Film Science: Questions for: Killer Instinct

1. What particular instinct makes an animal a predator?

2. Normally, each predator occupies how many niches?

3. a) What is the main prey of the lynx?

b) Why are only 50% of the lynx's attacks successful?

4. a) What aspect of the goshawk's vision allows it to pick out motionless prey from the background?

b) Why does it eat with its wings outspread?

5. Why is the size of the cobra's prey important?

6. a) Alligators hunt in what two environments?

b) Crocodile jaws can crush with what force?

7. a) Which of its sizes of eye helps the Earth-tiger tarantula locate prey through motion?

b) How does it "eat" its prey?

8. The Asian purple centipede can catch and eat prey of what size?

9. a) What feature of a falcon's beak helps it kill its prey quickly?

b) Nothing of the falcon's meal is wasted; what is the role of the carnivorous wasps?

10. What is unusual about the orientation of the tree snake's pupil?

11. How does the rat snake continue the food chain?

12. How does the python kill large prey?

13. Large prey animals have developed the ability to escape how?

14. a) What percentage of prey escape the African lioness's charge?

b) Why does the lioness try to eat in seclusion?

15. How does the desert glossy snake's environment help it sneak up on the kangaroo mouse?

16. What sense helps the coyote locate small prey in the winter?

17. a) What made the Cape Buffalo kill the lion cub?

b) The cub was tiny and harmless; how was the herd protecting itself?

18. Why did the Asian forest scorpion eat one of its young (nymph)?

19. It takes a wild dog pup how long to learn social and hunting skills?

20. How does the coyote help the elk herd by killing the calf?

21. What common attitude often hinders our efforts at "managing" nature?