Comment on Woof is dog for "You may test that assumption at your convenience"
dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 days agoCheetahs are just so wonderfully weird. Basically big housecats that are also rocket powered apex predators.
Also, I love The Cheetah Whisperer.
EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 days ago
Cheetahs are so weird largely because they’re actually not apex predators and are surrounded by so many bigger predators! From lions and leopards to packs of wild dogs or hyenas, there are plenty of animals that can take down a cheetah pretty easily. Especially because they’re so overbuilt for that burst of speed that that’s basically the one trick that they have. They’re super easily bullied out of their meals by other animals, including scavengers. I think this is why they’re so chill with people, though. Because if we’re not running at them or away from them, then we’re not predator or prey, and must be some secret third thing - friend shaped! Kinda like how we’re the only other bipedal animal in the Antarctic besides penguins, so penguins largely see us as just weird-looking penguins and will hop into boats with people and stuff.
dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 days ago
I sort of knew the overview of all that, but thanks for the detailed clarifications! :)