4 ms·

Not saying we should start eating things alive, but most of the animal kingdom practices it. It's weird for current humans, but that's about it.

koolba 3y ago
Do they though? Are there any vertebrate carnivores that eat their prey alive? AFAIK, they kill the prey so their lunch doesn’t run off the plate. The only exceptions are parasitic wasps and blood suckers like mosquitos.
- the_doctah 3y ago
  Is that a serious question? Most predators literally eat their prey ass-end first and keep them alive as long as possible.
- elzbardico 3y ago
  Most canines. Not that they intentionally want to eat their prey alive, but as they are pack animals, killing their prey as soon as possible so there's no risk of being injured by the prey fighting back is less of a concern for them than for solitary hunters like the leopard. So for dogs and wolves, starting to eat as soon as possible takes precedence over making sure the prey is really dead. Also, canines are not as strong as felines like the Tiger and the Leopard, so, it is not as easy for them to kill big prey by crushing the windpipe with their jaws like the cats do. On the other side, they may be weaker than the cats but have far more endurance, so, a maimed prey escaping is not much of a big deal, as they are able to pursue the escaping prey for as long as they need without having to stop to rest. Lions are somewhat of a muddy middle ground. Usually, their prey is dead when they start eating, but when the prey is really big, like elephants, they start eating it alive as it is not as easy to kill such big prey. Crocodiles on the other hand will either swallow their prey at once or eat big chunks. It is not really a choice for them. Of course, we must remember that animals don't really have this concept of their prey suffering. They need to eat, and that's all that matters to them.
  - cloverich 3y ago
    > they start eating it alive And it may take quite a while for them to kill it. There are frankly horrifying national geographic videos of this happening, but that's just a lesson that Nature in general is quite cruel. As often as people lament about human nature, we've come quite a long way.
- deleted 3y ago
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koolba 3y ago

Do they though? Are there any vertebrate carnivores that eat their prey alive? AFAIK, they kill the prey so their lunch doesn’t run off the plate. The only exceptions are parasitic wasps and blood suckers like mosquitos.

the_doctah 3y ago
Is that a serious question? Most predators literally eat their prey ass-end first and keep them alive as long as possible.
elzbardico 3y ago
Most canines. Not that they intentionally want to eat their prey alive, but as they are pack animals, killing their prey as soon as possible so there's no risk of being injured by the prey fighting back is less of a concern for them than for solitary hunters like the leopard. So for dogs and wolves, starting to eat as soon as possible takes precedence over making sure the prey is really dead. Also, canines are not as strong as felines like the Tiger and the Leopard, so, it is not as easy for them to kill big prey by crushing the windpipe with their jaws like the cats do. On the other side, they may be weaker than the cats but have far more endurance, so, a maimed prey escaping is not much of a big deal, as they are able to pursue the escaping prey for as long as they need without having to stop to rest. Lions are somewhat of a muddy middle ground. Usually, their prey is dead when they start eating, but when the prey is really big, like elephants, they start eating it alive as it is not as easy to kill such big prey. Crocodiles on the other hand will either swallow their prey at once or eat big chunks. It is not really a choice for them. Of course, we must remember that animals don't really have this concept of their prey suffering. They need to eat, and that's all that matters to them.
- cloverich 3y ago
  > they start eating it alive And it may take quite a while for them to kill it. There are frankly horrifying national geographic videos of this happening, but that's just a lesson that Nature in general is quite cruel. As often as people lament about human nature, we've come quite a long way.
deleted 3y ago
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