The Myth Of The Perfect Predator

[@TheVividen]

What are some of your more "awesomebro" takes you're willing to defend with your life?

[@josewayneoninguemd7740]

Aust Colossus and hector's ichtyosaur were Older ichtyotitan individuals

[@Rhinoxsaurus]

@@TheVividen dinosaurs could do the reptile equivalent of roar alongside bellowing

[@raulvidal2343]

Since every fossilized adult animal is statistically more likely close to the average size of their species, and the largest members of a species can be way larger than the average, we will probably never find the true giants of the Mesozoic, and maybe when comparing large extinct marine predators like Ichtyotitan or Perucetus to a blue whale, we should consider the average size of the latter instead of the largest individuals.

[@Dr.Ian-Plect]

@@raulvidal2343 Quite, but it still doesn't allow you to conclude the extinct taxa were larger.

[@Dysfunctional_Reprint]

@TheVividen okay follow me on this one. Orcas are the single most terrifying animal to ever live. Extremely intelligent Bad ass color scheme Coordinated as hell Sounds creepy Most of all though, they are extremely emotional and can be very charismatic but are also capable of being absolute psychotic killing machines at the drop of a hat. They are basically schizophrenic goth hunter killer submarines.

[@oliyes406]

“The perfect predator doesn’t exist” Diddy: 🤫

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

Epsteinasaurus

[@markd.s.8625]

​@@soybasedjeremy3653 and its known friend the trumpasaur

[@andyf3269]

@@markd.s.8625Obama and Hillary was good friends with diddy. Even went to parties 😬

[@markd.s.8625]

@@andyf3269 ok? im not american

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

@@markd.s.8625 You do know Trump wasn't on the island right? Epstein's victims even said they never saw him there, but saw a lot of others. Only Trump was mentioned by Epstein and it was in relation to Trump's casino in Atlantic City. Trump has claimed for decades he kicked Epstein off his property at Mar A Lago and worked with the FBI in 2002. Bill Clinton was however seen on the Island, same with Stephen Hawking.

[@Reyma777]

I think the idea of perfect predators comes from people treating animals[especially dinosaurs] like Kaiju.

[@joseluiscalixto5651]

It could also be that some people do not differentiate between training medium (fiction or fantasy) and the ecological functions that each animal has.

[@joshuastrittmatter4188]

Jurassic Fight Club and Monsters Resurrected *REALLY* didn’t help matters much either.

[@orochifuror7148]

or Xenomorphs. A thing that has all the tools to survive against any environment or creature it comes across. A parasite that doesn't need a host, a thing that will consume everything else and "win" at survival.

[@VatanKomurcu]

as far as media goes i'd say stuff like jurassic park and world / alien and predator / sonic / mewtwo has more to do with this effect since the whole perfect predator rhetoric is actually present in those. godzilla and kong, the most popular two kaiju, are respectively an abomination borne of mankind's hubris and an allegory for the black slave. they are not "perfect predators" in the original products and have become so in few sequels.

[@singingcrow439]

Even in an environment that suits them, prey isn't just a static resource that waits to be used. They're going to be evolving alongside the predator. Rattlesnakes use infrared to hunt warm blood rodents. Ground squirrels can pump blood into their fuzzy but skinny tails to throw off their aim. Big cats use camouflage and speed to ambush prey. Deer and antelope have heightened smell and hearing and group behavior to detect them and can not only rival the cats in speed but can easily outlast them in a marathon. Trex can bite a car in half and is agile for a theropod. Triceratops was just agile and had two big reasons on its face for rex to not try and bite it. Prey isn't just going to let itself get hunted. They are constantly evolving to make predators earn their lunch, and it is probably the biggest reason why even if a perfect predator existed, it wouldn't be perfect for long. Ps. Just realized that this isn't always the case, especially if invasive species are involved. There can be changes that some animals can't adapt to fast enough if at all. House cats are a natural example of this. They can and have wiped out multiple species of birds and other small animals, but I suppose that doesn't change my final statement. If a predator is introduced to a "perfect" environment where prey aren't naturally used to them, things would eventually sort out as some prey adapt and others dissappear. The environment will change until the predator isn't dominating everything. One way or another, a "perfect" predator doesn't stay perfect.

