I kind of hope I’m wrong about this, but reading that dialog in the top strip makes me think about a bit of trivia. The number one predator on squirrels is … squirrels. Squirrels eat more squirrels than owls or foxes or humans or any other predator does.
Wasn’t aware that squirrels could be predators. Wonder why the behavior occurs. Lack of resources, maybe? I have read that, in time of famine, deer will eat carrion. Most herbivores’ guts are not set up to digest meat. Interestingly enough, few predators are unable consume plant material. It seems almost all predators can and will eat plant based material. Canids and ursids are really more omnivores than complete carnivores. Only felines – pretty much across the board – are true, even obligate carnivores. Cats, for the most part, CANNOT digest plant based material. Their guts are just not set up to digest it. Essentially the only exception to that rule is domesticated cats. Apparently, in the process of their being domesticated, housecats evolved the ability to.digest SOME plant based foods but even they cannot survive on a purely vegetarian diet. I recall reading about a well-meaning vegan couple in Kali who almost starved a kitten by trying to restrict it to an all plant-based diet. When they took the poor creature in for something (shots or checkup, etc.) the Vet noticed that the animal was SEVERLY malnourished and rapped their knuckles severely.
I also.recall reading of an instance where paleontologists digging in Africa found a site where, apparently, two hominid species lived side-by-side. Examination of the wear patterns of the teeth and detritus in their camps indicated that one species subsisted solely upon vegetable matter while the other occasionally ingested meat. The vegan species went extinct while the more omnivorous species survived and evolved. Food for thought.
I kind of hope I’m wrong about this, but reading that dialog in the top strip makes me think about a bit of trivia. The number one predator on squirrels is … squirrels. Squirrels eat more squirrels than owls or foxes or humans or any other predator does.
Wasn’t aware that squirrels could be predators. Wonder why the behavior occurs. Lack of resources, maybe? I have read that, in time of famine, deer will eat carrion. Most herbivores’ guts are not set up to digest meat. Interestingly enough, few predators are unable consume plant material. It seems almost all predators can and will eat plant based material. Canids and ursids are really more omnivores than complete carnivores. Only felines – pretty much across the board – are true, even obligate carnivores. Cats, for the most part, CANNOT digest plant based material. Their guts are just not set up to digest it. Essentially the only exception to that rule is domesticated cats. Apparently, in the process of their being domesticated, housecats evolved the ability to.digest SOME plant based foods but even they cannot survive on a purely vegetarian diet. I recall reading about a well-meaning vegan couple in Kali who almost starved a kitten by trying to restrict it to an all plant-based diet. When they took the poor creature in for something (shots or checkup, etc.) the Vet noticed that the animal was SEVERLY malnourished and rapped their knuckles severely.
I also.recall reading of an instance where paleontologists digging in Africa found a site where, apparently, two hominid species lived side-by-side. Examination of the wear patterns of the teeth and detritus in their camps indicated that one species subsisted solely upon vegetable matter while the other occasionally ingested meat. The vegan species went extinct while the more omnivorous species survived and evolved. Food for thought.