THE TOP TEN PREDATORS

I found this list on the Animal Planet site, and it's a very scary list because any of these predators might think a cute little basenji like myself would make a good meal!  So I'm going to do my best to avoid these animals, and I suggest that all my blog readers do the same.

10.  TARANTULA

These big, creepy-looking, hairy spiders like to hide and wait until some small animal comes by, and then they pounce.  They use their long legs to grab the prey, and after that, they crush it with their fangs.  Next, they spit out some digestive juices and then lap up their pre-digested dinner.  Yuck!











9.  BLACK MAMBA

This African snake is very, very poisonous.  Mostly mambas are shy, but if they are cornered, they get aggressive.  And they don't just strike once, they strike a bunch of times, just to make sure plenty of venom gets into their victims.  It used to be that a black mamba bite was 100% fatal, but now there is more anti-venom available, so not everybody dies after being bitten.






8.  PIRANHA

These ferocious fish live in South America, and they have very sharp teeth.  They like to lurk in the water at dawn or dusk and then dart out and attack any small animal passing by.  Sometimes piranhas even form a gang of fish so they can eat larger prey such as horses, capybaras, or people.








7.  GRAY WOLF

Wolves are very smart and social and cooperative, so they hunt in packs.  This way, they can kill some big animals that one wolf hunting alone couldn't kill.  The best method for wolves to hunt is to separate one animal from its herd and then chase it.  When the animal gets tired, the wolves surround it and kill it.







6.  KOMODO DRAGON

A Komodo Dragon is a really, really huge lizard.  It can weigh 300 pounds and be 10 feet long.  But it's not just big and scary-looking -- it's also a good swimmer, fast runner and has a toxic bite.  The way a Komodo Dragon hunts is by ambushing its prey, and it can kill animals that are twice its size.








5.  CROCODILE

This is another very sneaky predator with strong jaws and lots of sharp teeth.  Crocodiles like to hide under the water until some poor, innocent animal such as a zebra comes to get a drink, and then the crocodile grabs it and drags it underwater and spins around and around to tear off big hunks of flesh.






4.  KILLER WHALE

Orcas also have a bunch of tricks for capturing their prey, like for example, they will jump up and knock seals and penguins off of their ice floes.  Then they grab them when they fall in the water.  Another trick they use is to beach themselves just so they can reach the seals on the shore.  Killer whales are social, like wolves, so they sometimes hunt in groups to capture bigger prey.  They have even been known to eat great white sharks by doing this.




3.  GRIZZLY BEAR

These bears are very strong and powerful.  A male grizzly stands 7 feet tall and weighs more than 800 pounds.  It can kill a human with one swipe of its paw.  Grizzlies can also run fast and swim well, plus they have big, strong jaws for crushing their food.








2.  LION

Lions hunt in groups, the same as wolves and orcas do.  This is why they can catch really big prey, like wildebeests and buffalo.  Having sharp teeth and claws, and being able to leap far and run fast also helps them be good hunters.








And now for the number one, top predator:


1.  GREAT WHITE SHARK

These sharks are very strong swimmers, and they can leap high out of the water to grab their prey.  They have tons of really, really sharp teeth that are in rows in their mouths.  So as soon as one tooth falls out, another one moves up to take its place.  A great white shark might go through 50,000 teeth in its life.  The way the great white hunts is that it attacks by making one big, nasty bite.  Then it waits for the prey to get weak before it moves in to finish the job and have a nice meal.



So those are the best hunters in the animal kingdom.  I guess it's nice that they have so many predator skills, but I don't want them using their skills on me!