Why aren鈥檛 hit-and-run attacks common in the animal kingdom? Surely a barracuda or shark could take a meal-sized chunk out of the back or belly of a whale before it could respond. The same goes for smaller pairings of animals.
鈥� Hit-and-run attacks are seen in the animal world. Wounds from the teeth of cookie-cutter sharks have been seen on migrating whales that passed through the sharks鈥� habitat. One sei whale had more than 100 bite marks on it.
Other fish arguably qualify too. For example, paddling in the Mediterranean and waters off the western coast of Africa.
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Chris Simms, Banwell, Somerset, UK
鈥� For an animal to feed using a hit-and-run strategy requires it to locate, stalk and then attack a ferocious or fleeing animal. And this is all for a limited amount of food. The attacker would spend less energy overall by killing the prey and enjoying a sumptuous feast at its leisure.
Peter Guinan, Llangors, Powys, UK
鈥� The reason such attacks aren鈥檛 common is fear. The prospect of getting hurt while taking a bite out of an animal much larger than you would put most predators off. They are at risk of being belted sideways, eaten alive, damaged for life and so unable to survive, just for one, small mouthful of a whale鈥檚 behind.
Relying on hit-and-run feeding could bring evolutionary consequences for a species, whether you are a barracuda, a cockroach or a human being.
Linda Latham, Biggar, South Lanarkshire, UK
鈥� Hit-and-run tactics are suited to victims that are too formidable to confront but easily evaded. However, it takes some doing to bite pieces off whales, so you need to be suitably equipped. The jaws and teeth of tiny cookie-cutter sharks are adapted to slicing out pieces of skin and blubber. They sneak in on the slipstream of a large fish or whale, grab a mouthful, and scoop it out as the host jerks, leaving a characteristic 鈥� and horrible 鈥� hollow wound.
Many other fish, including some piranha and cleaner wrasse, use similar hit-and-run tactics. The jaws of one species in Lake Tanganyika in east Africa actually grow asymmetrically to the left or right. This helps in grabbing a mouthful when quickly passing prey sideways on.
鈥淐ookie-cutter sharks sneak up on large fish and scoop out a mouthful, leaving a horrible wound鈥�
On land, pack hunters such as wild dogs and wolves hit and run cooperatively, taking turns, not directly to feed, but to confuse, exhaust, injure and kill big prey.
Jon Richfield, Somerset West, South Africa
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