When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals • Hacker News Board

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#11

Post by kryogen1c » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 5:51 PM UTC

thriving_earthw wrote: post #9

kleton wrote: post #3

Once a horse gets a taste for baby chicks, it's hard to convince them they aren't omnivorous.

Is this just based on that one video or is there something more to this

Its probably true of most animals. I raised a couple of pigs and we intentionally never fed them any meat, even though they'd probably eat it, because we didnt want them to get a taste for it

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#12

Post by pull_my_finger » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 6:06 PM UTC

sandeepkd wrote: post #7

Eating other animals and being able to digest other animals can be two different things. Feels like that should have been a part of such an article.

I don't feel like the article is lacking for that. It's evolution at work. There could be monkeys eating animals that can properly digest them due to some mutation or unique gut biomes. Actually eating the animals is an important first step. Monkeys that usually eat fruits are hunting and eating animals when food is scarce, that's an article worthy observation.

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#13

Post by strictnein » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 6:07 PM UTC

Conversely, when animals are scarce, wolves will eat lots of blueberries.

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-wolves-may-be-helping-...

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#14

Post by groestl » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 6:35 PM UTC

kleton wrote: post #3

Once a horse gets a taste for baby chicks, it's hard to convince them they aren't omnivorous.

When cows have phosphorus deficiency, they occasionally eat small birds, rodents, insects, or bones

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#15

Post by fitsumbelay » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 7:01 PM UTC

strictnein wrote: post #13

Conversely, when animals are scarce, wolves will eat lots of blueberries. https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-wolves-may-be-helping-...

[flagged]

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#16

Post by fitsumbelay » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 7:06 PM UTC

there was a recent story about squirrels in rural California opportunistically hunting and eating field mice and vols that's due to an explosion the latters' population and high availability. Not driven by scarcity of default food sources.

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#17

Post by fitsumbelay » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 7:06 PM UTC

lxe wrote: post #5

Related somewhat: ground squirrels in Bay Area park started actively started hunting voles. https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/carnivorous-feeding-squ...

beat me to it

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#18

Post by wocram » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 7:19 PM UTC

What does this say about humans?

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#19

Post by gus_massa » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 7:32 PM UTC

sandeepkd wrote: post #7

Eating other animals and being able to digest other animals can be two different things. Feels like that should have been a part of such an article.

Eating animal is easy, mostly proteins and fat that are also in plants. The main difference I can think of now is that animals have glycogen instead of starch. Glycogen is more branchy than starch, but IIRC it's not so difficult to digest and there is not to much of it anyway.

The animals adapted to eat plants probably have a gut that is too long, so it will be less efficient, and I guess they have to remember to eat their vegetables to avoid problems.

The reverse is harder. An animal adapted to eat mostly animals have a short gut and will not extract all the nutrients from the plants. Also, plants have cellulose that is super hard to digest, so some animals have special parts of the digestive tube to let the food wait and be partially digested by friendly bacteria. (Yes it's gross, unless you think it's almost like free beer.)

Re: When fruit is scarce, these monkeys hunt animals

#20

Post by eth0up » Sun, Aug 30, 2026, 7:34 PM UTC

Obligatory Python sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deoNAOfkXxc&t=2s

My first, or original impression, which is why it stuck, was that they'd not been stranded for long, but without delay, begin considering who's on the menu. I am not sure why I remember it that way, so I will have to watch it again. Whether misinterpretation or not, it landed on me as a cathartic mockery of human metabolism, or, cannibalism.