the.com/prey
the universe's reluctant volunteer, donating its body to keep the food chain humming.
means An animal that is hunted and eaten by another, or more broadly any person or thing that is targeted and victimized.
from From Old French 'preie,' descended from Latin 'praeda' meaning booty, plunder, or game caught in the hunt. That Latin word is thought to come from 'prehendere,' to seize or grasp — the same grasping root that gives us 'prehensile' and 'apprehend.' So at heart, prey is simply 'the thing that gets grabbed.'
- eyes wide
- Side-facing eyes give near-360-degree paranoid vision.
- playing dead
- Tonic immobility fools predators that prefer fresh kills.
- safety in numbers
- Herds confuse predators with a blur of moving targets.
- chemical alarm
- Wounded fish release substances warning the whole school.
- sacrificial tails
- Lizards drop wriggling tails to buy escape time.
gazelle — hunted by african lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs across savannas
zebra — primary prey of nile crocodiles in the serengeti during river crossings
cod fish — hunted by seals and sharks in the north atlantic ocean
antelope pronghorn — fastest prey animal on earth at 60 mph, hunted by coyotes in north america