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 SilverMK2 wrote:

That's not what that image is showing. It is a depiction of how much of the original energy input of the sun is passed on to each level of predator per meal. Animals of the same size will have roughly the same energy content regardless of their level on the food chain.

It would be pretty cool to get all the energy, if not the nutrients, required for life simply by eating a few hundred phytoplankton a day though

 SilverMK2 wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Its probably because predators are less nutritious.
It all comes done to biomass and energy. Plants and herbivores give the most, while the apex predator is a waste of time.

That's not what that image is showing. It is a depiction of how much of the original energy input of the sun is passed on to each level of predator per meal. Animals of the same size will have roughly the same energy content regardless of their level on the food chain.

If it were true then plants would taste better than meat, which they don't.

What an animal ears does change the flavour of its flesh. For example salt marsh lamb is highly regarded, and farmed duck fead of fish meal takes on a fishy flavour. I do wonder if this is part of the reason predators are unpalatable. The important question is, is vegetarian long pig better than omnivore?

Mule deer and pronghorn are some of the worst animals you can eat because of their sage grass diet. It also depends how hungry you are, my favorite story from my Grandfather was when he shot and ate a loon during the depression.

Reminds me of when a small dog was snatched at the local park by an eagle. It's owners basically just had to watch it carry off their pet. Also have a friend who has a problem with an owl snatching cats at night.

 TheCustomLime wrote:
Given that the birds were bald eagles it was likely that the cat was a communist.

There is no doubt about this, it is well established that cats are indeed lefty-pinko-communists sent here to establish clandestine fifth-column groups whose sole purpose is to bring down the Republic.

Dogs OTOH are freedom's greatest ally!

City people need to understand that nature isn't pretty-it's efficient.

I am so glad I grew up on a farm, as I got a wider idea on how the natural world works.

xraytango wrote:

 TheCustomLime wrote:
Given that the birds were bald eagles it was likely that the cat was a communist.

There is no doubt about this, it is well established that cats are indeed lefty-pinko-communists sent here to establish clandestine fifth-column groups whose sole purpose is to bring down the Republic.

Dogs OTOH are freedom's greatest ally!

OTOH, due to these eagles eating cats, they could be Chinese sleeper agents


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AegisGrimm wrote:
City people need to understand that nature isn't pretty-it's efficient.

While I'm definitely in the "city people" category, I definitely understand this... of course, I also realize that I'm a bit weird because I love watching videos of bears and crocs and tigers and gak taking down game.... While watching the eagles eat is only of mild interest to me, this is more due to how I like seeing footage of them flying and catching things in flight.

 AegisGrimm wrote:
City people need to understand that nature isn't pretty-it's efficient.

Some do. I live in a city but nature's close by and I know quite a few hunters - I've even helped out as a dog handler a few times (dad's not really in shape to run around after his hunting dog anymore).

But then there's the people who just don't seem to understand that nature is often eat or be eaten. They let their cats and dogs run loose since "my little fluffy would never hurt anything". Well surprise, she sure will! Cats have a strong hunting instinct and so do many dog breeds. If the eagles don't eat that cat (or dog) it will instead kill as many birds and other small animals as it can, even if it isn't actually hungry. Cathcing stuff is a prime reflex.

 Sinful Hero wrote:
Reminds me of when a small dog was snatched at the local park by an eagle. It's owners basically just had to watch it carry off their pet. Also have a friend who has a problem with an owl snatching cats at night.

There was a guy in Maine years ago that was killed by an Owl who thought his fur hat was an animal. The thing swooped and put a talon through through the back of his skull.