[@Hecuba107]

What about the komodo dragon?

[@singingcrow439]

@Hecuba107 they hunt by ambushing their prey and using anti-coagolant vemon to bleed them out. They can take down even fully grown water buffalo this way, but it's not perfect. Like big cats, an ambush predator needs their prey to get into range, and komodos aren't particularly fast, so they can be avoided if spotted by swifter prey like deer. Not to mention, for buffalo, the lizard is still hunting something 6 times its size with horns. Not only does that make it dangerous, but it also means it might take weeks for a buffalo to finally drop from the wound, assuming it was lethal to begin with. They are still dangerous animals and top order carnivores, but they aren't without counterplay.

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

Also, sauropods. Too many times, they were depicted as helpless food for predators.

[@noimsquidward7327]

​@@ExtremeMadnessXLol true, once they were fully grown, they probably lived life back then like how fully grown elephant's lived in the savannah right now, not giving a sh*t because they were too big to be hunted. Sure, there were dinosaurs who specialized in hunting them like the carcharodontosauridaes but even then they probably targeting smaller younger individuals, rarely attacking full grown adults.

[@AncientWildTV]

How do you think this evolutionary arms race influences the stability of ecosystems over time?

[@jordanwilliams2557]

0:11 I like how he didn’t think to give the trex longer arms 😂

[@SansUnderpants-u4c]

He ain’t need that anyways

[@JorgePerez-yg4so]

The animal closest to being a perfect predator or killer would be the dragonfly with a 96-97% successful kill rate but those are tiny guys

[@furioussherman7265]

That's exactly what I'm thinking.

[@aeyelashbug6311]

Also their small size makes them commonly predated upon by many other animals, notably spiders

[@alejandroelluxray5298]

Robber flies are runner ups for that title, some of them even hunt dragonflies

[@mamotalemankoe3775]

The strongest biome dominator is the Orca by a mile and a half though. Basically the entire ocean is their playground.

[@Woman_Kisser]

*in your opinion

[@panzermuncher3099]

"there is no perfect predator" The dragonflies in question:

[@badabing3391]

the humans*** in question

[@alejandroelluxray5298]

​​@@badabing3391Perfect my ass, we are even more vulnerable to damage than the average predator And that's just for those who even KNOW how to hunt

[@badabing3391]

@@alejandroelluxray5298 we are only more vulnerable to damage when without our tools, but practically that never happens.

[@minhducnguyen9276]

​@@badabing3391 If trapping is included humans are also the best predators by energy expenditure. Like a pack of wolves have to run for hours to tire out a reindeer while a man can dig a hole lined with spikes and wait. Obviously there's skill involved in picking the right spot and hiding the trap but that also applies to any ambush predators if a spider picks a bad spot it'll also have to relocate or go starving.

[@rafaellorentz6592]

@@alejandroelluxray5298what was the last time a puma bite your ass? See, humans are the ultimate predator because we can work together, use tools, and change nature itself better than anybody else.

[@kateglew580]

I love how you say eagles are "probably" better at flying than crocodiles. You can never be sure with nature lol

[@TheVividen]

Gotta watch out for the winged crocodilians!

[@kateglew580]

@@TheVividen The perfect predator doesn't exi- *winged deinosuchus has entered the chat*

[@killdozer7792]

I dunno, have you SEEN a crocodile jump? It may as well be flying. OK, maybe not, but it's still pretty awesome to see. X3

[@walter1383]

@@TheVividen Surprise Impossible Creatures nostalgia.

[@Sean-qg3gg]

Kaprosuchus: 🗿

[@toothclaw6985]

Too many people treat their favorite predators as if they have no flaws (e.g. cats or orcas) or are invincible (megatheropods or Otodus megalodon), but evolution doesn't do Mary Sues. You hit the nail on the head when you said being overpowered in a scenario=/=being perfect in it.

