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These animal rivalries have been going down for millennia. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for our favorite arch nemeses of the animal kingdom. Our countdown of the most savage animal rivalries includes Cheetah vs. Hyena, Wolf vs. Coyote, Crocodile vs. Anaconda, Honeybee vs. Asian Giant Hornet, Dolphin vs. Shark, and more! Did we miss your pick for the animal kingdom’s greatest beef? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Orca have hunted and killed great white sharks.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for our favorite arch-nemeses of the animal kingdom.
00:09They are each other's prey, but they are also each other's deadliest opponents.
00:15Number 20. Cheetah vs Hyena
00:17Two of Africa's greatest hunters also share one of the continent's greatest rivalries.
00:22What they don't share is their prey, with both species being known to steal kills from each other.
00:27The killing is the easiest part of the process.
00:30Keeping your prize trophy is the hard part.
00:38The 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.
00:44To be fair, hyenas do have one pretty notable advantage over their spotted foe in that they're able to eat, well, pretty much anything.
00:52There's a hyena coming. That's not fun.
00:56Amani may not even have a chance to eat.
00:58She needs to get down and eat, eat, eat, eat quickly.
01:01With powerful jaws, they can even crush bones and devour up to a third of their body weight in a single meal.
01:08Perhaps cheetahs should be thanking the hyena for cleaning up what they leave behind.
01:12After all, they are nature's custodians.
01:15Number 19. Chimpanzee vs Bonobo
01:18These two primates share many similarities.
01:21In fact, bonobos were originally referred to as pygmy chimpanzees.
01:25However, their social structures are very different, and this has stirred some conflict.
01:30Bonobos, south of the Congo River, they don't live in a world where they have to worry as much about food.
01:37So with chimpanzees, they have to compete for resources, which means that when they see another group, they see them as a competitor.
01:45They really are just like us, aren't they?
01:47Chimpanzees, particularly males, tend to be more violent, while bonobos are known for their more peace-loving, harmonious nature.
01:53One 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.
02:03It's a story of ecology, of how the forest is built.
02:07It's really shaped who they evolved to be.
02:10Who knew being short a few bananas could have such a significant impact?
02:14Number 18. Snake vs Newt
02:16Garter snakes have preyed on newts for a long, long time.
02:20Research suggests that this is a rivalry that dates back around 170 million years ago.
02:26Looking for tiny invertebrates, it has wandered out of its riverside territory and into the garter snakes.
02:35The newt seems unaware or unconcerned.
02:39Within 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.
02:46Over time, newts have evolved to develop a poisonous toxin to kill the snakes that prey upon them.
02:52The newt arches its back and displays its orange underbelly, a clear signal that it's not to be messed with.
03:02The garter snake decides it's not worth the risk.
03:06But in turn, the snakes evolve to better tolerate the poison.
03:09And then the cycle repeats.
03:11After so many years, can't they just learn to get along?
03:14Number 17. Owl vs. Crow
03:17Great-horned owls are master nocturnal hunters, stealthily swooping in at night to snatch prey from their nests.
03:24The mouse doesn't have a clue what's coming.
03:35And probably never knew what hit him.
03:39During the day, however, they don't have quite the same advantage,
03:42causing some of their fellow avians, including crows, to turn the tables on them during daylight hours.
03:47Crows will harass owls in mobs when they come across them during the day.
03:51While older owls eventually adapt to be undisturbed by the activity,
03:55the mob behavior still works out for the birds that exhibit it,
03:58with studies finding that they are less likely to be preyed upon.
04:02We wonder if there's a crow version of Tony Soprano.
04:04Are you in the mafia?
04:08Am I in the what?
04:09Whatever you want to call it. Organized crime.
04:14That's total crap. Who told you that?
04:16Number 16. Komodo Dragon vs. Saltwater Crocodile
04:20In their own ecosystems,
04:22these two apex predators are the kings of the food chain.
04:25They both have kaiju-like status in the animal kingdom,
04:28with Komodo dragons being the largest lizards in the world,
04:31and saltwater crocodiles being the largest reptiles in the world.
