RE: Nocturnal crocs?

[John Bois <jbois@umd5.umd.edu>]

On Mon, 27 Aug 2001, Gordon Martin Human wrote:

> John wrote.......
> >   Ostriches probably avoid treed
> > areas because of the cover this provides stalking predators
> > (Bertram).  Good vegetation years may be bad for ostriches because they
> > bring higher predator density (Bertram).
> 
> and yet....
> 
> > Cassowaries are indeed forest birds. 
> 
> Doesn't this seem sufficiently contradictory to be meaningless...?

We recently had a conversation about what cassowaries might have had to
deal with--so, the presence, number, and type of predator on these birds
is unresolved.  I made the point that aggressiveness is viable only when
the prey has a chance of winning.  This probably was the case with
cassowaries.  It is patently _not_ the case with ostriches
vs. lions.