[@Camisanegro]

You mean God

[@aaleven4728]

man, stuff like jurassic fight club, r/nature is/was metal and even tierzoo have warped the nature (mostly predators) so much so it's great to see an actually informative video, specially with the end message

[@pierre-samuelroux9364]

Jfc was just unrealistic it was supposed learn stuff but instead it putted innacurate stuff just for sake of seeing animals figh5

[@goldman77700]

I used to like tierzoo and then he started saying stupid garbo like lions beating sauropods so I rolled out.

[@pierre-samuelroux9364]

@@goldman77700 the hell plus you like goldman?

[@goldman77700]

@@pierre-samuelroux9364 What are you even asking?

[@shafqatishan437]

​@@goldman77700lions beating a sauropod was more of reasonable statement. They have been spilling false information ever since their early days and no one listened to me when I pointed out. Worst of all they got praise and pressure from PBS channels who make genuinely educational videos. As for the most inaccurate but famous channels, Bright Side and Science Insider etc hurt the most.

[@Sharktoz]

12 million % agree. Animals only evolve as much as they need to. Their bite force evolves only as strong as it takes to kill the prey in their environment. Their only as fast as it takes to catch their prey. Well said my friend.

[@1998topornik]

With every ability comes advantages and disadvantages. Complicated brains require huge amount of energy to sustain, big size restrict your movement, flying requires huge sacrifices in body plan etc. "Perfect predator" is bound to have some very huge weaknesses.

[@TheOverseerDebates]

Perfectly worded! Although debates of who would win as well as going over new 'buffs' to certain predators is as interesting as it is entertaining, it does not equate to being the perfect predator in every ecosystem.

[@quandaledingle-ju7ov]

I hate how many people seem to have a view that a successful predator has to be huge with a deadly set of weapons like huge claws and fangs when in actuality this is not the case . There are many small successful predators like small cats, foxes , cyotes and mustelids. The same was probably true for extinct animals like the non avian dinosaurs.

[@DakotaofRaptors]

Where's Gort?

[@alejandroelluxray5298]

There's a reason why dromeosaurs are as diverse as they were

[@matebakk5187]

Honestly, if by success we mean rate of catching prey or how wide spread they are your four examples basically in another league compared to say wolves or bears... It would be strange IMO if this wasn't the usual affair in history.

[@minhducnguyen9276]

​@@matebakk5187 Chasing prey until they are exhausted seems like a cool hunting tactic until you realize that most predators are ambush predators because it is more energy efficient in most cases. Wolves have to run for hours, spending tons of calories while a Tiger or crocodile can just sit in a good spot and wait for the opportunity. Jellyfishes literally have no brain and very limited locomotion and they're still one of the most prolific groups of animals in the Ocean. All they do is wait until something edible touches their tentacles.

[@PaleoGuy07]

finally someone who points it out, those were an animals, they are killable, t.rex was a apex predator but also look at prey it was big and armored. when predator is big prey is also big, but we also need to have small predator who can control population of smaller animals that could destroy ecosystem when not in check. big or small all predator are needed and this is my take.

[@JaredHight-g4e]

Ok, hear me out, flying sharks. They still have to ram ventilate air, but a “great blue shark” could still be an ambush predator out of the water. It’s totally impractical but I think it’d be neat.

[@UnwantedGhost1-anz25]

Thank you, Madly Mesozoic, for recommending this. Best video of the year. My most favorite animal are still the Orcas.

[@extremempsilvamps5851]

"there is no perfect predator" Humans with a AK-47:

[@alienstar2088]

I've never really been an awesomebro kinda of guy, I admire Dinosaurs because they are weird and fantastical animals, not movie monsters. That being said, I'm sure there are some traits and adaptations that some Dinosaur species may have had that may lean more into the awesomebro line of thinking, perhaps we may never know.

[@thedragonthatlovesskittles7132]

There is no perfect predator, only perfect predators

[@Hoifdofi]

The perfect predator exists : us! We humans dominate the world and so devoid of competition that the biggest threat to our existence is each other.

