Re: AAT Theory
chris brochu (gator@mail.utexas.edu)
22 Sep 1995 15:08:38 GMT
In article <mloots.269.00103331@medic.up.ac.za> Marius Loots,
mloots@medic.up.ac.za writes:
>
>>One thing you aren't considering here is that the crocodile is a
>>cold blooded animal, and therefore doesn't need to feed as often.
>>Just what is the relative predation per unit time of a large
>>cat and a crocodile? How territorial are either of them, ie
>>how great a net predation can we expect per unit territory
>
>One of the largest and most scientific crocodile breeders in South Africa
>feed their crocodiles one chicken per week in summer - in winter they don't
>eat anything at all.
Y'all are in my territory now.
True enough, the feeding rate for crocodylians can be lower than for
mammals. But, they occur in higher densities than other predators, which
more than compensates.
Crocodylians aren't necessarily better predators than mammalian
carnivores, but they're no worse, and given the population densities of
crocodylians, no one would be helped by jumping in the water to avoid
land predators.
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