under water again, the Earth is the planet of the oceans, 3/4 of its surface is covered with water, this, coupled with the features of the hydrodynamics of this liquid and the huge bioresource base of the World Ocean, makes it the place where the largest animals of the planet lived and live. And the shark opens the top three. The truth is not simple, but the size of a house, or rather, a submarine. Megalodon really didn't differ in anything other than size, but it was really impressive - 18 meters in length and 70 tons in weight. And he lived relatively recently 25 - 1.5 million years ago.
2. MAUISAUR
2. Mauisaurus (Mauisaurus haasti) is another representative of the elasmosaurus family in our ranking. This comrade, although not a heavyweight, gets "silver" as the Longest of all. Plus, he gets the title "Animal with the longest neck", which of course is indisputable. This "lanky" lived 65 million years ago, reached a length of 20 meters, and weighed approximately 2.5 tons. Willy-nilly, the legends of Sea Serpents are recalled.
OUT OF CATEGORY
β-hemolytic Pyogenic serogroup A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes, Group A β-hemolytic). Before introducing the largest carnivore, it is worth remembering those who are at the other end of the list. The smallest carnivorous creature on the planet is so small that it is simply impossible to see it without special instruments and coloring methods. But, nevertheless, it is still very dangerous for humans too. It's about about a variety of Streptococcus capable of causing a severe form of purulent infection called Necrotizing Fasciitis.
1. SPERM WHALE
1. Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Known to all of us since childhood, a representative of the suborder of Toothed whales, is currently recognized as the Largest Predator on our planet. And this is not surprising, since the most perfect (in evolutionary terms) organisms on the planet - mammals, simply could not help occupying this niche. In length, an adult male can reach more than 20.5 meters, with a weight of 57 tons. Unfortunately, the years of carnage, which was arranged for him by a smaller, but more cruel and insidious predator from the order of primates, almost led him to complete extinction, and now such large individuals probably no longer occur. It's a pity.
Take care of nature - there is a lot of beauty in it.
All good.
Nature simply forces some creatures to hunt others. At the same time, some predators are noticeably more ferocious than others. It even comes to the point that even humans are afraid of these animals. We do not go far into the forest, fearing wolves, we are frightened by shots with bloodthirsty sharks. We will tell below about the most ferocious predators created by such nature not at all to intimidate a person, but to ensure their own life.
Spider tarantula. We are afraid of spiders and for good reason. So, tarantulas are one of the most dangerous creatures in the world. These spiders also have an impressive size. The diameter of the body of a predator reaches 13 centimeters in diameter, and the span of the paws can reach 30 centimeters. Tarantulas are famous for being skilled and silent hunters. If prey falls into their tenacious paws, then it simply has no chance to escape from there. This spider loves and knows how to hunt, it is common for him to wait for his prey. The tarantula endures for a long time, but as soon as the prey is within its reach, it rushes at it without the slightest warning. A quick attack leaves the victim no chance of salvation. The spider squeezes its prey with its poisonous teeth, immobilizing it. Then the food is poured abundantly with the pancreatic juice of the tarantula and greedily eaten by it.
Black Mamba. Most of the most dangerous creatures live in Africa. Among them stands out a huge poisonous black mamba snake. It can be found in the southeastern part of the mainland. The name of the snake comes from the black color of its skin inside the mouth, which opens wide before the deadly bite of the victim. Despite their formidable reputation, in nature, these creatures behave quite timidly. Their aggression is awakened if these snakes are disturbed. Attacking its prey, the black mamba tries to hit it several times. The animal's deadly venom consists of a cardiotoxin and a neurotoxin. Until recently, every bite of a person by this snake became fatal. Today, fatal cases are no longer so frequent - people have come up with an antidote. It is distributed wherever there is a chance of meeting this dangerous predator.