[@austintexaz]

We have the same idea brother

[@j-core2895]

Humanity fuck yeah

[@widodoakrom3938]

True

[@rileyernst9086]

Allosaurus is an example of a sucsessful predator, they had supremecy over the Morrison, they were not the largest and scariest predators of their time. But goodness, there was so many of them and they were everywhere!

[@Greenthero]

This video reminds me of that person I got into an argument with on Roblox who thought Indominus could exist because of spec animals.

[@bkjeong4302]

T. rex specifically gets massively overrated on this. People really do act like it has everything, when its adaptations had to make sacrifices like any other predator.

[@alejandroelluxray5298]

And the fact that the only reason it was that powerful was because it's normal prey could kill literally ANY OTHER land predator, including the T-rex itself

[@bkjeong4302]

@@alejandroelluxray5298 TBH I do think Triceratops does get overrated as well. Yes, it’s formidable, but modern predators that kill large prey are hampered far more by prey size than prey armaments, so Trike could easily have been easy prey compared to sauropods or the largest hadrosaurs.

[@wpower7435]

Best comment I've ever read I'm glad someone like you sees it! I've said it over and over again T-rex is so overrated by many people that they'll come as far to make it look invincible it is so annoying and lame

[@AxelNacho.125]

​@@bkjeong4302you might true but that doesnt change that the t rex is The strongest and heaviest megatheropod.

[@bkjeong4302]

@@AxelNacho.125 Physically strongest, yes (but not the best overall killer, or even the fastest killer, because there wasn’t one). Biggest? Only if you use the very biggest known specimens and ignore sample size bias.

[@Justakilla]

Extinct zoo not being on that list gets me mad

[@jkjk7423]

Extinct Zoo generally states a lot of facts without citing proper sources.

[@UnwantedGhost1-anz25]

Imagine seeing these prehistoric animals in person back then with a hypothetical time machine? 😳

[@fabianvidrio370]

Love your content vividen, can you do an assessing survival with madly Mesozoic on the vastatosarus rex from peter Jacksons king Kong?

[@aharanr]

Fun lil video,

[@charlespatrickwade3340]

You used Agros by Paleowolf as the backing sound. A man of taste!

[@pyrrhusofepirus8491]

Hey, Vividen have you seen the animated short film Antediluvian by Mario Lanzas, depicting and animating the earliest depictions of Dinosaurs? It’s an incredible piece of animation.

[@TheVividen]

I haven't! I'll have to check it out. Mario does great work.

[@pyrrhusofepirus8491]

@@TheVividen It’s only three-minutes and it will mesmerise you, and it makes me wonder why Lovecraftian literature hasn’t utilised depictions of Antediluvian Dinosaurs.

[@tannermcguire7713]

Mario is incredible, i love his paleo period size comparisons

[@jianblundell6038]

Ayyy paleowolf music in the background, nice!

[@machiavelZongo]

this guy is very awesome and i love this amazing video he is right as well.

[@animalazx7239]

“You created a movie monster” The perfect organism the xenomorph: correct you are

[@luukzilla1519]

Off topic question, am i the only one who is getting kinda bored of Megalodon? Edit: i feel like other Otodus members do not get enough attention

[@denistyrant]

Because other Otodus members are more even fragmentary than Megalodon itself (Or less studied) 💀💀💀

[@migueljardim8177]

Personally, I don’t see how anyone could be bored by a nearly 100-ton supersized whale-killing shark. But hey, that’s just me.

[@edwardchampion8891]

I personal find velociraptors overated.

[@Dysfunctional_Reprint]

A bit. Livytan and all the extinct whales are far more terrifying than big fish Boi. Sure Megajaws is scary but a pod of submarines with teeth the size of railroad spikes and is highly intelligent but most of all, you can hear them coming long before they get you, is a level beyond fear my body does not have the facilities to properly comprehend.

[@bitcheslovecannons5073]

Livytan is a far more interesting creature, in my opinion.

