Spiders, mantises and sharks all have a reputation for cannibalism, but it turns out that other, less overtly sinister creatures are willing to gobble up their fellows. Not convinced? Take a look at...
Murderous Capuchin Monkeys
In 2007, researchers found the partially eaten corpse of a female jaguar in the territory of another female. The corpse had been present for around three days, while track marks suggested that the territory owner had been in the vicinity. More tracks indicated the presence of two males... and a sample of droppings taken near the male tracks contained a jaguar toe and claw.
Researchers suspect that the cannibalism may have been due to social stress, as it is rare for that many jaguars to be in the same area at once.
- Murderous capuchin monkeys
- Lancetfish "nesting dolls"
- Making it snappy with an alligator sandwich
- Chilling polar bear dinners
- Big cats and a cannibal crime scene
- Cannibal shrimp in a parasite frenzy
- Gray seals and blubber meals
- Dinosaur dining on dinosaur
 |
| At least one gray seal has been caught engaging in cannibalism... (bodsa) |
Murderous Capuchin Monkeys
Capuchin monkeys were named for their resemblance to the "Order of Friars Minor Capuchin" who wear brown robes with large hoods. Sometimes used by organ-grinders to collect donations from audiences, capuchins are considered one of the cutest primates out there... but they can also turn cannibal.
In 2019, researchers observing a population of capuchins saw a 10-day-old infant fall from a high tree. The mother scrambled down and collected the infant, only for it to fall not once but twice more - suffering fatal injuries as a result.
The troupe of capuchins descended to inspect the body, at which point a 2 year-old male started biting the foot of the corpse. A 23-year-old alpha female then took the corpse and began feeding on it, consuming the lower half.
The researchers believe that this was no accident... and that the baby was pushed from the treetops by another adult male. The capuchins who ate the body may have been seeking extra nutrition, with the young male being recently weaned and the alpha female being pregnant.
In 2019, researchers observing a population of capuchins saw a 10-day-old infant fall from a high tree. The mother scrambled down and collected the infant, only for it to fall not once but twice more - suffering fatal injuries as a result.
The troupe of capuchins descended to inspect the body, at which point a 2 year-old male started biting the foot of the corpse. A 23-year-old alpha female then took the corpse and began feeding on it, consuming the lower half.
The researchers believe that this was no accident... and that the baby was pushed from the treetops by another adult male. The capuchins who ate the body may have been seeking extra nutrition, with the young male being recently weaned and the alpha female being pregnant.
Lancetfish "Nesting Dolls"
The lancetfish looks like it swam from the pages of a heraldic book. Reaching around two meters in length and sporting a long spiky fin along the spine, the fish rounds out the look with a wide mouth full of fangs.
Researchers have found that prey in lancetfish stomachs tends to be fairly intact, meaning that they offer a window into the food-web of the ocean. By looking in their stomachs, we can see the more elusive denizens of the mesopelagic zone.
This is where the lancetfish reveals a dark secret - they are habitual cannibals. Not only do lancetfish commonly eat other lancetfish, some of the consumed fish contained even smaller lancetfish - like horrific nesting dolls!
Researchers have found that prey in lancetfish stomachs tends to be fairly intact, meaning that they offer a window into the food-web of the ocean. By looking in their stomachs, we can see the more elusive denizens of the mesopelagic zone.
This is where the lancetfish reveals a dark secret - they are habitual cannibals. Not only do lancetfish commonly eat other lancetfish, some of the consumed fish contained even smaller lancetfish - like horrific nesting dolls!
Making it Snappy With an Alligator Sandwich
Alligators are well adapted ambush predators. They'll take small prey directly, or creep up on larger meals. They can drag prey into the water to drown, or perform a "death roll" to break a victim apart.
Alligators are not fussy eaters - mammals, birds, fish, fruit, crustaceans, mollusks... and reptiles, including other alligators. Territorial disputes are thought to be a major cause of alligator cannibalism - and an interloper can become a convenient meal.
Researchers point towards diminishing access to food as the driving factor behind the attacks. Gas extraction has resulted in broken ice-fields that make poor hunting grounds, while abnormally warm weather and a general decline in the ice-levels over the past quarter of a century could also be to blame.