Piranha fish. Among the fish there are those who evoke mortal horror. The most famous of them is the piranha, no other marine predator can compare with it in bloodthirstiness. Even the appearance of this fish makes you shudder - it has sharp teeth and powerful jaws. The predatory disposition of this killer of all living things is known throughout the world. And piranha is found in the fresh waters of South America. Predators usually get their food at dusk or at dawn. The water literally teems with them as they wait for small animals to go to the watering hole. As soon as the victim is in the water, the fish inflict their fatal blow. The animal is eaten with such ferocity, which is not characteristic of any other inhabitant of fresh water. Sometimes fish even unite in whole attacking flocks. They also attack large prey such as horses, capybaras and even humans. There were cases when these fish literally ate a whole bull in minutes, leaving only a skeleton from it. Therefore, in reservoirs where piranhas are found, it is better not to swim.
Wolf. And this predator is found in our latitudes. He is the most dangerous beast in the forest. Usually ferocious predators hunt alone, trying to get their own food on their own. But wolves are another matter. The success of their hunt depends on the efforts of all the flocks. This makes predators even more dangerous, because prey has to fight several killers at once. The hunt begins with several wolves chasing the prey. The dominant male leads the chase. Not far from him is the dominant female. As soon as the victim accidentally stumbles and falls, a hungry flock immediately pounces on it. Sharp teeth instantly tear the flesh, leaving the animal with practically no chance of salvation.
Komodo dragon. It is hard to believe, looking at this creature, that it is a lizard. The length of the reptile can reach 3 meters, and the monitor lizard weighs up to 150 kilograms. Nature has provided this predator with many tools suitable for hunting. The animal is fast and strong, it can kill a prey twice its size. Victory is achieved through venomous bite. That is why the victim, escaping from the arms of a predator, soon dies anyway. And the monitor lizard awaits its prey in ambush. But if circumstances so require, large lizard can run and swim. Such incredible hunting abilities came from an impressive ability to eat meat. A monitor lizard can eat prey in one sitting, only half its weight.
Crocodile. This predator prefers to remain unnoticed until the last moment. The crocodile merges with the water and quietly watches the potential prey. The toothy beast is waiting for the moment when it will be possible to attack unexpectedly. This manner of hunting is typical for this bloodthirsty and secretive predator. Crocodiles have powerful jaws and sharp teeth. This allows the predator to catch many animals. Some species can even kill very large creatures. So, the Nile crocodile killed both zebras and buffaloes. The predator is waiting for animals that come to the watering hole. Then he grabs them with his teeth and drags them under the water. There, the crocodile begins to sharply twist its head from side to side until it bites off a piece of flesh.
killer whale. In English, the name of this large creature sounds like "Killer Whale", or "killer whale". It is clear that this animal is a dangerous predator. His main trumps are impeccable mastery of the art of hunting and great physical strength. Due to the fact that the killer whale knows many methods of prey, it has the most varied diet of all predators living in the water. For example, the killer whale feeds on penguins and seals, grabbing them underwater. Cases are often reported when, in the excitement of chasing fur seals, killer whales even washed ashore. These predators are social animals, they usually live in the backwater along with a dozen of their relatives. But killer whales go hunting in a whole group. Some of these creatures are so aggressive that they sometimes catch and eat other predators, such as white sharks.
Grizzly bear. This brown bear has a second name - the grizzly bear. He leads in North America, being one of the most dangerous local creatures. A ferocious beast can stand on its hind legs. Thus, a predator weighing 400 kilograms can still reach a height of 2 meters. Grizzlies have powerful jaws and paws. These killing tools can also kill a person. Nature has made it possible for the grizzly to eat varied, and among its victims are large mammals. The danger for the victims of the bear is added by the fact that he not only runs fast, but also swims well. If a person meets a grizzly face to face, then this is fraught with disaster. It is best in such a situation to stand up to your full height and not allow the beast to start running. In pursuit, the grizzly reaches a speed of 65 kilometers per hour. If you flee from him, then this can excite the hunting instinct in the bear.