[@Beanthespinosaur]

Thank you. Somebody has finally said it!

[@Lucy-yc4bc]

Fantastic video

[@chrisrandom1404]

Awesome video as always. Part of the fun of paleontology is using your imagination.

[@liamdealmeida9914]

"The perfect predator doesn't exist" **Human has joined the chat**

[@Rhinoxsaurus]

I would've gone with orca

[@alienstar2088]

Until we lose our big bonk stick, not so perfect then lol

[@migueljardim8177]

We aren't perfect predators by any stretch of the imagination.

[@dreadshells5611]

@@migueljardim8177 yes we are.

[@migueljardim8177]

@@dreadshells5611 You hear yourself? That's hubris.

[@tyrannotherium7873]

Indeed, we can like Apex predators, but we can’t overhyped them too much. Every Apex predator is designed to hunt different.

[@AceOfHeartz4]

Just found out Trex was your favorite animal in just over thirty seconds of watching your channel for the first time just now! 😮

[@MrHusang23]

"orbital bombardment" So the dinos were considered xenos or heretics?

[@The_Raptor]

Both, because they're foreign life (they werent human) and they cant make prayers (because they're animals)

[@adexterwolfe]

Loves this after a hard days work, Viv! Whats the name of the music please??

[@Not-Kobe]

When you think of how fierce and incredibly "superior" past life forms were, remember that they are extinct for a reason.

[@Rose-yx6jq]

Eh, I'd say sharks and crocodilians are pretty perfect. Sharks are older than trees and crocodilians survived the KT extinction event

[@kevinnorwood8782]

I really loved the premise of this video. EVERY predator in nature, both extinct and extant, has flaws. But a GOOD predator knows how to maximize its strengths and avoid situations where its flaws can come to the forefront (or be exploited).

[@mohammadtanvirrahman5541]

I would say that the leopard and spinosaurus from jurassic park are good shouts

[@MrEmilable]

Anomalocaris is a Prefect Predator... becuase it´s Doing it´s Best.

[@PrehistoricMagazine]

I’ve always been fascinated by what size of a predatory dinosaur might have been the best size. Tough question. You can only be as good as your surroundings call for you to be. It’s like asking which athlete was better someone today or 50 yrs ago. Mike

[@Akimikinaak]

One word. Dragonfly. Landed on a design 400 million years ago almost no change since

[@WallNutBreaker524]

I was about to say that this video is ripe for taking inspiration for writing Fantasy Creature's, and 4:58 in he says he's also a Fantasy Writer. Noice. 🤣👌

[@superzilla784]

"Take a T-Rex, give it wings, armor, and the ability to breath fire" Metal Greymon? Is that you?

[@mandarin420]

Tell that to the feral cat in my yard

[@alejandroelluxray5298]

That one coyote stalking said feral cat:

[@BeastNugget44Main]

Isnt that one cat that fits in your palm the most successful predator ever

[@chickadeestevenson5440]

Sand cat, and I think it's the best feline at hunting. I know that some of the best predators are tiny. Dragonflies and Frogfish come to mind.

[@introversao]

The time its the perfect predator

[@may829]

I'd argue the closest anything gets to being the "Perfect Predator" is an orca

[@aliakbarmaliki3156]

I'd like to see how they thrive when they are suddenly thrown at the forest, savanna, or plateau. If anything, humans are the closest to being perfect predator imo

[@Arcad1010]

@@aliakbarmaliki3156this! I don’t get why some people in this comment section only base it on the success rate of capturing prey for animal to be considered a perfect predators. The way I see it for someone/something to be a perfect predator you must have high success rate of capturing prey but also adapting to various environments and be able to eat almost anything. Humans are the most extra ordinary predators for we are capable of eating almost anything and survive in different environments.

[@TeeAiDee]

The T-Rex is probably the closest to a perfect predator we'll ever get... And it went extinct. Nothing is perfect.

