{"id":41273,"date":"2024-08-22T12:03:50","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T10:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/98e0ee8f-3fc6-4b77-956a-5e28f9255744"},"modified":"2024-08-22T13:27:40","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T11:27:40","slug":"10-animals-that-can-kill-and-devour-prey-twice-their-size-thanks-to-either-their-incredible-strength-cunning-teamwork-or-deadly-venom","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/10-animals-that-can-kill-and-devour-prey-twice-their-size-thanks-to-either-their-incredible-strength-cunning-teamwork-or-deadly-venom\/","title":{"rendered":"10 animals that can kill and devour prey twice their size, thanks to either their incredible strength, cunning teamwork or deadly venom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gruesome warning alert! Here are 10 animals that can kill and eat prey twice their size – often in rather a gruesome way <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 22 August 2024 at 10:03 AM<\/p>

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When it comes to\u00a0survival\u00a0in\u00a0the animal kingdom, size isn\u2019t always the determining factor. Some creatures possess such incredible strength, cunning or venom that they can take down prey twice their size.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

The animals that can tackle and eat the world’s most venomous snakes<\/a><\/li>
Apex predators: What they are, why they’re important and how apex predators affect ecosystems<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Here are 10\u00a0formidable animals\u00a0that\u00a0can overcome much larger adversaries, from the majestic tiger and remarkable\u00a0Komodo\u00a0dragon, to the bat-hunting giant centipede and even a beetle larva that reverses the typical predator-prey relationship.<\/p>
10 animals that can devour prey twice their size <\/h2>
Tiger\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The tiger<\/a> preys on medium and large-sized ungulates\u00a0(hooved mammals)\u00a0such as deer and wild boar<\/a> and is typically an ambush predator \u2013 waiting and hiding for prey to come close enough. <\/p>
It\u00a0can\u00a0take down prey twice its size and is strong enough to drag\u00a0away\u00a0the carcass of\u00a0a full-grown buffalo. However, only one in\u00a010\u00a0of a tiger\u2019s hunts are successful.\u00a0<\/p>
Deadliest apex predators in the wild: which mammals are the best killing machines?<\/a><\/p>
Wolverine\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Native to\u00a0the more\u00a0northern and remote\u00a0regions\u00a0of the Northern Hemisphere, the wolverine is the largest land-dwelling carnivore in the weasel family. <\/p>
Like the honey badger <\/a>of Africa and Asia it is famously\u00a0ferocious. Although it\u00a0preys\u00a0primarily\u00a0on small to medium-sized mammals it can take down larger\u00a0deer,\u00a0including reindeer<\/a> (caribou) and moose.<\/p>
Stoat and least weasel<\/strong><\/p>
<\/div><\/figure><p>Although\u00a0they are\u00a0small members of the weasel family\u00a0(the least weasel being the smallest) both\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-a-stoat-and-a-weasel\">stoats <\/a>and least weasels can\u00a0take\u00a0down prey larger than themselves, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/understand-mammal-behaviour-rabbits\">rabbits<\/a> and even young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/how-to\/watch-wildlife\/brown-hare-guide\">hares.<\/a> Typically, males prey on these lagomorphs more frequently than females.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/rabbit-vs-hare-whats-the-difference\">Rabbit vs hare: what’s the difference?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Amazonian giant centipede\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1393157455.mp4\"\/><\/figure><p>Armed with a powerful venom, the giant centipede preys on a variety of other animals, including other invertebrates and small vertebrates. <\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/centipedes-vs-millipedes\">Centipedes vs millipedes: what’s the difference?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/are-centipedes-venomous\">Are centipedes venomous?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>One study examined its predation on bats, suggesting that it could hang from a cave ceiling and inject its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/venomous-vs-poisonous\">venom<\/a> into a bat. Although the measured bat wasn\u2019t quite twice its weight, it was a close thing \u2013 and this centipede has separately caused the death of a human child, and eaten flesh from a human corpse.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-komodo-dragon\"><strong>Komodo dragon<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Komodo Dragon Eats Buffalo | Nature Bites\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xJthBtVVUmI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>Endemic to four Indonesian islands (including Komodo), the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/komodo-dragon-facts\">Komodo dragon <\/a> is the largest living species of lizard, measuring up to\u00a03m\u00a0in length and typically weighing around 70kg.<\/p><p>\u00a0One of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/deadliest-reptiles\">world’s deadliest reptiles<\/a>, its prey includes\u00a0smaller items,\u00a0such as birds and small reptiles, all the way up to deer and even water buffalo,\u00a0weighing in at\u00a0over 600kg.