What coloration pattern/ technique could a large mammalian predator employ to evade detection from other mammalian predators at 100 -> 20 meter distances (or close enough so that it could sprint into them, and run away).

In my world building scenario there exists what essentially amounts to a Giant Hyena. This animal has the following characteristics:

• It's 3000kg

• It hunts mostly solo

• It has amazing sense of hearing and smell (but otherwise not particularly spectacular eyesight)

• It is "smart" however you want to take that.

• It gets its food from scaring away other scavengers from opportunistic meals

• It has massive neck and jaw muscles

• It also gets food from tracking pack hunters, figuring out the size of the group from a long distance away using its advanced sense of hearing and smell, then using its powerful jaws to pick one of the animals off and run away with it

• It lives in what is essentially the African Savannah and slightly wetter places. So it would prey on other Hyenas, Painted dogs, and Lions.

In order to sneak up on pack predators, it needs to be able to get in close enough undetected, so at the right moment it can pick up one of the pack members and sprint away with a meal. I don't need something that works 100% of the time, just enough that it won't go extinct because of the failure rates.

Changing the environment to a degree is acceptable.

posted about 4 years ago

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4y ago

Cazadorro‭

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