What Is The Most Surprising Predator Prey Relationship?
OK, I see you have your hand up with an answer, but I’m going to take this one, alright? Killer whales hunt moose. Right? That’s the most surprising.
It is not terribly common, but in the Pacific Northwest, habitats of two of the more massive mammals intersect. Moose will swim to look for food or escape other predators and orcas will eat anything once, just like Jason. For more on the reasons orcas sometime eat moose, we turn now to noted naturalist publication, Forbes.
One documented incident occurred in 1992 in Alaska, when a hungry pod of four Biggs’ killer whales attacked a pair of swimming moose. They feasted on the larger of the two. The smaller one escaped the feeding frenzy, but it was wounded so badly that it was unable to keep swimming and drowned a little later.
So are killer whales, with their jerky tendencies and habit of toying with prey the bluejay of the sea? I say no. Bluejays have no redeeming qualities and orcas sink yachts for fun, anecdotally save humans from sharks, rescue trapped whales, and wash the dishes after dinner. I made up that last one, no clue if they do the dishes at not. I know for sure bluejays don’t, the bullies.
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"A single blue jay can bury 4,500 acorns during a mast year — a year in which oaks produce more acorns than normal. But, Doug [Tallamy] says, blue jays only remember where they buried one in four acorns. That means they plant 3,300 new trees in a mast year." And they travel up to a mile with their scatter-hoarding often depositing them in shrubby early-successional habitat (link)
and yes, Orcas/Moose, barring other entries, wins - great post
This is another bad thing about bluejays right? I'm counting it as another bad thing.
Blue Jays are great. It's the mocking birds that suck. I swear the one outside my window clears its stupid throat (cough cough...) before going "CAH CAH COoO COO wee ooo weeooo tweet tweet tweet tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet arf arf arf meow meow meow CAW CAW CAW" All. Morning. Long.
I've thrown pennies at that MF. Yeah, I did that....
Aaron, you are very funny.
I will never not be horrified by the fact that deer occasionally eat birds.
Spiders eat birds too sometimes.
When you get down to it, all species are opportunistic omnivores. It is my theory that all species, given the opportunity, will consume pizza.
ooo, birds, that's right - there is also the praying mantis hummingbird brain eaters (and every animal, squirrel, crow, etc. that eats baby birds)
"just like Jason" *snicker*
Another absolutely perfect post by my favorite Fake Kottke. 🙌
Some orcas have started wearing dead salmon on their heads. Something other orcas were doing 40 years ago.
Surely this is main page worthy.
There's so much formatting involved!
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