Top 20 SAVAGE Animal Rivalries

Top-20-SAVAGE-Animal-Rivalries

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for our favorite arch nemeses of the animal kingdom.

#20: Cheetah vs. Hyena
Two of Africa’s greatest hunters also share one of the continent’s greatest rivalries. What they don’t share is their prey, with both species being known to steal kills from each other. The cheetah may very well be the world’s fastest land animal, but that doesn’t stop the hyenas from laughing in their enemy’s face. To be fair, hyenas do have one pretty notable advantage over their spotted foe in that they’re able to eat — well, pretty much anything. With powerful jaws, they can even crush bones and devour up to a third of their body weight in a single meal! Perhaps cheetahs should be thanking the hyena for cleaning up what they leave behind — after all, they are nature’s custodians.

#19: Chimpanzee vs. Bonobo
These two primates share many similarities—in fact, bonobos were originally referred to as “pygmy chimpanzees.” However, their social structures are very different, and this has stirred some conflict. They really are just like us, aren’t they? Chimpanzees, particularly males, tend to be more violent, while bonobos are known for their more peace-loving, harmonious nature. One theory suggests the two species split around 2 million years ago due to a minor difference in availability of food that sent them on two different evolutionary paths. Who knew being short a few bananas could have such a significant impact?

#18: Snake vs. Newt
Garter snakes have preyed on newts for a long, long time — research suggests that this is a rivalry that dates back about 170 million years ago. Within the span of those years, the two species have become locked in a race that we can only assume Charles Darwin would very much enjoy watching. Over time, newts have evolved to develop a poisonous toxin to kill the snakes that prey upon them. But in turn, the snakes evolve to better tolerate the poison…and then the cycle repeats. After so many years, can’t they just learn to get along?

#17: Owl vs. Crow
Great horned owls are master nocturnal hunters, stealthily swooping in at night to snatch prey from their nests. During the day, however, they don’t have quite the same advantage, causing some of their fellow avians, including crows, to turn the tables on them during daylight hours. Crows will harass owls in mobs when they come across them during the day. While older owls eventually adapt to be undisturbed by the activity, the mob behavior still works out for the birds that exhibit it, with studies finding that they are less likely to be preyed upon. We wonder if there’s a crow version of Tony Soprano!

#16: Komodo Dragon vs. Saltwater Crocodile
In their own ecosystems, these two apex predators are the kings of the food chain. They both have kaiju-like status in the animal kingdom, with Komodo dragons being the largest lizards in the world and saltwater crocodiles being the largest reptiles in the world. These two scaly titans rarely if ever clash in the wild. But if they do (like in a state park setting), the results could be deadly! While there’s no doubt that the Komodo dragon is a formidable predator with a venomous bite, crocodiles have an advantage in size and strength — especially their powerful jaws. Forget “Godzilla vs. Kong,” this is a matchup we’d pay to see on the biggest screen possible. Make it happen, Hollywood!

#15: Eagle vs. Snake
The mythologies of various cultures use eagles and snakes as symbols of conflict between righteousness and wretchedness. Storyteller Aesop is said to have written the fable “The Serpent and the Eagle” in the time of ancient Greece. Venomous snakes can take down many an enemy with just a bite. Eagles are apex predators of the air thanks to their exceptionally keen vision. This allows them to always see their foes coming, including the snake. Of course, in this instance, it also helps that snakes are…pretty grounded. They sometimes pose a threat to eagles' territories or nests, but if the eagle can get the snake airborne, they have a definite home team advantage.

#14: Crocodile vs. Nile Monitor
Crocodiles may be the largest reptile in town, but they still have some competition in Africa, particularly from the Nile monitor, a formable and sizable lizard. In fact, the two have been known to be confused for one another from time to time! Nile monitors are a real thorn in the side of crocodiles, mainly because they will try to steal their eggs and scavenge their prey. Crocs may have the advantage in size, but the speed and resourcefulness of the Nile monitor mean it can be a worthy opponent in the fight for resources.

