Before reading this article, please click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also brings you a different sense of participation, thank you for your support.
Review
Explore the Amazon River basin and you'll find that a lesser-known water overlord lurks there, the African giant piranha.
The name itself is creepy enough, and they display cunning and cruelty that is almost unimaginable. How terrifying are these mysterious creatures, and what makes them the dominant ones in the water, even feared by crocodiles?
Terrifying giant piranhas
Piranhas, usually a whole group of small fish on screen, can gnaw away at an animal's bones in an instant. However, there is a piranha that does not need teammates and can restrain any prey on its own, even crocodiles. It is the giant piranha of Africa, and the level of horror is comparable to that of the "giant" of the piranha world.
The scientific name of this fish is Hydrocynus goliath, which means "giant in the water". They are generally about 1.5 meters long and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds, which is equivalent to the weight of an adult.
The head is huge, occupying a third of the body, and the mouth is wide and can open at a large angle. The 32 teeth are as sharp as a blade and can easily cut through flesh and bone.
These teeth are sharper than the great white shark and can be constantly replaced, keeping them extremely sharp. Their teeth are the most powerful weapons and can bite other fish, animals, and even crocodiles.
This makes them the overlords of freshwater, making them terrifying beings in lakes and rivers with their amazing bite and fearless hunting skills.
The African giant piranhas belong to the freshwater fish of the Congo River basin and prefer to live in fast-flowing waters and dense aquatic grasses, which give them the opportunity to hide and ambush.
They are ferocious hunters that lurk in dark deep waters, are extremely sensitive to the smell of blood, and can quickly attack their prey once it is spotted. The speed is amazing, reaching 60 kilometers per hour, which is comparable to the speed of a car.
They attack by biting their prey with their teeth, then shaking their heads and tearing the flesh off before swallowing. Eating a wide range of Xi, eating fish, birds, mammals, and even crocodiles.
Not afraid of any creature, even take the initiative to challenge the crocodile, biting their tail or leg so that the crocodile cannot fight back. This is a freshwater fish that even crocodiles fear.
Although it may seem terrifying, this fish is rare and is an endangered species. It faces threats such as overfishing, water pollution, and habitat destruction.
The meat is delicious and low in fat, making it a favorite delicacy for locals. There are many cooking techniques, such as boiling, grilling, frying or marinating, and the taste is unique.
The scales were used as ornaments, and the teeth were used as amulets and were believed to ward off evil spirits. Due to its danger, it is rarely captured or kept as a pet. It is a mysterious and dangerous fish that deserves more information and protection.
Are they really that dangerous?
The name piranhas are creepy at the first mention of them, and their images in the movie are also cruel and ruthless. Speaking of which, they seem to be able to nibble on an animal in a matter of seconds. But is this really true? Do piranhas eat people? Do they really attack all living things?
In fact, piranhas do not attack all living creatures indiscriminately, they only behave extremely aggressively in certain situations. Most of the time, they are not very interested in the healthy animals in the river.
Instead, those animals that are weak, dying, or injured are more likely to get their attention, just as wolves will choose weaker targets in the pack. Piranhas are known as "wolves in the water", implying that they resemble wolves in the steppes in the Amazon ecosystem.
As predators, piranhas are at the top of the food chain and affect the populations of other animals in the ecosystem. At the same time, they are also scavengers, eating fragile, sick or dead animals, cleaning humus from river waters, maintaining ecological balance and promoting a virtuous cycle in nature.
For the inhabitants of the Amazon, piranhas, like other flora and fauna, are an important part of the ecosystem and are subject to the laws of nature. As long as people respect the Xi of piranhas, do not swim in the water when they are injured, and do not bathe in the waters where animal meat is washed, etc., the attack and injury of piranhas can be effectively reduced or avoided.
Piranhas' staple diet is not large animals, but fish, crabs, and insects, and occasionally small animals such as birds, frogs, and lizards.
Although a single bite is not fatal, they devour quickly, and entire schools of fish will quickly besiege their prey. In just a few minutes, a school of piranhas, more than 10 centimeters long, can eat up about 50 kilograms of meat.
Such an astonishing amount of food and speed makes one wonder what is so special about the body structure and hunting strategy of piranhas that it has the lethality to make people "talk about fish discoloration"?
The piranha has an excellent body structure, with a large and unique head with well-developed muscles around the circumference of the head, giving it an amazing bite force. At the risk of being bitten, scientists caught more than 10 black piranhas in the Amazon River.
They put a special force measuring device into the piranha's mouth, and it turned out that the black piranha had a bite force of about 30 times its own body weight, about 150 kilograms. In terms of the ratio of weight, body shape, and bite force, piranhas far outperform great white sharks, coyotes, and caimans in relative strength.
In addition to their strong bite, they also have a particularly strong and flexible jaw that opens and closes extremely quickly, and with their sharp teeth, they are as terrifying as a cutter.
This property was also discovered by the locals, and in the absence of modern tools, piranha skulls were often processed into scissors or other tools.
Once the piranha has its sights on its target, it will act like a crocodile, locking on to a piece of meat with a strong bite force, and then tearing the meat off with a rotating force.
Even in order to eat meat, piranhas sometimes tear off their fangs, but soon new ones will grow, so that the piranhas are always in the best hunting condition.
In addition to the strong teeth, jaws and muscles, the "hardware" is too strong, and some of the piranhas's senses are also very sharp. In the Amazon, there is little light in the water due to the shade of vegetation.
Because the Amazon River doesn't get enough sunlight for many years, piranhas don't rely on glasses anymore to hunt, and they pay more attention to taste and sound.
If a creature enters the water with a wound, the piranha can smell blood from a long distance, and then they will swarm and wait for the moment when the prey relaxes to attack.
When it comes to hunting strategies, piranhas are very savvy. They usually bite their prey by the eye or tail to weaken their ability to escape, and then attack in groups in turns, rushing forward one by one to bite and then making room so that the fish behind them can also attack, quickly reducing their target to pieces with incredible speed.
epilogue
The mystery and danger of the African giant piranha makes people curious, but it also reminds us to be cautious when dealing with wildlife in nature.
Instead of being afraid, learn more about the ecological role of these creatures and work together to ensure that they continue to exist on our shared planet, rather than being the protagonists of a horror story. The African giant piranha is both a wonder of nature and a manifestation of our respect and humility for nature.
Finally, due to the rules of the platform, you will only be considered a fan if you interact with me more. If you like my articles, you can click "Follow" and receive the article push as soon as you become a fan.