[@ThalerMan92]

"The perfect predator that will dominate all ecosystems doesn't exist" Hairless, sweaty, bipedal monkey: "lol, lmao, even"

[@Whaleydavey]

Didn’t the great mass extinction prove that the smaller the organism the more adaptable it is to adversity? Couldn’t this apply to predators? So a lemming would be more successful than a T-Rex as a predator ; and a spider would be more successful than a lemming as a predator. So maybe an ant is the most successful predator ever.

[@Kurriochi]

Maybe sharks aren't the perfect predators, but to me, they're the perfect little (big) guys.

[@fandomfanboy3743]

This makes sense, especially considering the fact that predators have to hunt much larger or well armed prey, just to gain the necessary nutrients and calories they need to keep themselves healthy and alive. However they gotta hunt prey that will are more violent and trigger happy than themselves. For the Megalodon, it’s the Livyatan Melvillie, which is essentially a giga sperm whale that is almost the same size. For the crocs would probably be the spinosaurids, Titanoboa and nest pirates. For the Rex would be nest pirates, triceratops, edmontosaurus, alamosaurus, ankylosaurus and Deinosuchus.

[@bruh949]

Background audio?

[@mhdfrb9971]

Parasites enter the chat

[@theodoreavdikos9804]

A parasite isn't a predator though

[@regularguy2807]

@@theodoreavdikos9804 If it kills its host it is.

[@theodoreavdikos9804]

@@regularguy2807 This form of killing is nowhere near perfect, so they're not worth mentioning

[@ivanlol7153]

Where does the name "Vividen" come from?

[@manzac112]

I still don't understand why there are certain people who want to just label a perfect predator when they don't understand that there's a lot of reasons why that cannot happen. Every animal is adapted to its own environment and the given situation that it's applied to. Sometimes they progress or sometimes they don't need to change. That's the beauty of life on Earth.

[@jodebever]

Tarbosaurus would've been perfect if it wasn't for any extinction events

[@dagoodboy6424]

If i had to pick. Dragonflies may be the closest thing to a perfect predator. They have a high success rate. But kinda every predator is the perfect predator. They all fit thier niche. utill they dont...

[@chickadeestevenson5440]

Frogfish are pretty damn awesome too

[@dagoodboy6424]

@@chickadeestevenson5440 yeee they have high succes rates too

[@daviddimitrov3696]

I love dinosaurs. I have since a child but growing up my favorite dinosaur was not Trex like all the others. It was Carnotaurus, right now I love every dinosaur so picking a top top favorite is hard. One day I might feel like Spinosaurus, another time Saurophaganax, it's never consistent just dew to how much variety there is.

[@Lilithia01]

The gorgonopsids are the closest thing we had to a perfect predator. The only thing that could fully eliminate these animals was the sheer force of nature.

[@odd-eyesdragoon]

No such thing as an ultimate lifeform, no matter how much we want it to exist.

[@TylerYork-i3q]

Aust Colossus could have possibly slow down its metabolism meaning it could slow down the process it needs to eat this could also work out for in terms of the long run once it comes to survival durability and survivability of this animal could work pretty well even today because blue whale and sperm whales could provide a reliable prey in food source

[@TylerYork-i3q]

Aust Colossus slow rebirth rate for most animals slowly breeding when not work however Aust Colossus sorry could be sustainable by food and soul reaper free means it will give whales enough time to be able to reproduce and have babies of their own so technically they build with and sustain themselves Aust Colossus may not be able to see a very big population but population I can definitely stay around nonetheless it's the population of may not grow or decrease but it won't become extremely big it would stay on a study nice happy medium when it comes to population and all she wants to comes to well it's natural environment I want me to problematic what's the best animal would work perfectly

[@technologic21]

On the evolutionary spectrum, Xenomorphs have adapted to be good hunters. Able to adapt to any environment, from the vacuum of space, to deep underwater. Their silicon-biology is designed for stealth and attack, acidic blood as a defense mechanism, a tough exoskeleton, and a hardy parasitic reproduction cycle. The perfect organism.

