Evolution of a tree-based predator that threatens to kill/eat prey unless prey feeds it?

This is a very closely related question to my previous: Evolution of tree-dwelling species that will help predators find prey if prey species doesn't give it a bribe?

The premise is the same, a tree-based creature that blackmails a species on the ground into feeding it, in fact there is a good chance that this creature may blackmail non-prey creatures as described in the above question.

However, in this question I'm shifting slightly to the idea of a bit more direct blackmail, specifically a threat of killing/eating a creature if it doesn't feed you; but preferring blackmail over killing the land creature because of the risk attacking the land-creature being high enough that 'safe' meal through blackmail is preferable to attempting to kill it.

I could use this idea for any number of creatures, but most likely I would be a variant of my griffins, which I sort of fell in love with after answering the question. The answer is very long, but the relevant parts are that griffins live in trees but mostly hunt land-based creatures. Any attack on ground-based creatures is dangerous due to how small/fragile individuals griffins are compared to prey and the presence of land-based predators that kill griffins on the ground. The griffins compensate for this by choosing their targets carefully and only attacking when they can ensure they safest kill. The also spread out the 'pack' over a large region to search for the perfect prey to attack and when found spotters flush the prey to a killzone by visually positioning themselves to attack so that they prey needs to run to avoid the 'spotters' from killing it.

The tribe would prefer to secure a kill so it brings back enough food to spread across the entire tribe, including non-hunters; and the best hunters prefer making kills as it helps to secure matings by showing off his fitness. However, the 'spotters', especially the younger males who aren't ready yet to land kills themselves, may prefer a single larger meal for themselves via blackmail over sharing a small part of a tribes kill. I was thinking the smaller spotters may appear and 'threaten' to call the rest of the tribe to hunt a land-creature that just made a kill but accept a bribe of meat from the kill to not call in the rest of the pack.

This is mostly to get a large meal for 'free', but also because spotters are expected to attempt a kill if the prey refuses to be scared/flushed to the kill zone, and for young griffins this can be very dangerous and thus something they prefer to avoid the chance of being forced to try if the prey doesn't let itself be flushed.

The blackmailing Griffin would likely expect the food to be passed up to them to some degree, as Griffins avoid going to ground level whenever possible for safety.

I want this to be a behavior passed down across generation, either evolved instinct or taught by parents but not something that requires human level intellect, Both species should habitually understand their role as soon as one decides to blackmail. Gryphons will be at least as smart as monkeys, it's the land-based creatures I'm mostly worried about, how do they gain a habitual understanding of this?

Unlike in the last question I imagine blackmail would be less common, only young males who are in particular need of food, are less loyal to the tribe as a whole, and think they can get away with it will be trying this. As such it seems a little harder for land-based creatures to develop a habitual response since the interactions are not as common and because they now have to learn two responses, what to do when Griffins are hunting them for real and what to do when one is threatening to hunt, causing a more nuanced habitual response that's harder to develop (when/how did the land creature learn there are times when it shouldn't just run?)

How could the creature have developed this habitual response and can it be maintained? Can it be maintained even in the face of of griffins occasionally making empty threats in hopes of bluffing its way to a free meal even if the spotter doesn't plan to call the hunt on the land based creature (because the spotter knows that this creature wouldn't provide enough meat to warrant the risk of a hunt to the tribe right now).

posted almost 7 years ago

dsollen‭

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