People often refer to the ideas that even animals will not hurt their kids. When they see a cruel behaviour from human to other human or even their kids.
Yet, in reality, some animals are more than able to hurt their kids, siblings or parents. Some actually eat them.
Cannibalism among animal is actually quite common. There are actually many reasonable backgrounds behind this habit in animals. it is also one of the reasons there are endangered primates and other animals.
Not just from human contact but also cannibalism either from their mother, siblings and even their kids. Here are some of the reasons why cannibalism happen in animal kingdom.
- For More Nutrition
The main type of cannibalism is actually feeding unhealthy animals to be a source of food. When animals are born, they are in their weakest condition.
This is the time when a mother finds food for their kids. There are times when their own mother abandon their kids right after birth.
Some animals, unfortunately, are not all healthy. Instead of being eaten by other animals or left to die. Cannibalism happens for those reasons. It allows other members of the family to live.
This happens to tiger salamanders where the bigger type of salamander takes up its non-cannibalism companions. Eating other salamanders which is more inferior is a more nutritious source of food.
This practice also happens to cane toads. This amphibian fattens up and gets more nutrition through cannibalism. The tadpoles have a choice between eating their eggs other eggs from other toad species.
Unfortunately, they will prefer their own type. This cannibalism does not stop after reaching the metamorphosis phase. Even bigger cane toads can eat younger cane toads.
2. Food On their Offspring
Female animals do not always produce healthy offsprings. Some eggs hatch and grow into adulthood and able to feed themselves. Some kids may not make it and meet their death. This is some of the reasons why mothers cannibalized their non-surveving offspring.
This happens to sloth bear, Mexican lance-headed rattlesnakes, and even hamsters. Although there are effective ways to stop hamster from eating her babies, this only happens to pet animals. Farm owner often needs to take to know how to take care of weak baby goat, horse or chicken.
Even the pet owner can not always prevent this kind of cannibalism. The same thing happens to freshwater shrimps. They can eat their young due to certain parasite in their body that makes them super hungry.
2. Cannibal Kids
The love and hate relationship between mothers and their kids can lead to cannibalism. While it is pretty common for mom to feed their young kids. This kind of cannibalism can go both ways. Some kids can eat their mother.
This kind of cannibalism is known as Matriphagy. A mother-eating animal can happen when newborn animals are given unfertilized eggs by their mother. When the young are still hungry, their mother allows themself as the source of food for their kids.
This happens on some insects, such as scorpions, crab spiders, and nematode worms. Caecilians and crab spiders do not really give their life away to their kids.
They allow their flesh to be eaten with their young. This youngster peel of their mother skin. It usually grows back in time.
4. Sibling Rivalry
There is cannibalism among siblings. This is called intrauterine cannibalism. The term survival of the fittest really fit this type of cannibalism perfectly. That is why Chicken breeder needs to know how to prevent chickens from fighting. They can fight with each other.
When babies are born at the same time. Not all make it to adulthood. There is always a chance some eggs will not survive. This happen to Sand tiger shark babies. After they the first embryo break out of its capsule/ They can immediately feast any unfertilized eggs.
5. Final Gift After Mating
The term love is blind for some animals are no joke. There are animals that are made for one another and live the rest of their life together. And there are animals that offer their own body to their partner.
Some of this death often happens after a pair of animals mate. Male praying mantis and the Australian redback spider willingly die in the hand of their female companion.
Moreover, do not forget about the popular venomous Black widow that kill their partner right after mating. Although actually this kind of cannibalism is a common practice for spiders.
Cannibalism is actually more common in the animal kingdom. There are shortest living animals because they tend to be the victim of cannibalism. This practice can happen because some animal is stronger than others.
Some cannibalism also can happen out of love either from mother to their offspring or from male to their female partner.
Whatever the form of cannibalism some of them tend to happen to make good use of healthy offspring and let a member of the family be healthier.