Do species besides humans commit suicide?

Question

Like dogs or cats?

Answer 1

No, they don't. Suicide has to do with choice. You might have heard the stories about scorpions--if you surround one with fire it will sting itself so it won't get burned. But even that is not accurate. They, like any animal, are sensitive to heat, so in its state of shock reacts by trying to sting (its defense mechanism). But it does not inject itself, it just dies from the heat. There is also the lemming myth. Lemmings do not periodically hurl themselves off of cliffs and into the sea. Cyclical explosions in population do occasionally induce lemmings to attempt to migrate to areas of lesser population density. When such a migration occurs, some lemmings die by falling over cliffs or drowning in lakes or rivers. These deaths are not deliberate "suicide" attempts but accidental deaths.

So, no. The only animals that "choose" to die are humans.

Answer 2

Animals other than humans do not have the creative mind power to commit such a premeditated act. There are rumors of groups like lemmings, that supposedly group together and end up jumping/falling off cliffs to reduce their population. Allowing some individuals to survive by spreading essential resources between them and continuing the survival of the species. Lemmings do experience booms and drops in population but this is due to dispersal to find available resources. Lemmings also have poor eyesight and have been seen wandering to their deaths, though this is not technically an act of "killing oneself". Suicide is a conscious decision made by humans to take their lives and is not documented in any other species that I am aware of.

Answer 3

Animals don't kill them selves like humans do.
Some animals do end their lives, but it is from other causes - natural causes.

In the case of wolf spiders being devoured by their young, the female is dying because of an inbuilt response - it's not a conscious decision like suicide. The female has simply lived her life and chemicals are released that start to kill her. The babies take advantage!

The same thing happens with the female octopus. When her eggs mature, she has lived her life and dies. This actually makes space for the future development of offspring and increases food for them. In addition, the young octopuses don't have to compete with adults who would prey on them, too.

Answer 4

Yes, I believe that some animals do have the capasity to knowingly end their lives. For example, there have been many documented stories on how a dog, grieving the loss of it's dead owner, willingly starved itself to death. Just because its death is not immediat, does not mean that it is anything less than suicide. I've actually witnessed such a sererio before with one of my friend's dogs. Since animals of many different species have been scientifically documented to commit other acts, such as rape for example, does it really seem so far stretched to believe that they are also capable of feelings of wanting to die. Just because they are not able to physically pick up a gun and shoot themselves, does that make their feelings any less real? As much as people want to believe that all animals act only on instinct, ask those who have been truly close to a pet at once in their lives if they thought their pet loved them back, they would answer "Most definately". Then one must reason that if an animal is capable of experiencing emotions, than it is also capable of feeling that it wants to die.

Answer 5

no other species of animals except the humans commit suicide. some of the species of rodents are mistaken to commit suicide in large numbers . this is was mistaken for their emmigration . commiting suicide is a psycological feeling of a human when he gets disguisted with life or thinks he always is a loser or due to many reasons

Answer 6

I suppose animals can committ suicide. I don't know if they do it intentionally or not. I am not sure how animals think. They are a bit different than humans though. They may not realize they are headed for danger when they go in the middle of the road or whatever, so it in a sense might not be their choice. More like their instinct.

Answer 7

I'll assume you mean 'suicide' as the animals actually killing themselves with the intent of death.

The animal would need to be pretty intelligent to realize that by doing a certain thing (such as running into a fire or beaching itself), it would end their life. Most animals probably would not be able to comprehend it (partly because they are not really self-aware).

To give you an idea, the only animals that can recognize themselves in a mirror are dolphins, chimps, elephants, and humans. All other animals can't comprehend "when I move, the thing in front of me moves, so that thing must be me", because they don't get the concept of 'me'.

Answer 8

I've always figures deer were suicidal cause they like to jump out in front of cars. All animals i have seen have tried their best to stay alive. Not counting lemmings of greenland (?) who dash into the ocean every few years cause there are too many of them.

Answer 9

I think everytime a squirrel runs out into the road it's commiting suicide.

Answer 10

Yes. Lemmings commit suicide every year by jumping off cliffs.... look it up its quite interesting....