Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!uunet!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!kuento
From: kuento@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Killing for fun (hunting skills)
Message-ID: <28836.27cc6593@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 28 Feb 91 08:06:11 GMT
References: <1991Feb26.202248.26171@odin.corp.sgi.com> <2132@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Lines: 27

In article <2132@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>, andrewt@cs.su.oz (Andrew Taylor) writes:
> In article <1991Feb26.202248.26171@odin.corp.sgi.com> milt@sgi.com
> (Milton E. Tinkoff) writes:
>> 
>> I've been told that there is only one animal (besides
>> humans) that kills for recreational purposes.  If this
>> animal exists, what is it?  Toying with prey ...
> 
> Californian Sea Lions will occasionally kill Marine Iguanas during play.
> South American Sea Lions will kill Magellenic Penguins, apparently as play
> and apparently quite deliberately. Neither eats the victim nor are they
> normal prey. I'm sure there are other examples.
> 
> Andrew Taylor

Yes, there are, and they all have one thing in common which suggests
it is NOT purely for fun - the animals that are killed are either
normal prey items, or have characteristics similar to normal prey. The
answer is simple - the animal is *practicing* its hunting technique,
keeping itself sharp. *YOU* try catching a fish in your mouth some
time! Instinct does not necessarily confer *skill* automatically...
even a natural predator needs to practice. 
-------(please include "DY" in subj header of mail to this user)--------
Doug "Speaker-To-Insects" Yanega      "UT!"       Bitnet: KUENTO@UKANVAX
My card: 0 The Fool       (Snow Museum, Univ. of KS, Lawrence, KS 66045)
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