#13: Komodo Dragon vs. Itself
It seems as if the fearsome Komodo dragon has trouble getting along with pretty much anybody, no matter what species — and this includes other Komodo dragons! If food is scarce, they may even eat their own young. These immense lizards are quite territorial and will be defensive of their territory towards each other. Male Komodo dragons also engage in heated battles, biting and clawing at each other in a conflict that typically takes place over females during mating season. Now, we don’t encourage interspecies violence…but we have to admit it’s pretty cool watching two of these mammoth lizards go up against one another.

#12: Wolf vs. Coyote
An all too common example of two factions having much in common but societal differences tear them apart! To be fair, there are notable physical differences as well — wolves are definitely the larger of the canines. But it truly is social differences that really drives a wedge between them. Wolves famously hunt in packs, while coyotes exhibit more solitary behavior. So when they compete for habitat and prey like fawns, not only are coyotes smaller, they’re outnumbered. Wolves don’t take kindly to competition and will harass and occasionally kill coyotes in retaliation. If only the species could learn to hunt alongside each other. Teamwork makes the dream work!

#11: Honey Badger vs. Everyone
Here’s an example of someone who has a beef with seemingly everybody. We bet Drizzy Drake could relate! The honey badger is even arrogant enough to take on foes much larger than itself — including leopards, lions and hyenas. Excuse the dated reference, but they just don’t care. You might consider them one of the animal kingdom’s biggest daredevils! Like many critters, honey badgers are at their most aggressive when acting in defense of their territory or when hunting for food. While the honey badger may be an enemy to all, we still can’t help but admire its grit and determination!

#10: Crocodile vs. Anaconda
What happens when you take two of the largest reptiles in the world and place them in the same habitat to compete for prey? You get one vicious, cold-blooded feud. This particular bout exemplifies the relative advantages and weaknesses of each creature. The crocodile has one of the strongest bite forces in the world. One well-placed chomp and even the largest snake is in trouble. But the anaconda, with its bone-crushing ability to constrict, can literally squeeze the life out of the competition. YouTube has made this rivalry extremely popular, but the creatures featured in many videos are in fact alligators and other types of snakes, like pythons. So let’s drop the semantics… when serpents and “crocodilia” tango… things get messy.

#9: Honeybee vs. Asian Giant Hornet
Sure, a battle between giant reptiles sounds like a big-ticket event... but the rivalry between Asian Honey bees and Asian Giant Hornets is some real nuanced “Art Of War”-level stuff. These giant hornets are nearly two inches in length and boast a quarter inch stinger. They steal the young larvae of honeybees to feed to their own offspring. Dark, right? An invading hornet’s hard outer shell is impenetrable to bee-stings, making it a juggernaut of carnage - beheading honey bees as it tears through the hive. It’s a real David and Goliath dynamic. But when you can’t stab ‘em… cook ‘em. In a fascinating move, Japanese honeybees have learned to band together to engulf the hornet and vibrate so furiously that they literally cook it alive.

#8: Elephant vs. Rhinoceros
They’re big, they’re grey, and they know how to throw their weight around. We’re talking about elephants AND rhinos. These two creatures share an environment, and for the most part, it’s a peaceful co-existence. But if either feels threatened, they can react defensively, with extreme aggression - especially when young ones are around. But the biggest factor? Hormones. When male elephants enter their “musth period,” their testosterone can reach up to 60 times the normal level. They go into hormonal berserker rage. Male elephants are likely to attack anything during this time… but rhinos are just about the only species that’ll fight back. In 2000, a wayward pack of adolescent male elephants killed an estimated 36 rhinos.

#7: Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark
The next stop on our savage animal rivalry world tour? The deep blue sea. The Great White Shark is considered an apex predator, the top of its food chain. They’ve been known to attack not only humans, but boats too! By contrast, we generally think of whales as peaceful giants, and for the most part, they are. But the Killer Whale, made famous by SeaWorld and the “Free Willy” film franchise, has more than earned its lethal name. Killer Whales are ruthlessly efficient when hunting seals and penguins, and they aren’t afraid to challenge the king of the ocean either. In fact, orcas are the only natural predators of Great White Sharks. Competition over prey (or a chance encounter) can be enough to trigger a deadly contest for oceanic supremacy.