[@furioussherman7265]

I can actually think of a perfect predator: Dragonflies. They have the highest percentage of successful hunts of any carnivore on Earth.

[@k7l3rworkman97]

Love this vid haha 0:11 Basically described a Dragon 💪🏻🤣

[@LordVelaeryyn]

Always find videos like these funny when the single deadliest animal in our planets/possibly galaxies history is us lol We could annihilate everything in a matter of days is we so chose

[@a_penguin8553]

Perfect predators are normally over specialized and when they can't access their niche they can't compete

[@maxallen5510]

We’ve seen the perfect predator. XX121 Xenomorph. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility. I can’t lie to you about your chances but…..you have my sympathies 😊

[@Xaiff]

Give raptors mimicry like chameleons & venom glands like komodo dragons. That would be terrifying 😂

[@andres-8635]

Nothing is perfect!

[@vladline1882]

If I want to build my own Dinosaur I will go with Sauropod. Brachiosarus with Osteoderm like Titanosaur.

[@Kai0kenAssassin]

Interesting topic. But it makes sense, all successful predators are adapted to take on their specific food. Also, All Hail the Tyrant King 👑 🙌

[@garg4531]

Quite so! For me the closest there’ll ever be to a “perfect” animal is an adaptable generalist that can survive just about anywhere and anything They’re obviously not the most impressive animals, but they *are* the most likely to survive

[@AristasTheMonsterHunter]

2:35 humans: 👀

[@Kaidhicksii]

So could the perfect predator actually exist? *"It's false." "No way." "Not this time." "We created it." "Not this time." "No." "Not this time." "It's totally made up." "Pure fiction." "It's fiction." "It's fiction." "We made it up."*

[@gabrieltheachillobator]

Definitely well said Although I would like to add that a fire breathing, winged, armored rex really isn't a monster, that description is literally just a western dragon that looks like a rex xD Which in its own environment can very well be a perfect predator for that world (of course this adds to the myth of the perfect predator being a myth) Honestly any attempt I've seeb at making perfect predators just end up making blueprints for a fantasy creature that you can place in a fantasy world where it's no different than presators from our reality

[@cro-magnoncarol4017]

Tyrannosaurus may have not been the perfect terrestrial predator, but it was pretty damn close.

[@torgomaghanyan7633]

The bear, its the closest we got to perfect predator.

[@athos9293]

If we think about it, the only territory to not ever be (knowingly) occupied by crocodylomorphs are the skies

[@thegreywardenherald8923]

The 3 most important criteria for a successful predator in my opinion are: 1) Intelligence 2) Doesn't specialize. 3) Adaptability to multiple environments and climates. Honestly, in my opinion, the 2 species closest to being "perfect" predators are actually alive today, and they are: 1) The African Wild Dog- As far as I know, they have the highest hunting success rate of any predator today at 80%. They click Intelligence, and they don't specialize in hunting only a few species. And 2) The Mountain Lion/Puma: the widest ranging land mammal on Earth, with its range extending from southern Alaska/parts of Canada all the way to the southern tip of South America. They check all 3 criteria, especially the adaptability mark, but they don't have as high of a hunting success rate as the African Wild Dog, sitting at a rate of about 50% according to most sources I could find.

[@ratfoot6490]

Nah humans the perfect predator. Any ecosystem, we rule it. African wild dogs are endangered and pumas have been driven from much of their old range. Also dragonflies have a higher success rate than wild dogs, not that hunting rate success is the best indicator. Dragonflies get bodied by robber flies, and wild dogs get punked off their kills by lions. Also humans are wider ranging than pumas, so are red foxes. Aside from humans I'd say orca are the ultimate predator. They can kill almost anything they come across, though they may be occasionally be driven off, nothing really beats them. But even then ocra's pale in comparison with humans, I'd say humans are the only thing that has gotten close to what could be a perfect predator.

