When predators attack prey, what determines success or failure?

The antagonistic predator-prey relationship is of interest to evolutionary biologists because it often leads to extreme adaptations in both the predator and prey. One such relationship is seen in the rattlesnake-kangaroo rat system. This video, shot by Timothy Higham, a biologist at the University of California, Riverside, captures in high speed (500 frames per second) a rattlesnake trying to capture a kangaroo rat. The research study published in Scientific Reports and led by Higham is the first to quantify strikes using high-speed video in the wild.

Produced by UCR's Office of Strategic Communications.

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