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How do our wild mammals die?

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  • 04-07-2010 1:41pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,093 ✭✭✭


    A little morbid perhaps, but assuming a badger, fox, otter, stoat or hare doesn't die prematurely from a disease, poison, shooting or road traffic, how do they die? And where? I would imagine that starvation is a problem for old badgers, foxes and otters, etc. Has any research been done on this?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 13,034 ✭✭✭✭It wasn't me!


    Predators who don't die of disease or by human interaction tend to starve to death. Not pretty.


  • Registered Users Posts: 938 ✭✭✭Rainbowsend


    Well I guess old rabbit v young fox, just another link in the chain of life!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    Depends on the mammal tbh. A true carnivore will die when it reaches an age when it simply cannot catch food or see off rivals.


    Herbivores will die when they reach a point where they become too slow to evade a predator or in the cases of herbivores that do not have a natural predator other than man, then old age will see them off either through organ failure associated with age or through starvation caused by hindered mobilty.


    Omnivores like the badger would follow a similar path to herbivores.


  • Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 328 ✭✭thefly


    usually they stop breathing


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29 SamB64


    Wild animals generally look fit and healthy becasue theydon't live out their dotage gracefuuly. You slow down you get eaten or starve. It's that simple really.

    :cool:


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