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Wild Animals/Animals that kill their young

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Follow-Ups to Answer from Expert Jonathan Wright

miska wrote at 2007-07-31 18:32:32
Hi

You are definitely right about grey squirrels.I just saw a squirrel eating its own young and I was astonished as I did not realise that they are omnivours.That is when I decided to read up about it and your article proved very helpful and I had to believe what I was seeing.

Navjot wrote at 2008-01-15 16:37:49
"If there are too many animals in a limited area, the whole group may die out, due to too little food being available. If many of the animals die, the food supply goes further and the survivors can produce young when conditions are ideal. All of these mechanisms may seem cruel, but many of the strategies have a logical basis, as they are geared towards survival of animal groups, rather than the survival of each individual."  



There is no truth to the above statement. Infact, it  is the opposite of how fitness maximization works. There is no strategy towards group survival. Only toward individual survival. In Grebes (a waterfowl) often the mother produces more children than necessary and then as food supply goes down (or her ability to constantly feed and satisfy all the children), she pecks and punishes and kills the smallest of her brood until the optimal number of what she can feed and care for is achieved. She is maximising her individual fitness by passing her genes to a set of healthy offspring and saving herself from exhaustion and death from overwork.

Superman wrote at 2010-04-05 14:41:32
It is not a logical comparison to compare human abortion to how other animals kill their young. We only have abortion as a problem today because technology makes it possible. Also, humans choose these actions, whereas other animals are acting out of instinct.  

Mitch wrote at 2010-09-01 20:05:25
Jonathan:



While well-researched, your answer is completely off-target and self-indulgent.  Andrea asked specifically for information about animals that kill their own young, in the context of a report on abortion.  You then decided that it would be easier to pose as an expert on the generalities of animals killing their own species.  



If she asked for information on why helicopters crash, would you offer a pile of general information on airplane, helicopter, rocket and space-shuttle disasters?

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Jonathan Wright

Expertise

I can answer questions about wild mammals and other animals, as well as extinct animals and zoos. I am not an expert about every animal species. I can look up information from books and the internet, but can't verify if all the information is true. Please don't ask questions about: 1. Pets. I am not a vet. Please contact a vet if your pet is ill. You may need to spend some money if you want your pet to live. Don't get a pet if you don't know how to look after it and if you can't provide it with the space, food and possible companions that will help it live a healthy life. Don't take animals from the wild, unless they are ill and/or injured and you can protect them until a wildlife charity can help. It is cruel to take animals from their parents, especially if the parents will look for the babies, while putting their other babies at risk. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals or you may need a licence to look after some species. Please check with a local wildlife group. 2. Eggs: Please don't remove eggs from nests. The mother birds provide the right temperature for the eggs and won't 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 to see if they are fertile. If theys aren't fertile, they won't hatch. 3. Fights: Please don't ask about fights between different animals. These questions assume that individuals of two species fight each time they meet and that one species will always be victorious over another. This is untrue. There are cases where a live mouse has been fed to a venomous snake, bitten the snake leading to the snake's demise. 4: Diseases: Please ask doctors or other medical experts about diseases that you may catch from animals. I can't advise on how to deal with viruses, bacteria etc.

Experience

I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
WWF. ZSL. Natural History Museum. RSPB. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' level in Zoology. 'O' Level in Biology.

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