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[winjer]

Big cats like tigers and lions are top tier predators due to their size and strength but not your typical tabby cat. If dogs hadn't been so domesticated and were still more like wolves then they would be more successful predators as they are pack animals. Cats tend to be more solitary which limits their hunting potential although when you get to something like tiger, it doesn't matter so much. The reason wolves were hunted to almost extinction in Europe is because they were so dangerous as a pack of wolves could kill anything. I remember watching a documentary on an African tribe what they they were asked what they fear the most and I thought they would say lions and they were like nope, wild dogs because you might come across 1 lion but you can be attacked by 30 of these thing.

A top tier predator is not measured by it's size and capability to kill everything else.
If that was the case, then a lion would be low tier, because it can't do any damage to elephants or rhinos.
We have to look at the context of what they hunt and their efficacy.
A pride of lions hunting water buffalos in Africa is a huge threat. But for an adult elephant they are nothing.
The same applies for small cats. For birds, rats and other small prey, they are killing machines. A huge threat.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[Madserb2023]

A top tier predator is not measured by it's size and capability to kill everything else.
If that was the case, then a lion would be low tier, because it can't do any damage to elephants or rhinos.
We have to look at the context of what they hunt and their efficacy.
A pride of lions hunting water buffalos in Africa is a huge threat. But for an adult elephant they are nothing.
The same applies for small cats. For birds, rats and other small prey, they are killing machines. A huge threat.

While I agree to a point, I do think how high you are on the the chain does determine what level of predator you are. So African Wild dogs would be close to the top as they can kill almost anything including humans and they one are the most successful predators in the world in absolute terms. If you were just to use how threatening an animal is to a certain species then anteaters are apex predators. I think you must look at both measures. I have never heard of a pet cat kill an adult human but not far from where I live a man was just killed by a Pitbull.

 

[winjer]

While I agree to a point, I do think how high you are on the the chain does determine what level of predator you are. So African Wild dogs would be close to the top as they can kill almost anything including humans and they one are the most successful predators in the world in absolute terms. If you were just to use how threatening an animal is to a certain species then anteaters are apex predators. I think you must look at both measures. I have never heard of a pet cat kill an adult human but not far from where I live a man was just killed by a Pitbull.

But consider that the biggest threat to humans, ever, is not lions, dogs, wolfs, sharks, etc. It is the mosquito. By far.
Size isn't everything.

 

[E-Cat]

What is this channel, zoology for gamers?

 

[BlackTron]

Consider the difference between "apex" and "top-tier". Apex predator means at the top of the food chain, at least within a given ecosystem. Top-tier is a kinda generic badge we apply based on our subjective view of what makes them good...maybe it means apex, maybe not. You might call an animal top-tier just because it preys in an extremely efficient fashion with no competition, without using much energy or trying very hard, or their ease of achieving high kill counts vs. other animals near their same rank in the food chain. But the apex predator, it could make 1 kill a month and still hold the title because it kills at will and is untouchable (nothing else can eat it).

 

[Madserb2023]

But consider that the biggest threat to humans, ever, is not lions, dogs, wolfs, sharks, etc. It is the mosquito. By far.
Size isn't everything.

But that's why I think you need some kind of a criteria that looks at everything from individual level threat, collective, and what can kill it. That's why you can't say just how much something can kill, otherwise you can just say a virus. So cats would score high on total kill count as it can kill a lot of small birds and mice etc but most things can kill a cat as a result most animals don't fear a cat. A cat will run away as soon as sees it a fox. Now a killer whale would score high as even a shark would go in the otter direction.

 

[winjer]

But that's why I think you need some kind of a criteria that looks at everything from individual level threat, collective, and what can kill it. That's why you can't say just how much something can kill, otherwise you can just say a virus. So cats would score high on total kill count as it can kill a lot of small birds and mice etc but most things can kill a cat as a result most animals don't fear a cat. A cat will run away as soon as sees it a fox. Now a killer whale would score high as even a shark would go in the otter direction.

There is a some debate on whether virus are even considered life beings. But that is a different matter.

I don't consider a 1v1 fight between 2 elements of a species, as fact to consider what makes a top tier predator.
By that definition, an elephant would rank number one and a lion much lower, because a lion can't kill an adult elephant.
But an elephant is not a predator, unless we consider trees and grass as prey.

I consider how well a predator does in his own ecosystem. How effective he is at pursuing it's natural prey.
Hoe well he can influence an ecosystem.

 

[CGNoire]

Yes 100%. It is known.

 

[FunkMiller]

I know one thing for certain.

They're all cunts.







come at me pussy lovers

 

[Madserb2023]

My argument is not that a cat is not a predator but that it's not a top tier predator which was the question. Anything that kills another animal is a predator. There is an actual definition and it's an animal that is big killer not just in amount but in range and that also doesn't really have anything that kills it and cats aren't considered one academically or otherwise. Cats aren't even dominant in their domain as to why terriers were bred to kill mice and rats as they are more successful. I remember somebody in work with me had a cat that was killed by someones Greyhound that escaped in a matter of seconds. If we reintroduced wolves, which are academically considered a top predator or hell even left Greyhounds wonder about the streets there would be no cats.