#6: Polar Bear vs. Walrus
Speaking of apex predators… the polar bear is a pretty serious hunter. The most carnivorous of all bear species, its prey primarily consists of seals. But like any great hunter, the polar bear sometimes finds itself tempted by big game… and in the Arctic, there’s no prey more massive than the walrus. Only the largest polar bears will target walruses, and such attacks are on the young or injured. But an attack on calves often attracts the attention of a bull, resulting in an epic clash of claws and tusks. Adult male walruses weigh up to 4,400 lbs, more than double the average polar bear. Either the bear kills the walrus or it backs down, often having suffered life-threatening stab wounds.

#5: Mongoose vs. Cobra
Alright, anaconda vs. crocodile is anyone’s fight. But surely when put up against a fuzzy, warm-blooded mammal, a cobra will win every time? Apparently not. The mongoose may only be one to two feet in length, but it is fierce, agile, smart and unlikely to back down. According to one Greek historian, they were even known to steal crocodile eggs. Cobras, on the other hand, are extremely venomous snakes, which, up against any other mammal that size, would consider their opponent an easy meal. But the mongoose has an ace up its furry sleeve - a resistance to snake venom. It’s prey vs. predator, and while it can go either way, the odds generally favor the mongoose.

#4: Hippopotamus vs. Crocodile
Crocodiles… do they get along with anyone? When not fighting anacondas or lizards, crocodiles are known to trade blows with their fellow river-dweller, the hippopotamus. And while these large herbivores may look exceedingly lazy, content to spend their days bathing, they can be downright vicious when need be. They might give off a goofy, approachable vibe, but attempting to hug a hippo is extremely ill-advised. Hippo calves are a tempting snack to large predators, which include lions, hyenas, and of course crocodiles… but the ferocity and aggression of hippo bulls make them a risky target. In fact, crocodiles are often viciously “relocated” or even killed by these giant vegetarians, simply for getting too close. That classic hippo yawn? A sign of aggression.

#3: Lion vs. Hyena
So how do the other African predators keep busy while the hippos and crocs are duking it out? Working out a rivalry of their very own, of course. As “The Lion King” taught us, unless the lion in question is a power-hungry conniving outcast, with a penchant for fratricide, lions and hyenas DON’T get along. Since the dawn of time, hyenas have been competing with the king of the jungle for prey. Both are known to steal from one another, going so far as to target each other’s young. While lions are bigger and stronger, hyena packs bring strength in numbers, with overwhelming results. Competition over food can lead to full blown royal rumbles between hyenas and a lion pride.

#2: Dolphin vs. Shark
Few animals inspire fear like sharks. Sure, their aggression has been exaggerated in popular media, but they really do attack. By contrast, dolphins are treated like the jesters of the sea – harmless, friendly frolicking clowns. Well, it turns out that they aren’t so innocent either. Dolphins have historically saved humans from sharks, but they’ve also recently been observed attacking humans and bludgeoning baby porpoises to death for fun. So… maybe don’t underestimate them? Dolphins work as a pack, attacking the shark from all sides. They use their rounded noses to ram the shark, striking the shark’s soft underbelly. One serious shark bite can end a dolphin – though that’s not usually the case - while pods of dolphins have killed a large shark on more than one occasion.

#1: Grizzly Bear vs. Wolf
Admittedly, bears and wolves have little reason to fight. The woods are big enough for the both of ‘em, and they don’t really compete over prey. But both are willing to scavenge, and aren’t above getting scrappy over a carcass. On rare occasions, wolves have been seen attempting to catch a bear cub. One on one, a wolf doesn’t stand a chance against a grizzly bear. A grizzly typically weighs in four times heavier than any wolf, and a single well-placed swipe of its paw can cause massive internal damage. But wolves usually travel in packs, and using their speed and agility, they can coordinate their strikes to send a grizzly packing. It’s strength vs numbers.

Did we miss your pick for the animal kingdom’s greatest beef? Let us know in the comments!