Re: T.rex predation

["Michael" <tons@ccs.netside.com>]

> Reply-to:      Sankarah@ou.edu
> From:          Chris Campbell <sankarah@ou.edu>

SFaust wrote:      The cheetah is an exception. They won't even touch 
recently
> > dead animals that are still warm. It may have to do with the fact
> > that cheetahs are not particularly social animals, so if it gets
> > sick there is no social group to support it. They're probably health
> > freaks like a lot of human athletes.
> 
> Uh, cheetahs are more social than any other big cat save lions. 
> Cheetahs *are* health nuts, but it's more likely due to their general
> paranoia than their social patterns.
> 
I think both of you are correct.  Lions are the only true big cat 
that is social, but cheetahs are definitely more social than 
the others.   Males that associate are generally heavier (only 10 kg) 
than solitary males possibly providing an advantage.  Females, 
particularly kin often associate and prides (sic)/?tribes? of five or 
so males have been observed.   However, even leopard who were once 
thought to be generally solitary, may form family groups.  It appears 
that several female ranges may overlap a males range who then 
tolerates the female and cubs (juvenile males may not be tolerated 
very well).  Females with cubs have been seen mating with an 
attendent male.  Snow leopards associate well in captivity altho this 
is a different environment than the wild and tigers (primarily males 
perhaps brothers) cooperate at times.  

Kats are too kewl!

Since true cats have conical teeth and both kill and scavenge (an 
estimated 70% of hyena kills from packs of 25-35 individuals are 
stolen by prides) and tyrannosaurs have conical teeth, then obviously 
they could both kill and scavenge, too.:))  Could they have occupied 
the same niche as lions?

Tidbits of tantalizing trivia from Teuton