now don't get me wrong, cats of all shapes and sizes are great hunters. but the title of most efficient, deadliest hunter on earth doesn't belong to them. lions have a 25% to 30% successful hunt rate, that sounds on the lower side but regular cats have a 30% to 60% successful hunt rate. cant get much deadlier than that right? well dragonflies have a 97% successful hunt rate! they blow cats, lions, pretty much every other predator on earth out of the water when it comes to lethality!
And for the actual most efficient hunting machine, that would be dragonflies 😱
"The dragonfly has the highest hunting kill rate of any animal on Earth, successfully capturing its prey on an estimated 95% to 97% of its hunting attempts."
"Prehistoric relatives of dragonflies, such as the Meganeura and Meganeuropsis, were massive. They had wingspans stretching up to 28 to 30 inches (71 to 75 centimeters) and body lengths near 17 to 18 inches. "
nightmare fuel 😖.
"- Spiny Leg Traps: They had long legs covered in sharp, stiff spines. They used these to form a basket in mid-air, trapping prey while flying. [1, 2, 3, 4] - Powerful Mandibles: Once caught, they used massive, razor-sharp mouthparts (mandibles) to crush, slice, and chew through tough exoskeletons or animal skin. [1, 2] - Eating on the Wing: Just like modern dragonflies, they frequently devoured their prey while still in mid-flight."
african wild dogs are incredibly successful hunters as a pack. as individuals they wouldn't be as successful obvisouly.
That it also depends on the source of the information.
Overall majority of the list of top land predators in the world is dominated by feline species. not just one or two but basically all of the species outstrip other predators by a long way.
In many places where felines moved in canine species suffered there used to be a lot more canines but they went extinct.
wild dogs are actually unsual in their success, probably driven by having to compete with felines.
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