Why Do Animals Eat Their Babies?

Sometimes, it makes sense for critters across the animal kingdom to chow down on their own young.

Thanks to for sponsoring this video.

If you enjoyed this video, you might want to check out this one by Jesse Agar: Why kill a baby? – (send some love from us)

___________________________________________

FYI: We try to leave jargon out of our videos, but if you want to learn more about this topic, here are some handy keywords to get your googling started:
– Filial cannibalism: is a form of infanticide that occurs when an adult individual of a species consumes all or part of the young of its own species or immediate offspring.

Species featured in this video:
– Hamsters (Cricetinae family)
– Assassin bug (Rhinocoris tristis)
– Red Tailed Monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius)
– Long Tailed Skink (Eutropis longicaudata)
– Egg-eating snake (Oligodon formosanus)
– Sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus)

___________________________________________

Credits (and Twitter handles):
Script Writer: Rachel (@RA_Becks)
Script Editor: Alex Reich (@alexhreich)
Video Illustrator: Ever Salazar (@eversalazar)
Video Director: Emily Elert (@eelert)
Video Narrator: Emily Elert (@eelert)
With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Kate Yoshida, Peter Reich, David Goldenberg
Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder:

_________________________________________

Thanks to our supporters on :
– Maarten Bremer
– Jeff Straathof
– Tony Fadell
– Muhammad Shifaz
– Mark Roth
– Melissa Vigil
– Valentin
– Alberto Bortoni

_________________________________________

Like our videos?
Subscribe to MinuteEarth on YouTube:
Support us on Patreon:

Also, say hello on:
Facebook:
Twitter:

And find us on itunes:

___________________________________________

References:

Special thanks to Professor Hope Klug, from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, for help with research on this video!

Day, C. S., & Galef, B. G. (1977). Pup cannibalism: One aspect of maternal behavior in golden hamsters. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 91(5), 1179-1189. doi:10.1037/h0077386

Gilbert, W. M., Nolan, P. M., Stoehr, A. M., & Hill, G. E. (2005). Filial Cannibalism at a House Finch Nest. The Wilson Bulletin, 117(4), 413-415. doi:10.1676/04-003.1
Full text:

Huang, W. (2008). Predation risk of whole-clutch filial cannibalism in a tropical skink with maternal care. Behavioral Ecology, 19(6), 1069-1074.
Full text:

Klug, H., & Bonsall, M. (2007). When to Care for, Abandon, or Eat Your Offspring: The Evolution of Parental Care and Filial Cannibalism. The American Naturalist, 170(6), 886-901. doi:10.1086/522936
Abstract:

Klug, H., & Lindstrom, K. (2008). Hurry-up and hatch: Selective filial cannibalism of slower developing eggs. Biology Letters, 4(2), 160-162. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0589
Abstract:

Why do some fish eat their own eggs? – Phys.org. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2016, from

source: Youtube