AboutJonathan Wright Expertise I can answer questions about wild mammals, as well as other wild animals. I can also answer questions on extinct animals and zoos.
PLEASE DON'T SEND ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PETS. IF YOU ARE REALLY WORRIED, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A VETERINARIAN. PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME THAT UNPAID PEOPLE ON ALLEXPERTS ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY AND WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH ADVICE THE MOMENT YOUR ANIMAL GETS ILL. Find out how to look after a pet before you get it. It is unfair to keep an animal in inappropriate conditions and give it the wrong food. If you can't keep an animal in good conditions, please don't bring it into your home. I'm not a vet and I don't have any expertise in animal medicine and care. I don't agree with people taking animals out of the wild and then expecting other people to give free advice on how to look after them. It is cruel to take animals away from their parents, who are able to look after the babies and may look for them, while putting their other babies at risk. You may need a licence to look after some animals. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals; please check with a local wildlife organisation.
IF YOU FIND AN INJURED ANIMAL, PLEASE CONTACT A WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN OR CHARITY AND LET TRAINED STAFF LOOK AFTER THE ANIMAL. DO NOT TRY TO LOOK AFTER AN INJURED ANIMAL IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Please do not remove eggs from nests. The mother birds will know the right temperature for the eggs and will not sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them (check details on websites) to see if the eggs are fertile. If the eggs are not fertile, they will not hatch.
I do not agree with fights between different animals. Please do not ask me questions about them.
Experience I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two years old. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.
Organizations World Wide Fund for Nature. Zoological Society of London. London Bat Group.
Publications Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group
Education/Credentials BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' levels in Zoology and Chemistry. 'O' Level in Biology.
Question Hi!
Is there any relationship between bite strength and hunting style (ambush predators vs. chase predators)? I would think ambush predators would have a stronger bite force but that is just a guess. What do you think? Are you aware of any research that has ever been done to determine a correlation?
Also could you please tell me a little about evolutionary adaptations to an ambush predatory hunting style, vs. active hunting, and also vs. scavenging?
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Answer Dear Jamie
Thank you for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used.
I think that the main correlation is between bite force and feeding strategy. Animals with large bite forces tend to be those that crunch through bone, shells or large nuts and seeds. This may be linked to ambush, where a predator bites through the shell or bone to kill prey. This applies to animals like the jaguar that can break open turtle shells.
A strong bite force also applies to scavengers, which can crunch up large bones and to parrots and other birds that use their beaks to break open nuts. Please note that an animal with a soft diet does not need a large bite force. Also, there are limits to bite force. If an animal applies too much pressure, it could lose teeth or break its jaw, adversely affecting future feeding and perhaps leading to an early demise.
