If prey and predator switched places how would this shape the ecosystem?

As the tittle says what would the ecosystem look like if predator and prey were to switch places? The cause of this change is either handwavium or a very unlucky sorcerer. The transformation is mainly in diet: prey become carnivores and predators herbivores (omnivores are unaffected so you can leave them out for the time being). This change in diet will then change the niches that each animal occupies over time. With even more time their bodies will change (mostly their teeth to accommodate for their diet) but their overall body stays the same.

For example a giraffe affected by this spell will become a carnivorous giraffe. The animals teeth become sharper and it uses its long neck to prey on other animals. A lion for example would become a peaceful herbivore with flat teeth.

So how exactly would this change the ecosystem?

Edit: Yes this change is supposed to change the animals instincts and their physiology to some extent. Hooves might become claws or herds may become packs, but the overall animal stays the same. And to answer a specific comment, no I did not leave out these details out of fear for my idea being stolen, but rather to avoid making the question overly complicated.

posted almost 5 years ago

System‭

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