Submitted 2 weeks 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?
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.
Killdeer are notorious for this : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer#Responses_to_preda…
It mildly amuses me to be walking and a killdeer pretending to debilitated hobbling in front of me with a ““broken wing”” until I’m far enough from the nest (that I never saw or looked for) that it takes flight and heads out.
Yes. My ex.
Is your ex my ex?
Very likely. She got around.
Sand pipers pretend to have a broken wing to get people away from the nest of babies. It’s heroic and cute mothering.
The cat I had when I was a kid would pretend to be afraid and confused by birds then SWIPE out comes the paw, down goes the bird.
I don’t keep outside cats anymore but it was always so impressive to see her hunt, she did fake cringe away to get them close.
In Asia I watched cats hunt snakes. No idea they did that.
Not prey, but coyotes will send one packmate out to trick a dog into following it to the rest of the pack. Kind of like the assassin bug in the earlier examples I guess.
Dogs have been documented to feign injury to manipulate people.
Sort of. See Distraction Display
Arcanepotato@crazypeople.online 2 weeks ago
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…
…wordpress.com/…/sticky-traps-stealth-and-aggress…
tyler@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
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