[@turnipmanz1754]

I’d say coyotes and red foxes due to their adaptability and being very wide spread

[@shafqatishan437]

African wild dogs are least successful in terms of survivability. They can't survive in deep forests or desert ecosystem. On grassland and savannahs where they thrive, spotted hyenas hugely outcompete them and lions drive their population to extinction almost every time. As for pumas, yes they're very successful and adaptable but leopards do it way better than them in Asia and Africa, in fact feral cats are the most successful land predators by far.

[@Vexinsight]

I would say that gray wolves and leopards represent better examples of this.

[@JRBDWD]

Predators are specific tools for specific jobs

[@manzac112]

That's why I always say, if there really was a predatory theropod that would easily Outlast to the present day, it would be the Ceratosaurs/Abelisaurs. They didn't have to change much and they can fit into any niche in any given environment.

[@The-recolored-clone3354]

About weasels?

[@aeyelashbug6311]

The perfect predator would ideally not rely on other species for survival. Which, spoiler, makes it not a predator

[@НиколайАгония]

We quite are The Apex Predator of every niche

[@Calzilla-14777]

What if your were to make a kaiju that has created the multiverse and beyond and protects all the natural world, I’m just asking cuz my kaiju is basically that.. sorry just got curious I wanna know if a kaiju that’s so intelligent it can created universes making it the perfect creature.. I just love nature and how crazy it can be ☺️

[@jamesaron1967]

What you say is very true and wise in a biological sense.

[@WynnDo-yt2oe]

Honey badgers

[@MemeGodAzul]

No such thing as relative perfection. Perfect is already an absolute concept, no flaws, objective. Mortality is objective, trash is good for flies but bad for humans, that's objective to each entity. Like I said, it's not about preference. That only applies to subjective concepts like things u like, love, want, desire, hate, loathe, despite, favorite, agree & many others that exist through baseless ever changing opinions, emotions, thoughts & etc.

[@laurencewinch-furness9450]

In terms of versatility, mustelids probably come close to being perfect predators. Stoats for instance can thrive in multiple habitats, take down prey four or five times their size, have mastered multiple hunting strategies (including hypnosis!) Stoats also manage to thrive even in the face of intense persecution by humans.

[@joseluiscalixto5651]

I agree with your opinion, there is no perfect predator, each carnivore has its ecological niche. Animals are not monsters, but organisms that fulfill a function and survive in their natural environment.

[@fl00fydragon]

Spoiler alert, you're part of the perfect predator species.

[@BNOBLE981]

Humans are not really perfect though, we need time to be armed and trained, say for example both you and a lion are in the same room, both in your birthday suits could you still prevail over the lion or any other predator that has it's weapons built in?

[@kristianschuff1723]

​@@BNOBLE981so do you always need an animal before a fight or are humans the exception

[@BNOBLE981]

​@@kristianschuff1723 humans are animals that is the point, how are you suppose to compare two different species of predator without including a different animal type, the topic is about the perfect predator, to me at least we are out of the running, since we lack the natural weapons, sharp teeth, claws, horns, venom etc... as well as the natural instincts to know how to make use of those natural weapons that other animals are born with, without are tools even basic training we are defenceless even a poorly trained domestic dog can severely injure or kill a human under the right circumstances.

[@kristianschuff1723]

@@BNOBLE981 if we were so unfit for survival our species would of gone extinct along time ago Name another predator with a prey list even remotely close to what humans have. Our food sources include just about every animal in the ocean, land, or sky not a single species other than humans can claim the same. All while still technically being generalists.Not mention half the reason most of the larger predators still exist is because humans had to restrict themselves to not drive them to extinction.

[@LordVelaeryyn]

@@BNOBLE981 We could annihilate every spec of life on this planet in literal days, survive in places no other life ever could've dreamed of thanks to technology, we literally farm our prey. Its to the point of where endangering our lives is a sport. Saying you have to be naked to be dangerous is a pretty moronic take since it ignores reality, we are literally the deadliest creature our planet has ever seen and possibly our galaxy at this point We are the perfect predator. Our killing methods are unstoppable by anything on our planet that isn't other people. lol You were sitting hear talking on a device that couldn't have existed without us and contains almost all of human knowledge lmao