Why would T-Rex only hunt larger prey? Is it because of its slow moving speed?

[Tyrannoraptor]

Why would T-Rex only hunt larger prey especially the ones around its size? Is that possibly because of its slow walking speed so smaller prey are too fast for it to chase (esp in the real world)?

[Riv86672]

Your link is glitchy, but I’ll take a guess.
Smaller prey are like you said, faster. Why waste time and energy on a hotdog when you could spend the same or even less time and energy on about fifty burgers.

[Tami]

Your link is glitchy, but I’ll take a guess.
Smaller prey are like you said, faster. Why waste time and energy on a hotdog when you could spend the same or even less time and energy on about fifty burgers.

More like the entire cow. But yeah, even nature does a cost-benefit analysis. Large, slow prey are more cost efficient. Smaller prey are usually faster, and offer less in the way of total amount of sustenance individually.

[mathew101281]

T. rex was a big animal. The amount of calories needed to sustain such a large animal meant that going after small creatures would probably be a waste of time.

[achilles]

Well, that's all wrong. We know from the famous nature documentary "Jurassic Park" that they mostly hunt human beings, occasionally taking down a larger dinosaur. But mostly people. And they are very fast. Plus we know from subsequent nature documentaries like Jurassic World that they will team up with other dinosaurs, just like superheroes do.

[Kai "the spy"]

This guy did an effective experiment, trying to lure larger cats to hunt after the light of a laser pointer the way smaller cats do.

The cats see the light as likely an insect, and the large cats mostly ignore it. The smaller the cat, the bigger the reaction, because, as has been said, there's not enough nutritional value for a tiger or lion in a small bug. It'd be the same thing for large carnivorous dinosaurs.

[GozertheGozarian]

It works with the theory that Rex was partially a scavenger, eating carrion if larger prey wasn't available.

[Hiromi]

The current theory on T Rex is that they functioned like Komodo Dragons, in that they dominated the food chain at virtually all levels as they grew older and larger(which explains they there's such a huge gap between Rex and the other much smaller predators it shared a habitat with), changing prey and hunting strategies(including older Rexes eating younger Rexes), young Rexes were actually thought to be extremely fast runners, soooo the answer is they did eat smaller prey, when they were young and small. At a certain point though the expended amount of energy vs the energy gained as food simply isn't worth it anymore.

[Tyrannoraptor]

T. rex was a big animal. The amount of calories needed to sustain such a large animal meant that going after small creatures would probably be a waste of time.

So if T-Rex and its species (mainly the adults) never fed on smaller prey once in their entire life, couldn't that be the reason why they've gone extinct a little faster than any other prehistoric creatures when food gets scarce?

[Riv86672]

So if T-Rex and its species (mainly the adults) never fed on smaller prey once in their entire life, couldn't that be the reason why they've gone extinct a little faster than any other prehistoric creatures when food gets scarce?

Someone literally just posted the current theory on T-Rex’s feeding on smaller prey when they themselves were smaller, which would mean no T-Rex ever reached adulthood w.out ever feeding on smaller prey.

[BroHomo]

Hyena's(Spotted) kill almost all their prey... hardly scavenge sh!t

[Robotman]

There’s still debate among paleontologist whether a full grown T. Rex could run. the dino’s leg bones may not have been able to withstand the stress of a full-on run considering it’s massive frame. It’s hard to tell as we will never know its exact amount of heavy muscle mass. As others have said, a young Rex would probably be able to run faster and take down quicker prey. An adult 9 ton T. Rex would probably focus on slower or injured animals. Like modern lions, it probably did its fair share of scavenging. Other dinos were not stupid enough to hang around their kill when a giant T. Rex is headed their way.

[Hiromi]

Full grown Rex likely preyed on animals similar to its size that wouldn't have been all that much faster than it. Some other recent studies also revealed some interesting discoveries, for example while it likely couldn't run it's walking gait would have been extremely energy efficient, also it was more agile than other large therapods like Allosauroids. Given that and it's incredible eye sight and smell it suggests it could have been an endurance hunter like modern wolves, just at a slower pace for all animals involved.

[BroHomo]

Full grown Rex likely preyed on animals similar to its size that wouldn't have been all that much faster than it. Some other recent studies also revealed some interesting discoveries, for example while it likely couldn't run it's walking gait would have been extremely energy efficient, also it was more agile than other large therapods like Allosauroids. Given that and it's incredible eye sight and smell it suggests it could have been an endurance hunter like modern wolves, just at a slower pace for all animals involved.

Remarkably scientists discovered Tyrannosaurus Rex' natural enemy were Promotional Banners!!

[Zauriel]

Cats hunt mice that are twenty times smaller than their size.