![]() melanochaita for lions in south and east Africa. leocovering lions in Asian and west, central and north Africa, and P. Some taxonomists have proposed a different split of the subspecies – with P. There are two recognised subspecies, the African lion P. There is only one species of lion, which is known scientifically as Panthera leo. Of 1,300 hunts observed in the Serengeti, nearly half involved only one animal, 20% involved two and the rest a group of (normally) between three and eight individuals. Lions are the archetypal apex predator, but their hunting success rate strongly depends on the number of lions involved – a single lion hunting in daylight has a success rate of 17-19%, but this increases for those hunting as a group to 30%. Lions - 25% successful kills Roaring male lion. ![]() Why do cats play with their prey? And why do they then kill but not eat their prey?.How wild is your cat? 6 key behaviours that reveal the wild ancestry of your cat.But what can you do to reduce your cat's impact? Only 28% of kills were actually eaten.ĭomestic cats kill millions of small birds and animals every year, and they've been shown to cause significant ecological damage as a result. This kill rate soared when they were hunting in open habitat to 70%. © Laurent Geslin/Nature Picture Library/GettyĪ study of feral domestic cats, carried out by scientists in northern Australia, found they were made a kill in 32 out of 101 hunting attempts – a success rate of 32%. Domestic cat - 32% successful kills Domestic cat playing with prey, a dead Common treecreeper. A female with cubs has been shown to have a kill rate of 28%, while a lone male can only achieve one of 14%! 5. Studies carried out on leopards have revealed wide-ranging success rates, varying from 38% for individuals in north-east Namibia to 14% in the Kalahari. Leopard - 38% successful kills Leopard, Chobe National Park, Botswana. Cheetah vs leopard: what's the difference?Ĥ.In order to stop larger carnivores from stealing their hard-earned meals, they move them to more secluded, shadier spots - even so, research suggests they are ousted 10% of the time. ![]() © James Warwick/GettyĪ study from the Serengeti in 2012 observed 192 cheetah pursuits, of which 114 ended in a kill – a success rate of 58%. Cheetah - 58% successful kills Cheetah chasing Thomson's gazelle. © Dave Hamman/Gettyīlack-footed cats are astonishingly active and successful nocturnal hunters – one scientist’s observations show they make a hunting attempt every 30 minutes, and are successful 60% of the time, making them one of the world's most efficient predators They eat a wide variety of prey, from gerbils and shrews to small birds and insects, and make 10-14 kills every night. Black-footed cat - 60% successful kills A black-footed cat disturbed while hunting in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana. African wild dogs are now considered close to the base of the wolf-like canids.Ģ. However, research has shown that morphological similarities among these species are no longer considered to show common ancestry between the species. ![]() Previous studies have grouped wild dogs with dholes and bush dogs. However, grey wolves, coyotes, dogs and jackals are all in the Canis genus, whereas African wild dogs are the only extant (living) species in the Lycaeon genus. Like wolves and dogs, African wild dogs do belong to the Canidae family. African wild dogs are neither wolves nor dogs, despite their common English names, and the fact that their scientific name, Lycaeon pictus, translates to ‘painted wolf’. The largest canid in Africa is also classified as Endangered. That’s not the whole story, however – they may lose half of their kills, ranging from small impalas to wildebeest 10 times their weight, to other carnivores such as hyenas and lions. The lean frames and endearingly large ears of African wild dogs are deceptive – they are one of the most successful predators anywhere, with a kill rate per chase of more than 85 per cent. African wild dogs - 85% successful kills A pack of African wild dogs in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. The results might surprise you! The most successful apex predators 1. Our apex predator guide looks at animals that hunt in the wild, comparing common prey and the hunting success rates of each species from the most successful apex predator - African wild dogs - to the least. However the success rate of each species can vary with pack animals more likely to successfully kill their prey. Common predators include wolves, lions, cheetahs, and other big cats. Predators need to kill and eat other animals to survive, but for many species most pursuits end in failure, while smaller hunters risk losing their hard-won meals to bigger beasts. Being an apex predator at the top of the food chain is tough.
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