Different animal has different way to catch their meal. many predators rely on the tried-and-true methods of outrunning, outweighing or out-muscling their prey. These ten animals rely on some of the animal kingdoms most unusual hunting strategies to keep fed. Let’s check it out!
Archerfish
To knock insects on low-hanging leaves into the water, the archerfish shoots them with a precisely aimed fountain of spit, and then swims over to retrieve the new meal.
Amazonian Giant Centipede
From its perch on a cave ceiling, this foot-long insect uses venomous claws to stab passing bats, paralyzing them. Once its prey is lying still, the centipede can devour a whole bat in 60 minutes.
Mantis Shrimp
Wielding the fastest punch in the animal kingdom‚ its clubbed arms reach speeds of 50 mph‚ the mantis shrimp maims its prey with only a few blows.
Trap-Door Spider
The trap-door spider hides in a tunnel behind a camouflaged door of twigs and leaves. When an unsuspecting insect walks nearby, the spider reaches out and pulls it into the tunnel to eat.
Dragonfish
Most creatures in the deep sea can only see blue light; the dragonfish sees red, a wavelength of light it emits from an organ under its eye. Call it nature’s infrared: With the red light, the dragonfish is able to leave its prey in the dark as it searches its surroundings.
Tentacled Water Snake
Fish reflexively turn and swim in the opposite direction when they sense a disturbance in the water. The tentacled water snake positions itself with its tail on one side of a fish and its head on the other. When the snake flicks its tail, the fish swims straight into its mouth.
Killer Whale
After driving a shark towards the surface, killer whales stun it with a swift smack. Since sharks enter a state of paralysis when upside down, the whales grab the shark and flip it over, turning a deadly enemy into an easy dinner.
Plethodon Salamander
To grab a quick meal, this salamander can propel its sticky tongue forward at speeds of over 15 mph, thanks to a ballistic projection mechanism that launches the tongue outward faster than muscle alone could.
Electric Eel
Nature’s answer to the Taser, the electric eel can stun its prey with shocks of up to 600 volts.
Humpback Whale
After herding a school of fish towards the surface, groups of humpback whales blow rings of bubbles around the fish, trapping them. With their prey caught in a bubble net, the whales simply lunge upward with their mouths open, gobbling as many fish as they can.
