Here are a few of nature’s sneaky good predators!
9 - North American River Otter
Fast.
Agile.
Skilled swimmers.
Sharp teeth.
Powerful jaws.
Big appetite.
You might think We’re describing a shark!
A lot of people forget that otters are actually quite aggressive and really good predators!
The North American River Otter for example, is especially skilled.
Known for their quick ambushes, these otters are adaptive predators who’ll feast on just
about anything they can catch.
Not only are they quick, they can hold their breath for up to four minutes underwater and
they can dive to depths of around 65 feet below the surface as well!
While fish are their preferred meal, they’re also known to snag birds, reptiles and amphibians
when the opportunity presents itself.
There’s even evidence of otters taking on an Alligator…..and winning!
In 2011, photos of a River Otter ambushing a young alligator and biting into its neck
for lunch surprised experts and amateurs alike.
This is impressive because it provides more evidence that River Otters are highly adaptive
predators who can learn behaviors!
Wethers its a smaller fish, alligator or anything else, River Otters will snatch their prey,
take it to shore and use their razor sharp teeth to chow down.
Just remember, despite how cute otters look, they’re well equipped to defend and hunt
whenever they feel like!
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8 - Snapping Shrimp If you’re not familiar with snapping Shrimp
then you should just know this: They basically use a stun gun to catch their prey.
Which, if you ask us, is ingenuity at its finest!
They’re equipped with an especially strong claw that’s so strong, when it snaps, it
emits noise that’s as loud as 218 decibels with pressure that’s enough to skill small
fish!
If it doesn’t completely do the job, the snap effectively stuns their prey, allowing
the small shrimp to finish the job itself.
For the most part, snapping shrimp prefer to eat small fish and snails.
Their claw, which accounts for most of the snapping shrimp’s size and weight, isn’t
just used for hunting.
It’s also their main method of communication.
As the shrimp chatter away with their claws, it creates almost a white noise of sorts,
and they’re a major source of sound underwater!
When in colonies, snapping shrimp can make so much noise that their sounds can interfere
with sonar and underwater communication.
7 - Platypus If you take a look at a Platypus, you may
just think that its at the bottom of the food chain.
I mean, just look at it, the Platypus looks like the love child from a twisted affair
between a duck and a beaver!
However, that’s absolutely not the case.
Ever wish you have a superpower?
The Platypus definitely has one, as it’s one of the few venomous mammals in the world!
The male Platypus has an ankle spur that can produce a powerful venom strong enough to
skill small mammals and badly injure a human being.
They also lay eggs, which is a super weird thing for a mammal to do.
Found in small streams in various parts of Australia, the Platypus is a semi aquatic
mammal that feasts on shrimp, crayfish, insect larvae and worms.
They spend about 12 hours every day looking for food and are known to eat up to 20 percent
of their body weight!
That’s definitely proof that they’re good at what they do!
Now, here’s where things get even cooler.
For all intents and purposes, a Platypus effectively has a sixth sense.
They use what’s called electroreception to detect their prey.
This means that as they swim, they’re able to detect electric fields given off by muscle
contractions from their prey!
As they swim, they’ll swing their head from side to side to enhance this sensation.
Once they sense their prey, they’ll dive through the water to go after their their
target…..and dinner is served.
6 - Indian Grey Mongoose Different Mongoose species make their homes
in Africa, Asia, parts of Southern Europe, Fiji, the Caribbean and the Hawaiian Islands.
Most of them feed on basic stuff things such as insects, birds, lizards, and small rodents.
However, The Indian Grey Mongoose is known for its efficient handling of poisonous snakes!
This small, inconspicuous animal can go toe to toe with the likes of King Cobras and Black
Mambas.
While they typically just ambush and quickly dispose of small prey, they have a special
trick up their sleeves for the snakes.
They methodically wear the snake down by enticing it to make a strike.
Then shifting to acrobat mode, the mongoose will dodge the strike, ultimately wearing
down the frustrated snake.
What the snake probably doesn’t realize is that even if they bite them, the Mongoose
has thick skin and acetylcholine receptors that make them resistant to plenty of venom.
With razor sharp teeth, the mongoose just bides their time until the snake is worn out.
With one swift bite, it’s over!
The Mongoose wins!
5 - Stone Fish Despite their small size, stone fish have
a fearsome reputation.
However, it’s entirely because of their painful and potentially lethal venom.
Yes, that does play into being a predator, but hear us out on this one.
