From razor sharp teeth to deadly weapons, here are 10 of the most efficient predators
in the world.
10.)
Tarantula This might not be the first creature you would
think of but the tarantula is very talented.
A tarantula’s 5 inch ((12.7 cm) size body and 11 inch (28 cm) leg span makes them one
of the most skilled hunters in animal world.
Tarantula’s are also very hairy, have eight legs, and two fangs.
Their size allows tarantulas to quickly subdue their prey and crush them with their large
fangs.
They are nighttime hunters and inject paralyzing venom upon catching their prey.
In fact, these spiders can't chew their food, so instead they inject digestive juices into
their prey and wait for food to turn into a smoothie.
Great, right?!
Tarantulas have a mouth shaped like a straw and it easily sucks up liquefied food.
Usually they eat insects, like beetles and grasshoppers.
However, some types of tarantula’s will eat larger prey, such as, lizards, snakes,
frogs, bats and small birds.
These spiders are known to be such stealthy and skilled hunters that no small animal that
wanders within their grasp stands a chance at survival.
The male tarantulas can live about 5-10 years while the females live about 20 years.
Did you know that spiders could live that long??
That fact really surprised me!
The males are often eaten by the females after mating, which is one reason why their lifespan
is so much shorter.
That’ll do it.
9.)
Black Mamba The black mamba is the longest venomous snake
of the African continent.
It is also known as one of the fastest snakes in the world, being able to reach speeds of
about 12 miles per hour (19 km/h).
A black mamba can grow up to 14 feet (4.2 m) in length, however, the average length
is 8 feet (2.4 m).
The black mamba’s lifespan is about 11 years.
When they are hunting, they will raise their head up to one third the height of their total
body length, making themselves bigger.
Once they detect the prey, they make fast forward movement and bite the prey continuously.
At the same time, they release a lethal mix of neurotoxins and cardiotoxins, which will
cause death within a few minutes.
However, for smaller prey, they are also known to just bite once and hold the prey in their
mouth until the prey stops moving.
While they usually lay low, when they feel threatened or are hunting, they are very aggressive
creatures.
In the past, a bite from a black mamba was 100 percent fatal.
However, that figure has decreased due to the increased use of anti-venom.Scientists
are now researching black mamba venom as a replacement for morphine.
8.)
Piranha The Piranha has a reputation of being one
of the deadliest fish in the world.
They are usually found in South American waters and can live up to 25 years.
They can grow up to 20 inches (51 cm) in length, however larger Piranha’s have also been
found.
They use their very strong and sharp teeth to hunt a wide range of prey, including humans.
It is said that their strong jaws can easily crush a human to little bits within seconds.
They have a single row of razor-sharp teeth and are can smell blood and fear, which they
like!
The piranha feeds on fish, mammals and birds.
However, the Piranha is also an omnivore and will pretty much eat anything it can.
Piranhas are generally found in fast flowing rivers and streams where there is plenty of
food falling into the water for them to eat.
They tend to live together in large shoals and are constantly competing for food.
You actually don’t really need to be afraid of pirahnas unless there is a shortage of
food or blood in the water.
In that case, they might go into a feeding frenzy and that is when you need to watch
out!!
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7.)
Gray Wolf The gray wolf generally doesn’t hunt alone.
In fact, the success of the hunt depends on the members of the group, which usually ranges
in numbers of 5 to under 10.
A typical wolf attack begins with members of the pack working together to encourage
their victim to run.
Not only is a lone animal easier to bring down than one that is in a herd, but a running
animal poses less of a threat than one that is poised to fight.
Then, the alpha male leads the chase, with his alpha female close behind.
Once their victim stumbles and falls to the ground, the pack surrounds the animal and
goes in for the kill.
Gray wolves are carnivores that usually prey on ungulates much larger than themselves,
such as elk, deer or moose, but will also eat smaller mammals such as beaver, rabbit
or livestock.
On average, gray wolves will eat 20 to 30 pounds of meat in one meal.
They have also been known to go up to 14 days between meals.
Gray wolves stick to certain territories in their hunting, which normally covers about
50 to 1,000 square miles.
Gray wolves were hunted almost to extinction but they can be found in Alaska and Canada,
and there are a few left in Europe and Asia.
6.)
Komodo Dragon Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards
in the world.
They can be identified by their massive size, flat heads, bowed legs and long, thick tails.
Plus the fact that they are huge...While they can reach up to 10 feet (3 m) in length, the
average size of a male Komodo dragon is 8 to 9 feet (2.4 m- 2.7 m) and can weigh in
between 200 to 300 lbs (90.7 kg- 136 kg).
The females tend to be a little smaller, only growing to about 6 feet (1.8 m) in length.
Even though, they can be pretty fast for their size, running up to 13 miles per hour (21
kph), they tend to be very patient when hunting for their prey.
They are great at the waiting game.
