I read in some places that it is relatively save to swim in a river infested with piranhas. I read elsewhere that they are dangerous during dry seasons when there is a lack of food to prey on. How dangerous are pirahnas to people?
2007-05-02 16:44:47 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
There are roughly 30 species of piranha and of those only four are considered dangerous to people. One of those is the red-bellied piranha, pygocentrus nattereri but also called serrasalmus nattereri. They generally attack the wounded or if there is blood in the water. The typical school is about 30 fish, more than enough to skeletonize a bleeding or wounded person in minutes, though schools of several thousand have been seen. I am unclear on how much a piranha can eat and if it bites, spits it out, kills whatever it is, and eats afterward or not. Why is that important and how is it relevant? Well, an 800 pound cow is simply too much food for 30 fish weighing a few pounds each to eat. Catch my drift? So some stories have been perhaps exaggerated or embellished.
2007-05-02 20:00:48 · answer #1 · answered by Professor Armitage 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do Piranhas Eat Humans
2016-09-30 12:40:21 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Piranhas hunt in schools. They usually eat dead or dying animals unless they are very hungry and nothing else is to be found. You do not need to be worried if you are swimming in the Amazon as long as you are not bleeding or struggling.
Piranhas would rather obtain energy from dead or dying prey because it takes them less energy to go up and eat it whereas it would take more energy to chase and kill healthy living prey
2007-05-02 16:53:16 · answer #3 · answered by diburning 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Go try it. Find a pool full of piranhas and go swimming. If we don't hear back from you in awhile, we will assume that piranhas are dangerous.
2007-05-02 17:28:52 · answer #4 · answered by Randy G 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
My husband from Venezuela.There is piranhas in the rivers over there.My husband saw them attaching people.So they do dangerous!
2007-05-02 17:02:58 · answer #5 · answered by Zolotaya 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I think if they are hungry the will eat anything, otherwise I heard they like fruit
2007-05-02 16:48:24 · answer #6 · answered by Nostalgic 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
No,they can bite a finger,though.,if you stick your fingers in their tank.
2007-05-02 16:52:47 · answer #7 · answered by DAGIM 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋
not usually ,maybe they eat dead bodies
2007-05-02 18:40:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1180
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3346301.stm
2007-05-02 18:48:38 · answer #9 · answered by U-98 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NOT ON LAND
2007-05-02 16:48:07 · answer #10 · answered by Wattsup! 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