A recent study conducted by ecologists at Deakin University in Australia analyzed the predatory effectiveness of large terrestrial mammals, focusing on per capita kill rates, which measure the number of prey successfully captured by each individual predator.
This parameter is crucial for understanding the environmental impact of different species, although it represents only one aspect of their behavior. The study found that solitary carnivores, such as brown bears, tigers, and lynxes, have higher kill rates per individual compared to social predators, such as wolves, hyenas, and lions.
Solitary carnivores tend to hunt more frequently, while social predators can take down larger prey and, through sharing, derive greater energetic benefits from the available resources. Another fundamental aspect analyzed is the size of the prey relative to the predator.
For example, for a solitary carnivore, a small prey like a shrew might not provide enough nourishment, while a deer represents a much more abundant resource.
Conversely, for a group of twenty social predators, dividing the same prey might not equally satisfy the dietary needs of each individual. The study also found that predators like the Eurasian lynx and the African wild dog kill an amount of biomass that exceeds their needs, leaving on average a third of the meat in the field.
This residual biomass often becomes a resource for scavengers, creating complex dynamics between predators and animals that feed on carcasses.
For example, hyenas are known to steal prey from lions, but at the same time, lions often appropriate the hyenas’ spoils. The research team analyzed about 200 studies on the predatory success of large terrestrial carnivorous mammals (weighing over 15 kg), including some smaller species like the coyote, the wolverine, the fossa, and the Tasmanian Devil, all considered apex predators in their ecosystems. Despite the extensive data collection, the study highlighted significant informational gaps.
Much of the research comes from North America, with fewer studies from Africa and Europe, and very few data have been collected in Asia.
In Australia, surprisingly, there are no reliable published data on predators. In general, the study concludes that social carnivores tend to have individually lower kill rates compared to solitary predators.
However, a direct comparison between these species is complicated, as each group employs different hunting strategies.
For example, canids like wolves and African wild dogs rely on prolonged chases, while felines prefer ambush techniques, based on stealth and sudden bursts of speed.
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