A lion. No wonder this animal is called the king of beasts. After all, the strength of a lion allows him to hunt the largest animals, such as buffalo and wildebeest. Good luck in hunting also brings the fact that lions often work together. These predators live together, their social groups are called prides. And all members of the flock take part in the hunt. From a very early age, young lions learn to take their place in the pride. Adult representatives of the pack play hunting with the young. These skills will come in handy later in adulthood. In addition, such a game allows you to identify what role a young predator can better perform in a future hunt. And lion hunts are not always successful, failures happen more often than victories. Nevertheless, it is worth considering the size of predators, their strength and potential prey. All this suggests that lions are one of the most dangerous animals in nature.
White shark. This creature is the real master of the sea. If the sharks chose someone as their victim, then the living creature has practically no chance of escaping. Certainly this big fish considered the most important natural predator. After all, she has the most remarkable abilities of a hunter. The streamlined shape of the shark's body allows it to move quickly, and powerful jaws do not leave the victim a chance. The hunter knows how to make sharp maneuvers, sharks in pursuit of the victim can even jump out of the water. Once in the mouth of a predator, the victim can no longer get out of there - she has many sharp teeth there. At the same time, having lost one of them, the shark receives from nature a new one in return, no less sharp. It is believed that a shark can have up to 50,000 teeth in its lifetime. In the process of hunting, the white shark makes a test bite of its prey. This wound should weaken the prey, while the predator is waiting at this time. Only after some time, the white shark will again attack the victim and begin to eat it. This careful technique allows the predator to feed without much danger to itself. The victim simply does not have time to respond to an unexpected blow, and then she simply does not have the strength left for it.
What predatory animals are the largest and most dangerous? Lions and tigers will probably come to most of you first, but these predators are just babies compared to the really big predators that live on our planet. So, in this post - about the largest and most dangerous predatory animals.
First of all, it is worth dividing predators by habitat. It is clear that marine predators living in the water can grow larger than their terrestrial competitors. But a clear distinction cannot be made here. For example, sharks can attack not only the inhabitants of the sea, but also completely land animals such as deer, horses and bears. On the other hand, many terrestrial predators prey on the inhabitants of the sea. Finally, there are many predators that lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, they can be found both at sea and on land.
The largest marine predators
The record holder among marine predators and in general the largest predator in the world is the sperm whale. Sperm whales are huge marine mammals from the order of cetaceans. Modern sperm whales reach 20 m in length and weigh up to 50 tons.
The sperm whale is the largest predator on Earth
Sperm whales live in all regions of the world's oceans and feed mainly on fish and cephalopods. Despite the fact that sperm whales breathe air, they can dive to a depth of 3 km, remaining under water for up to an hour and a half.
How dangerous are sperm whales? The sperm whale is the only predator that can swallow a person whole without even chewing. Nevertheless, sperm whales do not attack people first, a scuba diver can swim next to a huge sperm whale fearlessly. Unfortunately, the man himself, as soon as he mastered navigation, began to exterminate marine life, hunting including sperm whales. And the whalers showed the sperm whales that they are by no means helpless victims. They themselves responded by attacking whaling ships, ramming and even sinking them. Even for modern marine vessels, sperm whales are dangerous.
Another big, smart and efficient marine predator from the order of cetaceans is killer whale. Killer whales are not dangerous to humans and do not attack them, but many marine life is not left with a single chance.
Killer whales reach a length of 10 m and can weigh up to 8 tons. They live throughout the world's oceans and mainly hunt fish and seals. Killer whales often hunt in packs, they surround and drive the victims, pressing them to the shore or the surface of the water. Understand how killer whales dangerous predator, can be from the fact that they attack even large whales and sharks.
The most dangerous and largest predatory fish, of course, White shark. Large white sharks reach a length of 6 m and a weight of about 2 tons. The white shark is a dangerous and aggressive predator, it often attacks everything that moves, trying buoys, boards and other floating objects on its teeth. Dozens of swimmers and surfers have been attacked by great white sharks.
Over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, these dangerous predators have developed many unique adaptations. For example, sharks have a unique sense of smell, smelling blood for miles, feel the slightest temperature changes and even electromagnetic fields. Sharks are not threatened with caries - in addition to the fact that their teeth (of which there are about 300) are very strong, they grow and renew themselves throughout their lives.