04:35The saltwater crocodile.
04:38One of the most fearsome predators on the face of the earth.
04:42These two scaly titans rarely, if ever, clash in the wild.
04:46But if they do, like in a state park setting,
04:48the results could be deadly.
04:50While there's no doubt the Komodo dragon is a formidable predator with a venomous bite,
04:55crocodiles have an advantage in size and strength,
04:57especially their powerful jaws.
04:59Forget Godzilla vs. Kong.
05:01This is a matchup we'd pay to see on the biggest screen possible.
05:05Make it happen, Hollywood.
05:06Komodos are an incredibly dangerous animal.
05:10The largest lizard in the world.
05:11Razor-sharp teeth.
05:13So one little wrong move, and that'll set him off.
05:15Number 15. Eagle vs. Snake
05:17The mythologies of various cultures use eagles and snakes
05:21as symbols of conflict between righteousness and wretchedness.
05:24Their real danger comes from the sky.
05:27Storyteller Aesop is said to have written the fable
05:37The Serpent and the Eagle in the time of ancient Greece.
05:40Venomous snakes can take down many an enemy with just a bite.
05:44Eagles are apex predators of the air thanks to their exceptionally keen vision.
05:48This allows them to always see their foes coming, including the snake.
05:53Of course, in this instance, it also helps that snakes are pretty grounded.
05:57They sometimes pose a threat to eagles' territories or nests,
06:01but if the eagle can get the snake airborne, they have a definite home team advantage.
06:05For this snake, it's too little, too late.
06:08Number 14. Crocodile vs. Nile Monitor
06:11Crocodiles may be the largest reptile in town,
06:14but they still have some competition in Africa,
06:17particularly from the Nile Monitor, a formidable and sizable lizard.
06:21For now, at least, the mother crocodile seems in command.
06:30But the sly monitor edges ever closer.
06:34In fact, the two have been known to be confused for one another from time to time.
06:38Nile monitors are a real thorn in the sight of crocodiles,
06:42mainly because they will try to steal their eggs and scavenge their prey.
06:45The monitor lizard knows when to strike.
06:49It raids the nest, eats what it can,
06:53and tries to carry away the rest.
06:56Crocs may have the advantage in size,
06:59but the speed and resourcefulness of the Nile Monitor
07:01mean it can be a worthy opponent in the fight for resources.
07:05Number 13. Komodo Dragon vs. Itself
07:08It seems as if the fearsome Komodo dragon
07:11has trouble getting along with pretty much anybody,
07:13no matter what species, and this includes other Komodo dragons.
07:17So these guys, they have like cannibal tendencies?
07:20Oh yes, I mean, that small guy's got to look out.
07:24Survival of the fittest.
07:25If food is scarce, they may even eat their own young.
07:29These immense lizards are quite territorial,
07:31and will be defensive of their territory towards each other.
07:35Male Komodo dragons also engage in heated battles,
07:38biting and clawing at each other in a conflict
07:40that typically takes place over females during mating season.
07:43They have that long, like, kind of like vultures,
07:46long slender heads so that they can get inside of bodies,
07:48you know, eat the carrion, get the meat, rip it out.
07:50Really sharp claws, used for digging, ripping meat off the bones.
07:54Very long, powerful tail.
07:55They use that in combat, also to get away from predators.
07:57You know, they have extremely strong whipping power.
07:59Now, we don't encourage intraspecies violence,
08:02but we have to admit it's pretty cool
08:05watching two of these mammoth lizards
08:06go up against one another.
08:08Number 12.
08:09Wolf vs. Coyote
08:11An all-too-common example of two factions
08:13having much in common,
08:14but societal differences tear them apart.
08:17The wolf thrives in winter.
08:19Highly intelligent and social creatures,
08:22they often show deep affection for one another.
08:26Their intense family ties also make them a deadly hunting unit.
08:30To be fair, there are notable physical differences as well.
08:34Wolves are definitely the larger of the canines,
08:37but it truly is social differences
08:38that really drives a wedge between them.
