Wild Dogs are animals that
hunt in groups, in a group
requires cooperation
between group members.
This enables wild
dogs to bring down animals
five times their size.
Sometimes wild dogs also
attack and surround a
lioness who is separated from
the pride.
When the lion and the
wild dog clash, however, the
outcome is usually in the
lion's favor. To avoid
potentially fatal clashes
with lions, wild dogs are
actively moving away from areas
where lions roam. Where the
dog and cat territory
overlap, the canines adjust
their daily schedule to
avoid going out and at the same
time as the lion.
For the most part, wild
dogs cannot compete with the
lions' brutal strength.
African wild dogs have
tremendous endurance
running at speeds of 37 mph
for three miles or more pursuing
prey. As their prey tires, it
is easier to catch.
Their long legs and
large lungs help them run long
distances without tiring.
Their speed and endurance as
well as the pack structure make
them very successful
predators.
The characteristic
large, round ears of the
African wild dog have a double
purpose.
They have excellent
hearing for hunting prey,
and their large ears help cool
the dog off in the hot African
climate.
Wild dogs do not have
big powerful
jaws like cats so they cannot
bring down large animals alone.
So, they hunting in a pack, which
requires cooperation
among pack members.
Wild dogs hunt mainly
at dawn and dusk because they use
their sense of sight to find
prey.
They usually approach
silently, pursue the fleeing prey
until it tires, and then attack
and kill the animal.
All pack members
share in the kill.
Their mottled coloring
also aids in hunting by
making the pack
appear larger than it is.
Crocodiles are
large reptiles found in
tropical regions of Africa, Asia,
the Americas, and Australia.
They are members of the order
Crocodilia, which also
includes caimans,
gharials, and alligators.
Crocodiles are ambush
predators, waiting for fish
or land animals to come close,
then rushing out to attack.
Crocodiles mostly eat fish,
amphibians, reptiles, and
mammals, and they
occasionally cannibalize
smaller crocodiles.
Crocodiles will clamp down on
their prey with their massive
jaws, crush it, and then they
will swallow the prey whole.
They do not have the
capability to chew or break
off small pieces
of food like other animals.
Crocodiles sense their prey by
respond to the slightest
disturbance in surface water,
detecting vibrations and
small pressure changes as small
as a single drop.
This makes it
possible for
crocodiles to detect prey,
danger and intruders, even
in total darkness. These
sense organs are known as domed
pressure receptors.