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Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

nationalpost.com

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Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#21

Post by skookumchuck »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #12
joe_the_user wrote: post #5

On the one hand, this doesn't mean that it would be beneficial for a herbivore to eat meat all the time - clearly, they evolved a mostly herbivorous diet that meat provides a protean supplement to. On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. Yet, humans impose all sorts of artificial strictures on themselves and live to tell the tale.

> On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. That's an odd comparison. For the hare, if the choice is "starve in the middle of winter" or "eat meat", it's not surprising they eat meat. I think to say that a "voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is a purely human creation" is true not because of the vegetarian part, but because of the "voluntary" part. Most…

Food security for humans was first achieved by the US around 1800.

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#22

Post by grawprog »

joe_the_user wrote: post #5

On the one hand, this doesn't mean that it would be beneficial for a herbivore to eat meat all the time - clearly, they evolved a mostly herbivorous diet that meat provides a protean supplement to. On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. Yet, humans impose all sorts of artificial strictures on themselves and live to tell the tale.

There are significant anatomical differences between herbivores and carnivores. Their digestive systems are specialized to processing either animal or plant based protein and fiber more efficiently. Herbivore teeth differe greatly from carnivore teeth and are specialized for grinding where as carnivore teeth tend to be specialized towards biting and tearing.

Humans are omnivores. Like Black bears, raccoons etc. Our digestive system is capable of processing either plant or animal based protein fairly efficiently. Though there are some plant based proteins humans struggle to digest.

https://www.mainstreetsmiles.com/dental-and-skull-anatomy-of...

https://www.raising-rabbits.com/carnivore-digestive-system.h...

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#23

Post by GrayShade »

zaarn wrote: post #10
joe_the_user wrote: post #5

On the one hand, this doesn't mean that it would be beneficial for a herbivore to eat meat all the time - clearly, they evolved a mostly herbivorous diet that meat provides a protean supplement to. On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. Yet, humans impose all sorts of artificial strictures on themselves and live to tell the tale.

It's not just hares; deer and horses (for example) also eat meat if they can get it. They usually go for injured birds or squirrels that can't run away from them (naturally a horse isn't a good bird predator).

Cows, too.

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#24

Post by tyre »

skookumchuck wrote: post #21
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. That's an odd comparison. For the hare, if the choice is "starve in the middle of winter" or "eat meat", it's not surprising they eat meat. I think to say that a "voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is a purely human creation" is true not because of the vegetarian part, but because of the "voluntary" part. Most…

Food security for humans was first achieved by the US around 1800.

Food security is still not a reality in the United States. Millions of people struggle with poverty and face hunger.

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#25

Post by skookumchuck »

tyre wrote: post #24
skookumchuck wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Food security for humans was first achieved by the US around 1800.

Food security is still not a reality in the United States. Millions of people struggle with poverty and face hunger.

I meant food security in the sense of consistent food surpluses and not facing periodic starvation.

Americans today throw away about 40% of the food produced, and are the fattest people on the planet.

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#27

Post by gweinberg »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #12
joe_the_user wrote: post #5

On the one hand, this doesn't mean that it would be beneficial for a herbivore to eat meat all the time - clearly, they evolved a mostly herbivorous diet that meat provides a protean supplement to. On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. Yet, humans impose all sorts of artificial strictures on themselves and live to tell the tale.

> On the other hand, it does show that a voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is an artificial human creation. That's an odd comparison. For the hare, if the choice is "starve in the middle of winter" or "eat meat", it's not surprising they eat meat. I think to say that a "voluntarily purely vegetarian diet is a purely human creation" is true not because of the vegetarian part, but because of the "voluntary" part. Most…

Poppycock. Thy're eating meat because they can, not because they are starving and there is no vegetable matter available.

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#29

Post by make3 »

burfog wrote: post #15
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #4

My understanding is that damn near anything (at least among mammals) will eat meat if they can get it in bite-sized bits. Ruminants may not have the teeth to tear chunks off a carcass, but they'll crunch up baby birds given the opportunity. Someone else has already done all the hard work of converting plant matter into the stuff that meat is made of, so it's high-density protein with very little metabolic cost. Even…

I find it astonishing that the disease risk doesn't lead to a strong aversion to having contact with other animals for any purpose other than reproduction. This is especially true for cannibalism. In the wild, antibiotics are not provided. Worms can get in the heart, lungs, and brain. Even external parasites are risky. Disease means death. The situation is slightly more understandable with some of the dedicated meat…

starvation is likely a more imminent threat for wild animals than for humans, making this a better trade-off (raw meat) for them

Re: Snowshoe hares found to routinely feast on their own dead

#30

Post by porpoisely »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #4

My understanding is that damn near anything (at least among mammals) will eat meat if they can get it in bite-sized bits. Ruminants may not have the teeth to tear chunks off a carcass, but they'll crunch up baby birds given the opportunity. Someone else has already done all the hard work of converting plant matter into the stuff that meat is made of, so it's high-density protein with very little metabolic cost. Even…

To add to your point, herbivores eat meat all the time. It's called insects. They'll even eat small rodents, birds, etc when given the opportunity.

Sure, the prominent diet of herbivores are vegetation, but the idea that they only eat vegetation is simply not true.

And every vegetarian on earth eats animals too. It's called insect parts. It's almost impossible for a salad or any vegetarian meal to be completed devoid of insect or rodent parts ( however minuscule ).

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