08:41Wolves famously hunt in packs,
08:42while coyotes exhibit more solitary behavior.
08:45So when they compete for habitat and prey like fawns,
08:48not only are coyotes smaller, they're outnumbered.
08:51Wolves don't take kindly to competition
08:53and will harass and occasionally kill coyotes in retaliation.
08:57If these coyotes don't look over their shoulder enough,
09:00they're gonna find a wolf coming and it's game over.
09:03If only the species could learn to hunt alongside each other.
09:06Teamwork makes the dream work.
09:08Number 11.
09:09Honey Badger vs. Everyone
09:11Here's an example of someone who has a beef with seemingly everybody.
09:15This is an animal with a reputation.
09:18The snake-eating, jackal-chasing, bad news, Honey Badger.
09:24We bet Drizzy Drake could relate.
09:26The Honey Badger is even arrogant enough to take on foes much larger than itself,
09:31including leopards, lions, and hyenas.
09:34Excuse the dated reference, but they just don't care.
09:36You might consider them one of the animal kingdom's biggest daredevils.
09:40Like many critters, Honey Badgers are at their most aggressive
09:43when acting in defense of their territory or when hunting for food.
09:46Honey Badgers, they are notoriously aggressive and a danger to the pups.
09:53While the Honey Badger may be an enemy to all,
09:56we still can't help but admire its grit and determination.
09:59Number 10.
10:00Crocodile vs. Anaconda
10:01What happens when you take two of the largest reptiles in the world
10:05and place them in the same habitat to compete for prey?
10:08The Green Anaconda, known as the heaviest snake in the world.
10:15They reach up to 25 feet long and can weigh more than 300 pounds.
10:21You get one vicious, cold-blooded feud.
10:24This particular bout exemplifies the relative advantages and weaknesses of each creature.
10:29The crocodile has one of the strongest bite forces in the world.
10:33One well-placed chomp and even the largest snake is in trouble.
10:36But the anaconda, with its bone-crushing ability to constrict,
10:40can literally squeeze the life out of the competition.
10:43YouTube has made this rivalry extremely popular.
10:46But the creatures featured in many videos are, in fact,
10:49alligators and other types of snakes like pythons.
10:52This epic battle of the bulging stomachs is raging across the Everglades.
10:57And the Burmese python is eating its way to top predator.
11:01So let's drop the semantics.
11:03When serpents and crocodilia tango, things get messy.
11:08Number 9. Honeybee vs. Asian Giant Hornet
11:11Sure, a battle between giant reptiles sounds like a big-ticket event.
11:15But the rivalry between Asian honeybees and Asian giant hornets
11:19is some real nuanced Art of War-level stuff.
11:21Surrounded by vibrating bodies, the hornet at the core of the bee ball begins to overheat.
11:28The bees have the advantage.
11:29These giant hornets are nearly two inches in length and boast a quarter-inch stinger.
11:34They steal the young larvae of honeybees to feed to their own offspring.
11:38Dark, right?
11:39An invading hornet's hard outer shell is impenetrable to bee stings,
11:43making it a juggernaut of carnage,
11:45beheading honeybees as it tears through the hive.
11:47It's the start of a mass attack.
11:56Each warrior can kill up to 40 bees a minute.
11:59It's a real David and Goliath dynamic.
12:01But when you can't stab them, cook them.
12:03In a fascinating move,
12:05Japanese honeybees have learned to band together to engulf the hornet
12:08and vibrate so furiously they literally cook it alive.
12:12Number 8. Elephant vs. Rhinoceros
12:14They're big, they're gray, and they know how to throw their weight around.
12:19We're talking about elephants and rhinos.
12:21Their massive bulk adds power to their charge.
12:24And they can ram that point home with a four-foot horn or seven-foot tusk.
12:30These two creatures share an environment,
12:32and for the most part, it's a peaceful coexistence.
12:35But if either feels threatened,
12:37they can react defensively with extreme aggression,
12:41especially when young ones are around.
12:43But the biggest factor? Hormones.