The largest semi-aquatic predators
There are many animals that can stay both on land and in the sea for a long time. Among them there are large predators, the largest of which are southern sea elephants . The southern elephant seal lives in the seas southern hemisphere mainly in Antarctica.
Southern elephant seals reach a length of 6 m and weigh up to 5 tons. They hunt mainly on marine life, eating fish and squid. Despite their size, these predators are usually not dangerous to humans.
Another thing - combed crocodiles. Saltwater crocodile, also known as saltwater crocodile, is the world's largest crocodile species and a very dangerous and aggressive predator.
These crocodiles can reach a length of 7 m and weigh up to 2 tons. They are able to spend a lot of time at sea, swimming thousands of kilometers. Salted crocodiles hunt both land and sea animals, not being very discriminating. They even attack sharks and elephants.
How dangerous combed crocodiles are can be judged from an episode that occurred in February 1945. At this time, the British were trying to capture the Japanese base on an island off the coast of Burma. But for the defense of the island, the Japanese deployed a detachment of 1215 selected soldiers. Then the English proposed to lure the Japanese detachment into the mangrove swamps, where combed crocodiles lived. The plan worked brilliantly - the crocodiles attacked the Japanese, who had imprudently entered the swamp, and almost the entire detachment was soon exterminated. Only 20 soldiers managed to escape.
The largest land predators
Of the predators living on land, the largest are bears. The largest of all bears - polar bear living in the Arctic.
Polar bears reach a length of 3 m and weight up to 1000 kg. Basically, these predators prey on seals and fish. For humans, polar bears pose a moderate danger, although they usually do not attack first.
The largest species of brown bears - kodiak- lives in Alaska and is almost as large as a polar bear.
These bears are omnivorous, feeding on both plant and animal food, especially preferring fish caught in rivers during the spawning season.
Large predators, of course, sometimes attack people, but these are by no means the most dangerous among animals. Rather, the large predators themselves need protection from humans today. The scariest and most dangerous animal that you really need to be afraid of actually looks different. Here it is:
malarial mosquito has a size of only about 6 mm and weighs approximately 2 milligrams. But these dangerous insects kill many times more people than all sharks, crocodiles and others big predators, taken together. WHO estimates that these mosquitoes infect more than 300 million people with malaria every year, and more than a million of them die.
Only a cute children's cartoon shows Umka and his mother as the kindest creatures. In fact, bears are the most dangerous predators on the planet. What other animals are the most dangerous in nature?
Grizzly bears are North American relatives brown bear. They are among the 10 most aggressive and ferocious animals in the world. This is a very large and rather angry animal, whose body is covered with long and fluffy dark brown hair. A feature of the grizzly is a wide and short skull, large nose bones, small ears and a relatively small tail.
The long claws of a bear, which can reach 13 cm in length, stand out in particular. Regarding growth, it should be noted that if the animal stands on its hind legs, growth at the withers can reach 3 meters. The average weight is about half a ton. Such dimensions make the animal clumsy. At the same time, it is a pretty good swimmer. AT young age grizzlies climb trees with ease. But the older the animal, the less dexterous it is.
As a rule, grizzlies live in Alaska, western Canada, and also in the northern United States. The animal systematically attacks people. The result is usually the death of the person. The reasons for this are, first of all, the actions of the victims, as well as violations of safety rules.
The wolf is a predatory mammal. It belongs to the canine family and acts as an ancestor of the domestic dog. This animal is quite large and at the same time very dangerous. So, the length of the body can reach over one and a half meters, not taking into account the length of the tail, which, in turn, can be up to half a meter. Growth at the withers can also be impressive - a little less than 1 meter. The total weight in this case reaches almost 90 kg.
There are about 30 subspecies of wolves, which can have different sizes and shades of fur. In the past, the wolf was widespread in North America and northern Eurasia. Now the number of animals has decreased significantly. The reasons for this were the mass extermination of a dangerous animal and the growth of cities in general.