Owning the title of the world’s most venomous fish comes with the common misconception that
Stonefish use this venom to get their prey.
But really, they rely on their speed and camouflaging skills to catch their prey!
They’ll patiently wait for their prey to swim by.
In less than a second, they dart out of their hiding spot and catch their dinner!
Fish, crabs, lobsters, and crayfish are their preferred meals.
Making their homes in the oceans in Indo-Pacific regions, Stonefish pose very little risk to
humans.
Their venom, although incredibly poisonous, is actually used as a last ditch defensive
effort.
So if you just leave them alone, you’ll be fine.
Chances are, you’ll never see them anyway, as they look like…..stones.
4 - Polar Bears You might think of Polar Bears as a cute stuffed
animal, or of course, the face of coca-cola every Christmas season.
But to other creatures living in the Arctic Circle, polar bears mean to get outta sight,
quick!
Okay, most people know that polar bears are predators.
However, most people seem to forget just HOW good polar bears are at catching prey.
They HAVE to be since they live in the arctic where food is hard to come by.
With no natural predator other than perhaps melting icebergs, The Polar Bear is an apex
predator who reigns supreme in the arctic.
With millions of seals inhabiting the arctic, Polar Bears love to feast on them.
Sometimes they’ll just hang out, and wait for seals to emerge from the water.
Other times they’ll stalk a seal.
Once they get one in their crosshairs, it’s usually game set, match.
They’ll rush the seals, and when they catch one……..dinner is served!
Sometimes they’ll eat other things, if the opportunity is right.
Bird eggs, crabs, fish, and even Reindeer are occasional targets.
Let’s not kid ourselves.
Basically anything that moves next to a polar is fair game!
3 - The Arctic Fox
Whether you know it as a snow fox, arctic fox, white fox or polar fox, you can’t deny
it, these guys are pretty ridiculously good looking!
Here’s another truth, that’s slightly well less known.
They are skilled hunters.
Very skilled, in fact.
Animals such as lemmings, birds, fish, seal pups, hares, rodents and any other small creatures
are all potential prey for the Arctic fox.
Despite their small size, their only natural predators are polar bears, packs of wolves,
and of course, humans.
These guys are so adapted to living in the cold, they only start shivering at temperatures
below minus 94 degrees fahrenheit!
When food is scarce, arctic foxes will smartly follow polar bears and eat off of the leftover
prey.
When food is plentiful in the summer, they’ll hoard it for the harsh winter.
So an with brains, skills and evolutionary features that help them adapt to their surroundings,
is it any wonder why the Arctic Fox is such a skilled hunter?
2 - Kingfisher For a bird that can wreak such havoc on its
prey, the Kingfisher looks pretty unassuming.
But maybe that’s part of their plan!
Small freshwater fish, insects, and virtually any other small creature living near the water’s
surface…..really, they shouldn’t be anywhere near the surface of the water, because they
may as well be a traveling menu!
Kingfishers are found all around the world and their small size and bright colors make
them a cool bird.
But check out how they hunt.
While patrolling the air or perched up on a branch, they’re also keeping an eye out
for fish near the surface the water.
Once they see something that catches their eye, they spring into action!
Reaching speeds of up to 40 Miles Per Hour, they basically divebomb their unsuspecting
prey and pluck them right from the water!
They then carry their prey back to a tree in their beak and basically smash them against
the tree until I guess their meal is uh….tender.
Yeah, nature’s definitely unforgiving.
1 - The Northern Short Tailed Shrew Much like the Platypus, The Northern Short
Tailed Shrew is one of those rare venomous mammals.
Found on five different continents, they reach sizes of just 4-5 inches and they usually
just weigh a few ounces.
However, despite their small size, they have a ravenous appetite!
They’re known for eating up to THREE times their body weight on a daily basis!
Insects, mice, snails, and salamanders are prime targets for these hungry creatures.
They’ve even been known to eat other Shrews!
How hungry ARE these guys?!
Being tiny makes it hard for them to overpower even small prey, so they employ a deadly venom
that paralyzes their target.
Their saliva contains toxins that can take care of small mammals and it’s supposedly
pretty painful for us humans.
Aside from their venom, they’re known for being really fast.
It’s kinda like they wake up, chug a bunch of Red Bull, and just scurry around all day.
With a heart rate beat of up 1200 times per minute, they constantly need food, so they
constantly hunt!
Here’s what’s next!