12:45When male elephants enter their must period,
12:48their testosterone can reach up to 60 times the normal level.
12:51They go into hormonal berserker rage.
12:54If the punk knocks the rhino over,
12:57he could kneel on her, crushing ribs and vital organs.
13:01Male elephants are likely to attack anything during this time.
13:04But rhinos are just about the only species that'll fight back.
13:08In the year 2000, a wayward pack of adolescent male elephants killed an estimated 36 rhinos.
13:15Number 7. Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark
13:18The next stop on our Savage Animal Rivalry World Tour,
13:22the deep blue sea.
13:23Two apex predators dominate the ocean.
13:28The Great White Shark,
13:30a lone hunter,
13:32and the orca known as the Killer Whale.
13:37The Great White Shark is considered an apex predator,
13:40the top of its food chain.
13:41They've been known to attack not only humans, but boats, too.
13:44By contrast, we generally think of whales as peaceful giants,
13:48and for the most part, they are.
13:50But the Killer Whale,
13:51made famous by SeaWorld and the Free Willy film franchise,
13:54has more than earned its lethal name.
13:56Killer whales are ruthlessly efficient when hunting seals and penguins,
14:00and they aren't afraid to challenge the king of the ocean, either.
14:03Sophia's strike was so powerful,
14:07it shattered the shark's ribs.
14:10In fact, orcas are the only natural predators of Great White Sharks.
14:14Competition over prey or a chance encounter
14:17can be enough to trigger a deadly contest for oceanic supremacy.
14:21Number 6. Polar Bear vs. Walrus
14:24Speaking of apex predators,
14:26the polar bear is a pretty serious hunter.
14:28The most carnivorous of all bear species,
14:31its prey primarily consists of seals.
14:33But like any great hunter,
14:35the polar bear sometimes finds itself tempted by big game.
14:38And in the Arctic,
14:39there's no prey more massive than the walrus.
14:42Using the fog as cover,
14:44the bear approaches the herd.
14:50The adults close ranks around their young,
14:54presenting a wall of blubber and hide.
14:56Only the largest polar bears will target walruses,
15:00and such attacks are on the young or injured.
15:02But an attack on calves often attracts the attention of a bull,
15:06resulting in an epic clash of claws and tusks.
15:09Adult male walruses weigh up to 4,400 pounds,
15:12more than double the average polar bear.
15:14Either the bear kills the walrus,
15:16or it backs down,
15:17often having suffered life-threatening stab wounds.
15:20It slips from his grasp.
15:22Number 5. Mongoose vs. Cobra
15:24Alright, Anaconda vs. Crocodile is anyone's fight.
15:27But surely when put up against a fuzzy, warm-blooded mammal,
15:30a cobra will win every time?
15:32This yellow mongoose is the resident cobra hitman.
15:38It's game on.
15:40Apparently not.
15:41The mongoose may only be 1 to 2 feet in length,
15:43but it is fierce, agile, smart,
15:46and unlikely to back down.
15:48According to one Greek historian,
15:50they were even known to steal crocodile eggs.
15:52Cobras, on the other hand, are extremely venomous snakes,
15:56which, up against any other mammal that size,
15:58would consider their opponent an easy meal.
16:00But the mongoose has an ace up its furry sleeve,
16:03a resistance to snake venom.
16:05The mongoose is immune to a certain quantity of the cobra's venom,
16:08but right now, he's not hungry enough to push those limits.
16:12It's prey vs. predator.
16:13And while it can go either way,
16:15the odds generally favor the mongoose.
16:19Number 4.
16:19Hippopotamus vs. Crocodile
16:21Crocodiles.
16:22Do they get along with anyone?
16:24Growing up to 5 meters in length,
16:26these crocodiles hunt and scavenge.
16:28When not fighting anacondas or lizards,
16:31crocodiles are known to trade blows
16:32with their fellow river dweller, the hippopotamus.
16:34And while these large herbivores may look exceedingly lazy,
16:38content to spend their days bathing,
16:40they can be downright vicious when need be.
