Discover the 5 Most Ravenous Animals
When we talk about the most ravenous animals, we’re referring to those that can devour a lot of food in a short amount of time, or the animals that eat much bigger prey than themselves. Discover some of them in the following article.
The most ravenous animals in the world
This list doesn’t include some dog breeds that tend to devour their food in seconds. Instead, it includes wild species that eat their prey fast to ensure their survival. These are the most ravenous animals in the world:
1. The piranha
This carnivorous fish, featured in the first image of this article, lives in the fresh waters of South America. It’s known for its ability to devour fish in a very short time. It can do so because it has very sharp teeth, is aggressive, and has an insatiable appetite for meat.
In some countries, the piranha is called “caribe” or “caribito” in reference to indigenous cannibalistic people. When this animal smells blood, it can’t resist the temptation to devour it, even if it’s a big animal or person. This is why piranha attacks are common in the Amazon.
2. The vulture
We decided to include this bird of prey in the list of the most ravenous animals because, when it finds food (carrion), it won’t hesitate to fight stronger and larger animals, such as hyenas, to get a good portion.
Vultures spend many hours perched on rocks or branches, observing everything around them. They can see dead animals from great distances and swoop down on them. It’s common to see them flying around a dying or sick animal, waiting for it to die so they can eat it.
3. Termites
The Isoptera family, better known as termites or moths, are famous worldwide for their ability to devour wood or cotton garments. These insects eat cellulose, which they break down in their stomachs.
Termites live in tropical forests and savannahs. They can form colonies underground, in trees, or in mounds on the earth. Termites feed in the following way: the workers transport the food and deliver it to the others in the colony through regurgitation.
4. The hyena
Since we talked about vultures, we simply had to include the hyena in the list of the most ravenous animals, as they tend to compete with one another to eat dead prey.
The hyena is known for its somewhat macabre “laugh”. Experts believe they use it to scare off competitors for food and to alert the herd when it finds a good amount of food.
5. The boa constrictor
We just had to end this list with one of the most ravenous animals when it comes to the size of its prey. The boa constrictor is found in South America, and inhabits deserts and savannahs, moving both on land and in trees.
As for feeding, it can spend hours hidden among the foliage and attack only at night, where it ambushes its prey by surprise. Its heat-sensitive scales allow it to detect the presence of animals such as squirrels, rats, birds, lizards, or bats.
The size of the food isn’t a problem for its mouth. This is because it can dislocate its jaw and swallow prey whole, even prey bigger than itself. After feeding, it can go weeks without moving while it digests.