It seems like animals who eat their young would be detrimental to their own species, but there are many creatures who do just that. Want to learn more about these animals and the reasons behind their strange behavior? Keep reading as we explore our top 10 list of animals that eat their babies.
What You'll Learn Today
1. Praying Mantis
Praying mantises are found throughout the world in tropical and temperate climates. There are more than 2,400 species of them.
Praying mantises are known more for their cannibalism after mating; in many species, the females eat the males. However, adult praying mantises sometimes eat their nymphs as well, especially during times of food shortage.
More often, these distinctive-looking insects mostly eat other insects and arthropods, typically waiting until they are within reach then grabbing them with their strong forelimbs. They may also eat small birds, lizards, fish, and frogs.
2. Lion
Lions are known for being good parents, with females sometimes even nursing the cubs of other females in a pride. However, there are instances when both males and females will kill and even eat the cubs of a pride.
Young males who take over a new pride typically kill the cubs to stimulate the females to return to heat and to eliminate potential competition. And, if all other cubs in a litter have died, females will sometimes kill and eat the remaining cub and start over with a new little rather than spend time and resources raising a single baby.
It is far more common for conquering males to kill cubs than for females to do so. In fact, it’s estimated that a quarter of all lion cubs are killed in this manner.
3. Polar Bear
Polar bears are found in the Arctic and surrounding regions of the earth. It is thought that climate change is driving them to cannibalism, though there may be other factors as well.
In most cases, larger male polar bears kill and eat smaller females and cubs, but in some cases even females will kill and eat their own babies. This behavior is most common in the spring and summer when seals, their main food source, are less abundant.
Adult polar bears have also been observed killing and eating their young when the babies are starving–perhaps to end their misery, and perhaps because the adults are starving as well.
4. Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are highly intelligent creatures closely related to humans. However, they are unlike us in their common tendency to eat the young of their own species.
Chimpanzees often kill and eat juveniles from competing tribes, and sometimes males will eat babies in their own tribes to increase breeding opportunities. More rarely, females will devour baby chimps belonging to others in their tribe or a competing tribe.
Interestingly, chimps regularly fight and kill adults from other tribes, but they do not eat them. They only eat the babies of their species.
5. Prairie Dog
Prairie dogs are a type of ground squirrel found throughout the grasslands of North America. There are five species, but only three of them are known for killing and eating their young.
Infanticide is most common among black-tailed prairie dogs. Females of this species will often kill the young of other females while they are out foraging.
It is thought that they do this for the sake of having more resources and to prevent their own young from facing a similar fate. Up to one-third of black-tailed prairie dog babies are killed in this way.
6. Rat
Rats are found throughout the world, and there are 56 recognized species of them. They often have large litters, which may be part of what prompts them to kill some of their young.
Often, rats have more young than they can properly raise, with some of the babies growing weak and malnourished. Adult rats will kill and eat these babies to prevent them from suffering.
Mother rats may also kill their young if they themselves are weak or sickly and cannot care for them. Alternatively, they may kill and eat their babies if the young are in imminent danger from predators.
7. Chicken
Unlike other animals on this list, chickens don’t necessarily eat their young intentionally. In many cases, they eat their babies by accident when an egg gets broken open in the coop.
Chickens are more likely to eat their own babies when they are deficient in calcium, which in turn tends to make their eggshells more prone to breaking. Once chickens have developed a taste for their young, they are more likely to break their eggs and eat them intentionally.
Fortunately, there are ways to discourage domesticated chickens from eating their young. Some farmers place golf balls or fake eggs in the nesting boxes; once the chickens try to peck these hard substitutes, they will be less likely to attempt such behavior again.
8. Hamster
Hamsters are native to Asia and Europe but are commonly kept as pets throughout the world. However, these cute, furry creatures sometimes kill and eat their young.
Like rats, hamsters mostly practice infanticide when their babies are sick or injured to put them out of their misery. In rare cases, mother hamsters will eat some of their young if they are stressed, threatened, or feeling it necessary to protect the rest of the litter.
The good news is that hamsters rarely eat their young if they are healthy and have plenty of food.
9. Blenny Fish
The terms “blenny” and “blenny fish” can apply to around 900 species of fish, some of which are kept as pets in home aquariums.
Female blennies lay eggs and leave the males to look after them, but in many cases, the males will eat these eggs if there are not enough of them. In particular, if there are fewer than 1,000 eggs, the male will eat them or push them out of the nest before finding another female to breed with.
This behavior is most likely tied to a biological instinct to breed effectively and ensure there are enough young to continue the species.
10. Rabbit
Rabbits are found on nearly every continent and comprise a variety of species. It’s hard to imagine these cute, cuddly creatures could eat their own young, but this does happen sometimes.
In most cases, mother rabbits will eat their stillborn babies. There is a good reason for this–eating the dead young prevents them from attracting predators that would endanger the live, healthy babies.
In rarer cases, mother rabbits may eat weak or sickly offspring, particularly if they are stressed. Eating these weaker babies allows them to focus their energy and resources on the healthy babies.
To learn more about why some animals eat their babies, check out the video below:
Conclusion
Though cannibalism and infanticide are relatively rare in the animal kingdom, there are many animals who take part in these behaviors. These animals include lions, chimpanzees, rats, chickens, and blenny fish.
