Submitted 1 hour ago by ki4jgt@feddit.org to [deleted]
I’m assuming, because survival is a fear-based modality, that prey tend to lean towards flight rather than offensive moves.
But are there prey who go searching for predators, who in response, feign injury to lure them in – aside from humans?
Yes, it can be considered part of aggressive mimicry.
Most examples are pretending to be another animal that is prey but the assassin bug example is interesting…
S. bituberus approaches the web and then uses its forelimbs to pluck the silk to attract the spider towards them, until they are close enough to strike (Wignall and Taylor, 2010). The experiments carried out by Wignall and Taylor (2010) show that S. bituberus does not mimic the full range of prey vibrations but instead is a general mimic, able to replicate a set of vibration queues that sit within the range of vibrations that a spider identifies as a prey.
Some birds feign injury to lure predators away from their nest (and the eggs/young inside,) but this isn’t to attack them, it’s to distract the predator. Once they’re away form the nest they fly off.
But no, no prey goes out looking for predators and then attacks them.
Most prey will only be aggressive if the predator comes into their space. Large mammals typically respond with aggression- buffalo, elephants, other cows. Horses. They’re all more than capable of killing individual predators- which is why wolves or lions will only go after them in larger packs or prides.
Dogs have been documented to feign injury to manipulate people.
unitedwithme@lemmy.today 2 minutes ago
Yes. My ex.