Page 82 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide

COMPETITION Male giraffes engage in ritualized fights
NECK WRESTLING
1
known as necking. Two males stand with
their necks entwined and then push from
Animals are constantly competing for access to vitally side to side. Necking establishes which
important but limited resources, such as food, are the strongest males. These are the
mates, and territory. Competition happens 1 only ones that will mate with females.
between individuals of the same species, but
may also occur between different species.
2 STANDOFF
Some animals attempt to assert their
If an animal can avoid injury in a fight
dominance and deter rivals through a
by deterring a rival, so much the better.
threat display or a ritualized fight—a In standoffs between some mammals,
strategy that prevents harm to either the open mouth is a common threat
side. But sometimes competition display. By “yawning,” this hippopotamus
involves real fights in which one or bares its enormous mouth and teeth.
Male giraffes
both animals may suffer injury. push with their
long necks

Wide open mouth
warns off enemies
and rivals

2

Bighorn sheep’s
thick skull absorbs
the head-on impact
3

Strong jaws
used to lift rival
during a fight 4

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