16:42They might give off a goofy, approachable vibe,
16:45but attempting to hug a hippo is extremely ill-advised.
16:49Hippo calves are a tempting snack to large predators,
16:52which include lions, hyenas, and of course, crocodiles.
16:56But the ferocity and aggression of hippo bulls
16:58makes them a risky target.
17:00In fact, crocodiles are often viciously relocated
17:03or even killed by these giant vegetarians,
17:06simply for getting too close.
17:07That classic hippo yawn?
17:09A sign of aggression.
17:11We've seen one or two of these hippos
17:13doing these big yawning displays,
17:15which is really a threat to the crocodiles.
17:16They're trying to drive the crocodiles off
17:18with this big yawning.
17:19Number three, lion versus hyena.
17:22So how do the other African predators keep busy
17:24while the hippos and crocs are duking it out?
17:26Working out a rivalry of their very own, of course.
17:29He's trapped by over 20 of them.
17:32As the Lion King taught us,
17:33unless the lion in question is a power-hungry, conniving outcast
17:36with a penchant for fratricide,
17:38lions and hyenas do not get along.
17:40Since the dawn of time,
17:42hyenas have been competing
17:43with the king of the jungle for prey.
17:46Both are known to steal from one another,
17:48going so far as to target each other's young.
17:50While lions are bigger and stronger,
17:53hyena packs bring strength in numbers
17:54with overwhelming results.
17:57Even for 20 hyenas,
17:59a pair of male lions is too much to take on.
18:03Competition over food can lead to full-blown royal rumbles
18:06between hyenas and a lion pride.
18:08Number 2.
18:10Dolphin vs. Shark
18:11Few animals inspire fear like sharks.
18:14Sure, their aggression has been exaggerated in popular media,
18:18but they really do attack.
18:19By contrast,
18:20dolphins are treated like the jesters of the sea.
18:23Harmless, friendly, frolicking clowns.
18:25Well, it turns out they aren't so innocent either.
18:27What happened next will never be known.
18:30But it's likely the rest of the beachies mobbed
18:32or even rammed the shark with their beaks.
18:34Dolphins have historically saved humans from sharks,
18:37but they've also recently been observed attacking humans
18:40and bludgeoning baby porpoises to death for fun.
18:43So maybe don't underestimate them?
18:46Dolphins work as a pack,
18:47attacking the shark from all sides.
18:50They use their rounded noses to ram the shark,
18:52striking the shark's soft underbelly.
18:54It's easy to sneak up on a lone dolphin,
18:57but the safety of the pod can stop an ambush,
19:00even from a great white.
19:02One serious shark bite can end a dolphin,
19:05though that's not usually the case,
19:07while pods of dolphins have killed a large shark
19:09on more than one occasion.
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19:25Number 1.
19:28Grizzly Bear vs. Wolf
19:29Admittedly, bears and wolves have little reason to fight.
19:33The woods are big enough for the both of them,
19:35and they don't really compete over prey.
19:37There is no love lost between Yellowstone's top predators.
19:41But a frantic mother bear is nothing to toy with.
19:44But both are willing to scavenge
19:46and aren't above getting scrappy over a carcass.
19:49On rare occasions,
19:50wolves have been seen attempting to catch a bear cub.
19:53One-on-one, a wolf doesn't stand a chance
19:56against a grizzly bear.
19:57A grizzly typically weighs in four times heavier
20:00than any wolf,
20:01and a single well-placed swipe of its paw
20:03can cause massive internal damage.
20:05She could break a wolf's back
20:07with a single swipe of the paw.
20:09But wolves usually travel in packs,
20:11and using their speed and agility,
20:13they can coordinate their strikes to send a grizzly packing.
20:16It's strength versus numbers.
20:19Did we miss your pick
20:20for the Animal Kingdom's greatest beef?
20:21Let us know in the comments.
20:23The war between lions and hyenas
20:25over food never ends.
20:29Even for a whole pride,
20:31a hyena is a tough adversary.
20:33Did you enjoy this video?
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