Alligators are not fussy eaters - mammals, birds, fish, fruit, crustaceans, mollusks... and reptiles, including other alligators. Territorial disputes are thought to be a major cause of alligator cannibalism - and an interloper can become a convenient meal.
Chilling Polar Bear Dinners
The polar bear is an apex predator - fast, tough and powerful. Despite this, Russian scientists monitoring the Arctic have observed rising acts of cannibalism amongst the mighty beasts. Most frequently these involved a hungry male attacking a female and cubs, hoping to kidnap a vulnerable meal.Researchers point towards diminishing access to food as the driving factor behind the attacks. Gas extraction has resulted in broken ice-fields that make poor hunting grounds, while abnormally warm weather and a general decline in the ice-levels over the past quarter of a century could also be to blame.
 |
| Researchers discovered the cannibalized remains of a female jaguar... (edmondlafoto) |
Big Cats and a Cannibal Crime Scene
The jaguar is a big cat from America (third largest in the world) and a powerful hunter. Carnivorous, opportunistic and powerful, they can pierce the shells of tortoises, the scales of crocodiles and the skulls of mammals with their bite. Once through to the meat, the jaguar uses their bumpy tongue to scrape flesh from bone.In 2007, researchers found the partially eaten corpse of a female jaguar in the territory of another female. The corpse had been present for around three days, while track marks suggested that the territory owner had been in the vicinity. More tracks indicated the presence of two males... and a sample of droppings taken near the male tracks contained a jaguar toe and claw.
Researchers suspect that the cannibalism may have been due to social stress, as it is rare for that many jaguars to be in the same area at once.
Cannibal Shrimp in a Parasite Frenzy
The freshwater shrimp Gammarus duebeni celticus is already a little cannibalistic, but researchers have found that infection with Pleistophora mulleri parasites changes their behavior and drives them into a feeding frenzy.
Shrimp infected by the parasite consume significantly more juvenile shrimp than the uninfected, targeting infected and uninfected shrimp equally. Uninfected shrimp cannibals avoided victims infected with the parasite. The infected also consumed prey faster than the uninfected, like something from a zombie apocalypse movie!
Shrimp infected by the parasite consume significantly more juvenile shrimp than the uninfected, targeting infected and uninfected shrimp equally. Uninfected shrimp cannibals avoided victims infected with the parasite. The infected also consumed prey faster than the uninfected, like something from a zombie apocalypse movie!
Gray Seals and Blubber Meals
Gray seals may look cuddly, but they are adept predators. Though they normally catch crustaceans, shellfish and fish (with the occasional bird) there have been reports of them feeding on other marine mammals - and in at least one case, another gray seal.
In 2018 a gray seal was observed catching and partially consuming a juvenile of the same species. The attacker grabbed and bit the victim, holding it underwater while it bled - exsanguination or asphyxiation rendered it helpless, allowing the killer to feed.
A post mortem of the corpse revealed that large amounts of blubber had been taken - it appeared that the skin had been pulled back and turned inside out, allowing fat to be scraped from the underside.
In 2018 a gray seal was observed catching and partially consuming a juvenile of the same species. The attacker grabbed and bit the victim, holding it underwater while it bled - exsanguination or asphyxiation rendered it helpless, allowing the killer to feed.
A post mortem of the corpse revealed that large amounts of blubber had been taken - it appeared that the skin had been pulled back and turned inside out, allowing fat to be scraped from the underside.
Dinosaur Dining on Dinosaur
Question - what did the Tyrannosaurus eat? Answer - whatever it liked. That may not be entirely true, but the beast is thought to have weighed in at around 7000kg and was armed with 20cm long teeth - enough to secure most meals.
It is because of these teeth that we suspect that the T-rex engaged in cannibalism. A fossil T. rex bone found in Wyoming bears a set of tell-tale grooves that indicate a set of large teeth gnawed on it - and the pattern doesn't match that of a crocodilian. That leaves only one suspect from the period big enough and with the right kind of teeth to cause those marks - Tyrannosaurus rex.
It is because of these teeth that we suspect that the T-rex engaged in cannibalism. A fossil T. rex bone found in Wyoming bears a set of tell-tale grooves that indicate a set of large teeth gnawed on it - and the pattern doesn't match that of a crocodilian. That leaves only one suspect from the period big enough and with the right kind of teeth to cause those marks - Tyrannosaurus rex.
Thanks for reading - for more, try...