Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) may seem like the most ferocious predator in the ocean, but recent study shows that they flee when the killer whales (Orcinus orca) enter their territory. Off the coast of Gansbaai – off the Western Cape of South Africa, a group of at least two killer whales had harasses and attacks great white sharks. So much so that there are noticeable changes in ecosystems.
Enemies are common in the animal kingdom. Other antagonistic animal relationships stem from a species trying to protect its own from becoming prey. Here are three other animals with known enemies.
1. Owls vs. Ravens
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The great horned owl is a nocturnal hunter that preys on birds and hawks from their nocturnal nests. For example, a pair of ospreys living at the Hog Island Audubon Camp had at least one chick taken from their nest five years in a row.
In turn, some bird species will harass owls as a strategy to reduce attacks on their own flocks. Crows, in particular, will harass the owls they meet during daylight hours. A researcher observes a herd of crows harass an owl on an island off the coast of Maine. The owl came to the island at night to hunt, but a storm prevented him from leaving before sunrise.
The ravens took the opportunity to harass the owl, pressing it “constantly” even as it tried to fly to safety. The seagulls then jumped into the fray and sometimes brought the owl close to the water below. Ravens and gulls aren’t the only birds that hunt owls, and researchers in Australia have been watching seven species of birds entering the owls’ faces.
Older and more experienced owls that they look nervous by mobbing crows they end up alone. This is likely because mobbing is a risky behavior performed by birds that are much smaller and lighter than the owl. But it’s behavior that pays off and studies have found that owls are more likely to prey on non-mobbing birds.
Read more: The more we learn about crow brains, the more human-like their intelligence seems
2. Serpents and newts
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The garter snake has long seen newts as a food source, and the newt has long seen the garter snake as a worthy recipient of its deadly toxin. Over time, newts have become more poisonous, and garter snakes have become even better at tolerating poisons. Some have called it an evolutionary arms race.
Newt toxins kill by clogging molecular pores in muscle and nerve cells. This leads to paralysis and then the end of lung function. However, snakes have evolved so that the molecular pores are of a different shape and are not completely blocked by the toxin.
There is this evolutionary back and forth made scientists note that resistance to toxins existed in reptiles long before the appearance of snakes, suggesting that this biological battle royal predates the existence of the two species.
Not all garter snakes develop tolerance, and researchers have found it is based on the location and exposure of the newts.
Read more: 10 of the deadliest snakes in the world
3. Bees vs. hornets
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When Vespa mandariniaor giant northern hornet, was discovered in Washington state in 2020, had cause for alarm. These hornets, called “killer hornets” in many news stories, have brought down entire hives of honey bees.
Only a few hornets in the “slaughter phase” were needed to kill an entire hive by decapitating the bees. Then the hornets claimed the hive.
The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) no natural defenses against the killer hornet. The Asian honey bee (Apis cerana), however, evolved into hornets natural enemy.
The Asian honey bee has several defenses against hornet hive attacks. One strategy is to place animal feces at the entrance to their hive. Scientists suspect that the droppings contain a property that repels hornets.
The bees also use an offensive attack to take down the hated hornet. When a hornet is discovered, the defender bees wait near the entrance. They then hit the hornets with a wad of isoamyl acetate, a pheromone that is released during a sting. The substance simultaneously traps the hornet and raises its body temperature to a fatal level.
Western honeybees, however, need human help to fight their natural enemy. People are encouraged to notify the authorities if they see a suspected northern giant hornet nest.