Page 44 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

...continues

Plant-eating mammals may have to travel and search to locate
food, but once found, the plant is relatively easy to “catch.” For the
hunting carnivore (meat eater), finding food is more risky. It
Playful dolphins: these very involves much effort, stalking, or tracking prey. When it comes to
social marine mammals seem to
follow ships for fun. the kill, there is a risk of injury from the victim’s defenses (p. 26).
If the prey escapes, time and energy has been wasted. So it is not
surprising that the play of young carnivores, such as cats and dogs, appears to mirror so many
features of adult hunting life. To prevent misunderstanding and accidental injury, it is important
that the animal wishing to play conveys this fact to its fellows; otherwise they might take its
actions seriously. A puppy will make a “play bow,” crouching down on its chest, rump and back
legs up, tail wagging and ears pricked forward, in a posture that says: "Let's play!" Human
children have their equivalent - a giggle that takes them into the world of make- believe.

Feline funtime SWAT
Midair swipes require good eye-paw coordination
Many of a playing kitten’s actions can be interpreted in if they are to connect with a moving target. This
type of movement is made as a hunting cat claws
terms of the hunting techniques used by the adult cat. a low-flying bird or clouts a mouse that has
Kittens play on their own, testing themselves, and also leaped into the air.
in a group, pretending to be the hunter or the hunted.

TEASE
Even some adult cats
“play” with a small animal before
SCOOP finally killing it. The squeaks of a
The kitten tries to put its paw, sole up, captive shrew or flutterings of a
under the ball and pick it up or flip it over. grounded bird seem to provide
The ball does not turn over and so intrigues entertainment, but the significance of
the animal. Adult cats scoop up small this behavior is not clear.
prey, including fish, using this
type of movement.

POUNCE
The “mouse pounce” is one of the most characteristic
cat actions. Other hunters use it too, such as the fox.
The aim is to come down suddenly and
silently on the victim’s back, away from its
teeth and claws, and then, before it has time
to resist, sink the teeth into its neck. In this
case, the mother’s tail acts as the mouse.

42

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.