Lion Predation

[parvez]

(03-09-2016, 10:41 PM)Pckts Wrote:

(03-08-2016, 01:01 PM)parvez Wrote:

(03-08-2016, 12:39 AM)Spalea Wrote: @parvez:

"Both of them seem to be unreal to me, a lion cub cannot take away honey badger. Probably his/her mother should have done it. A lone lion does not have athleticism to be able to kill crocodile IMO, a pride of lions should have done it. Also the belly side of crocodile was targeted, a single lion IMO cannot be able to turn the crocodile to belly side and then bite it. "

All depend on the crocodile's size... By looking at this photo showing a male lion holding a croc through the throat (#337), this croc was not a fully adult, IMO. The croc's head is not very big. An adult nile croc weighs easily more than 500 kilos, i.e more than twice as much an adult male lion. If it were the case this lion would not be able to pick up it off the ground as easily as we can see it on these photo.

Thus, on the ground, this lone male lion would be able to kill this croc, I think.

 
@Spalea
 
Yes, under normal weight estimates this may not be possible. As grizzly claws said, it may have been scavenged by other's kills, probably a pride of lions or a group of hyenas or any other group. Or else it is almost impossible even to the biggest of tigers to turn the crocodile bigger than them to the belly side of it.

From what I have seen, the most common practice of predation on crocs similar size or larger than a big cat (tiger and Jaguar) have been by clamping directly behind the crocs skull (machli over the croc larger than herself or the jaguar snatching the caiman) and killing it there or by slowly eating away at it.
I assume the same method would be adapted for a single lion but a pride of lions would probably get the croc to tire itself out then kill it.

I think a pride of lions have the ability to kill it rather than making it tired. If they have killed it, they should have bitten it randomly from all directions and then made the stomach region inverse in the process and would have killed it by tearing the neck or abdomen. Btw machli had killed the crocodile, but she was not able to make the crocodile position inverse. Similarly a single jaguar too cannot do it, of course it can kill the caiman. Oh, I am sorry, the belly side of crocodile does not seem to be the targeted region. 

Reply