Did you hear about the cannibal who was late for dinner? He got the cold shoulder. Some humans might find cannibal humor in bad taste, but for some animals, it’s no joke. Here are a few creatures for whom “I’d like to have you over for dinner” is a terrifying invite. (See “Surprise! Male Spiders Eat...
It’s not easy being a rodent in the U.S. Great Plains. Animals like black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are under constant threat of being preyed upon from land and air by predators that include hawks, eagles, and coyotes. To cope with this danger, the social animals are in constant communication, including via so-called “contagious” displays, in which...