The main food of the wolf is ungulates. Sometimes wolves attack livestock and some small animals such as ground squirrels, foxes, birds, etc. Particular activity is noted in the dark. The animal has a very acute hearing and sense of smell. Vision, on the contrary, is weaker. It is quite agile, fast and strong predator. During the night, animals can travel up to 80 km. The maximum speed can reach almost 60 km / h.
If a wolf attacks a herd, as a rule, it kills several animals at once. What was not eaten remains in reserve. Sometimes an animal can attack a person. The mental development of wolves is quite high. In particular, they perfectly navigate the situation, know when danger threatens, and are good at hunting. History mentions cases of the division of the flock into 2 groups, one of which remains, as it were, in ambush, and the other drives the prey. If a pack is chasing an animal, some wolves may run on its heels, while others try to move across.
Almost any animal that a shark has spotted is doomed to die. This is a very ferocious predator, possessing the highest ability to hunt, laid down by nature. The shape of the shark's body is streamlined, which makes it easy and fast enough to move under water. And powerful jaws will not let go of the prey. As a rule, the teeth are very sharp and everything is in place. Even if a tooth falls out, a new one quickly grows. Yes, throughout life total number replacement teeth can reach 50 thousand.
First, the predator makes one trial bite. The victim is weakening. Then there is a new attack, as well as eating the victim. Thanks to this technique, nothing threatens the life of a predator.
This is a predatory mammal that belongs to the genus Panther and the cat family. The lion is in second place among cats, second only to the tiger in size. The habitat is the south of the Sahara, as well as the state of Gujarat in India.
By appearance it is easy to determine the sex of the animal due to the very pronounced sexual dimorphism. So, males are larger than females, and also have a luxurious mane, which can also cover the chest and part of the back. The mass of a lion can reach up to 2.5 centners in a male and 1.8 centners in a female. Lions have powerful paws and strong jaws. So, the length of the fangs can be up to 8 cm, thanks to which large animals can become the prey of a predator. The body length of a lion can reach 2.5 m, and females 1.75 m. At the same time, the height at the withers is 1.3 and 1.1 m, respectively.
A feature of African lions is their living not alone, but in the so-called pride - a family group. Hunting is also carried out by a group. In this case, it is necessary to get quite close to the prey, since the predator has little stamina and is able to run fast only for short distances. Thus, the lions sneak towards the herd, and when the distance becomes less than 30 meters, an attack occurs. As a rule, at first the herd is surrounded by several lionesses, and only after that the predators attack. In most cases, a fast and powerful jump occurs. If it was not possible to immediately kill the victim, the lions pursue it until it weakens from loss of blood.
If a predator preys on small animals, they can be killed with a single swipe. Hunting is usually carried out by females. Males practically do not take part in it, except when hunting large animals such as buffaloes, bison, etc.
The average life span of lions is 10-14 years. At the same time, if the animal lives in enclosures and in special areas, it can live for more than 20 years.
The killer whale is a very dangerous predator known as the killer whale. Like a predator, he knows all the secrets of perfect work. In addition, it is a very strong animal. The diet is quite wide due to the hunting techniques used. Seals and penguins captured underwater are especially popular.
In nature, there are examples of killer whales jumping ashore in the process of chasing prey. This is a social animal. Therefore, as a rule, killer whales live in groups in calm backwaters. The number of individuals can reach more than 10 pieces. Hunting is also carried out in a group. The killer whale can eat various marine predators, such as sharks, etc.
Most scary predator- this is the one that is invisible to prey when it goes straight into the mouth. A typical example is the crocodile. It is almost invisible in the water, as it merges with everything that surrounds it. This predator quietly waits for the prey until the most opportune moment for the attack comes. Thus, a crocodile can be called a hidden and very bloodthirsty predator.
Pretty sharp teeth and very powerful jaws allow the crocodile to catch a wide variety of animals. Sometimes a buffalo or a zebra can even act as prey.
When hunting, the predator hides near the water surface. When the animal comes to drink water, the prey is abruptly seized. Next, the crocodile pulls the prey into the water. With the help of sufficiently strong head movements, the predator practically pulls out a piece of meat and thereby kills the prey.
