- Eating [[plants]] is a lot of [[work]], because it takes a longer [[digestive]] system to process cellulose and [[plant]] toxins, whereas an [[animal]] is a high-[[energy]] package. [[Scavenging]] is easier than [[predation]], but there is more [[competition]] for scavenging, since the high-energy package is not putting up a [[fight]]. The cheapest [[prey]] to predate on is whichever prey would soonest die- either because they are [[young]] and not well-protected, or they are injured, [[old]], and otherwise at risk of soon starving.
-
The first step for a [[predator]] is [[finding]] [[prey]]- to know that prey is present in a [[space]], and then to know exactly where in that space the prey is. For the prey, it just has to know that there is a predator, and the rough direction the predator is in, so it can [[flee]]. Higher variability in its [[escape]], that comes from not knowing exactly where the predator is, can help with the escape. [[Attack]] and escape are high-[[energy]] actions, so they must make a [[decision]] about whether to attack or escape. If a predator doesn’t know exactly where prey is, it makes more sense for that prey to simply stay still, since many predators rely on [[movement]] to [[locate]] prey.