<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/komodo-dragons-have-iron-tipped-teeth\">Komodo dragons have iron-tipped teeth, new study finds<\/a><\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-house-mice\"><strong>House mice\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/08\/House-mouse.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-108256\" style=\"width:698px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>This may seem like a surprising inclusion on the list, but sadly it\u2019s true. The non-native house mice\u00a0introduced\u00a0to\u00a0the sub-Antarctica Gough and Marion Islands have been attacking and killing endangered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/birds\/albatross-facts\">albatrosses.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p><p>It was previously thought\u00a0that\u00a0they were killing\u00a0just the \u00a0chicks, but\u00a0they have recently been discovered to have\u00a0inflicted\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/murderous-mice-attack-and-kill-nesting-albatrosses-on-midway-atoll-scientists-struggle-to-stop-this-gruesome-new-behavior-220747\">fatal\u00a0injuries on adult albatrosses<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-epomis-beetle\"><strong><em>Epomis<\/em>\u00a0beetle<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"645\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/08\/Epomis-beetle.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-108258\" style=\"width:698px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Epomis beetle eating a newt by Gil Wizen, CC BY 3.0 https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The\u00a0<em>Epomis<\/em>\u00a0subgenus of beetle\u00a0represents a remarkable role reversal, being both\u00a0prey and predator. While\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/amphibians\/amphibian-vs-reptile-whats-the-difference\">amphibians<\/a> are known to feed on beetles, both the larvae and the adults of the\u00a0<em>Epomis<\/em>\u00a0beetle manage to kill and eat amphibians. <\/p><p>The larva tricks\u00a0the amphibian into coming closer, then pierces the amphibian\u2019s flesh with its mandibles and sucks\u00a0it dry.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-orca\"><strong>Orca\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blue whale devoured alive by 75 orcas off coast of Australia\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CxTsoD86Ego?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/facts-about-orcas\">orca<\/a> is known as a predator of\u00a0large marine animals \u2013\u00a0it is also called the\u00a0\u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/are-killer-whales-dangerous-to-humans\">killer whale<\/a>\u2019. However,\u00a0recent\u00a0research has shown that this distinctive marine predator\u00a0has\u00a0successfully attacked\u00a0and killed\u00a0the world\u2019s largest animal. <\/p><p>A female\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/blue-whale-facts\">blue\u00a0whale<\/a>, measuring between 18-22m,\u00a0was documented being killed\u00a0in a co-ordinated attack by at least 12\u00a0orca.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/killer-whales-use-specialised-hunting-techniques-in-california\">Killer whales are using dramatic hunting techniques to catch large marine animals in California<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/why-are-killer-whales-attacking-boats\">Why are killer whales attacking boats?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Army ants\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/08\/army-ants.mp4\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Although\u00a0army <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/ants-guide\">ants<\/a> are individually\u00a0small,\u00a0they\u00a0come together to take down impressively-sized prey \u2013\u00a0in numbers of\u00a0up to 500,000 in a day. In Africa, swarms of driver ants are said to attack and dismember anything in their path, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/grasshopper-facts\">grasshoppers<\/a>, beetles and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/deadliest-scorpion\">venomous scorpions<\/a>. They are sometimes welcomed by farmers, as they play a role in reducing numbers of pests.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/venomous-vs-poisonous\">What’s the largest ant colony in the world?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tarantula-wasps-or-hawks\"><strong>Tarantula\u00a0wasps<\/strong> <strong>or hawks<\/strong><\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-831671842.mp4\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>As the name suggests, these wasps\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0speciality\u00a0\u2013\u00a0preying on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/tarantula-facts\">tarantulas<\/a>. However, neither the female (which catches\u00a0and paralyses\u00a0the spiders) nor the males\u00a0actually eat\u00a0the tarantula.<\/p><p> Instead, they feed on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/plant-facts\/flowers\/what-is-nectar\">nectar<\/a>, lay a single wasp egg on top of\u00a0the paralysed spider,\u00a0then leave the\u00a0two\u00a0(egg and spider)\u00a0in a chamber together.\u00a0When the egg\u00a0hatches\u00a0the wasp larva gradually consumes the\u00a0still-alive,\u00a0but paralysed,\u00a0spider.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gruesome warning alert! 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10 animals that can devour prey twice their size <\/h2>

Wolverine\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure>Native to\u00a0the more\u00a0northern and remote\u00a0regions\u00a0of the Northern Hemisphere, the wolverine is the largest land-dwelling carnivore in the weasel family. <\/p>