Their sense of smell is their primary food detector and they can feast on animals like
pigs and deer.
They are such fierce predators that they can also eat very large prey, such as large water
buffalo and even humans.
The Komodo mainly hunts by ambushing their prey and giving them a toxic bite.
Any victim of a Komodo’s bite will die from the wound not too long after an attack.
Not from the bite itself but from the venom in the saliva.
They wait around for the victim to get infected, weaken and then collapse.
When feasting, they can eat up to half of their body weight.
5.)
Crocodile It is probably no shock to any of you that
the crocodile is one of the most feared predators in the world.
In fact, there is very little that is more frightening than a predator that lurks underwater
for its prey, camouflaged by the surrounding environment, silently watching its victim
and planning its kill.
Its typical mode of attack is to wait at the water’s edge with just its eyes and nose
visible, for an animal to come to drink.
Then it lunges out of the water and drags the helpless creature underwater and begins
spinning around forcefully and repeatedly in order to tear off chunks of flesh and drown
its victim.
The crocodile preys on a variety of animals with its long,strong jaws and teeth.
Some species of crocodile can bring down very large prey such as zebras and buffalo.
They also have very good vision, which helps them when hunting at night, and gives them
an advantage over their prey that can’t see as well.
Their stomachs are known to be so powerful that crocodiles can actually digest the horns
and bones from their prey.
They have a very slow metabolism and therefore can survive months without food.
Pre-tt-y efficient!
4.)
Killer Whale Killer Whales are officially known as Orcas.
They are called Killer Whales due to their serious abilities to prey on marine animals,
such as whales, sea lions, or any animals they find in their path.
The only exceptions are river dolphins and manatees.
The average length of male Orcas is 20-26 feet long (6 m- 7.9 m).
The average length for females is 16-23 feet long (4.8 m-7 m).
However, the largest killer whale has been recorded at a little over 32 feet long!
Their average weight is around 6 tons.
Killer Whales use many different techniques to catch prey.
Sometimes they beach themselves to catch seals on land, meaning they actually jump from the
water onto land and are able to get back in the water.
If you haven’t seen a National Geographic documentary on them yet, you really should.
They are also known to knock on a piece of ice so the animal, such as a penguin or a
seal, on top of the ice falls into the water.
Killer Whales hunt in groups and each section has their own little hunting technique they
use.
They can also swim pretty fast, at a rate of about 34 miles per hour.
They are extremely smart, and extremely deadly.
3.)
Grizzly Bear The grizzly bear can stand 7 feet tall and
are even about 3-4 feet high when they are on all four legs.
They are known to weigh about 800 pounds, however they have weighed in at over 1,000.
A grizzly’s diet can consist of fruit, nuts, leaves, berries, roots and other animals.
Animal meals can be as small as rodents or as large as moose.
Its strong limbs and huge paws can kill a man in a single swipe, and it has powerful
crushing jaws.
Grizzlies are also strong swimmers and fast runners.
The fastest these animals have been recorded running is 40 miles per hour.
Grizzly bears like to hunt during the day and tend to be most active in the morning
or at dusk.
However, if they are aware of the presence of humans, they will change their hunting
schedules to nighttime.
Grizzly bears are found in many different habitats, from dense forests to subalpine
meadows, open plains and arctic tundra.
They are common in areas around North America and Canada.
2.)
Lion Lions are known as the “king of the jungle”
and for good reason!
Not only do Lions hunt some of the largest prey on earth but they are also very cooperative
with each other on their hunts.
Lions live in social groups called prides, which can have around 30 lions, and all members
work together in the hunt.
Young lions learn their place in the pride early in life by play-fighting, which teaches
them the skills they’ll need for the hunt and determines what role they are most suited
to perform.
Females do the majority of the hunting.
The male lions spend their time guarding their territory and their cubs.
Lions consume a wide variety of prey, from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo
and wild hogs to sometimes rhinos and hippos.
They will also feed on smaller animals such as hares, birds and reptiles.
Not picky!!
On top of that, they have also been known to attack elephants!
1.)
Great White Shark Great whites are the world's largest predatory
fish.
And possibly the world’s most feared predator.
They grow to be about 15 to 20 feet or more and can weigh more than 5,000 lbs.
Great whites are found mostly along the coasts of Australia, South Africa, California and
the northeastern United States.
However they migrate all over the world’s oceans.
They are carnivores and eat all kinds of things in the ocean.
Their diet consists of small-toothed whales, sea lions, seals, sea turtles and carrion,
which are dead animals.
When hunting, Great White Sharks use their speed and take advantage of their coloring.
They will often be near the bottom of the ocean looking at the top for the prey.
Once they spot a target, they use a burst of speed to bump their prey while simultaneously
biting it.
They have several rows of teeth that can number into the thousands.
A single bite from a Great White Shark can be fatal.
Thanks for watching!