Check out some of the best animal kingdom fighters

Earlier this month, you can check out here at Mega Curious the video of an amazing kangaroo fight. These animals, in fact, are excellent fighters and show off their fighting skills when they “stranger” along the way or to dispute a lady. But it's not just kangaroos that like a good fight.

Usually, they prefer to avoid, but when there is no way, they start up. According to David Steen, an ecologist at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, told National Geographic, this is a behavior that can be deadly.

“Animals really do not fight their own species unless there is a good reason for that. Usually refers to reproduction. Males fight for reproductive access to a female, while they can fight to defend their young, "said the expert.

In addition to explaining some of this behavior to National Geographic, David Steen also cited four more species that are good fighters of the animal kingdom. Check it out below:

1 - Eastern Diamond Rattlesnake

This kind of snake does not cower in the face of a dispute and has it seen in the fight. According to David Steen, when two males of these rattlesnakes meet, they analyze their sizes and, if they have similar dimensions, they set off for combat.

To do this, they lift a good part of the front of the body and throw their necks until the other falls so that he can curl up and arrest him. Most of the time, this happens so that the male earns the mating rights with the female of the territory. But the interesting thing is that they have little interest in turning this fight into something fatal.

"Some animals have evolved the ritualized combat strategy. Instead of getting hurt a lot, they can get through it without hurting or killing each other, " Steen said. According to him, although they possess a powerful poison, rattlesnakes rarely bite each other when engaging in combat. "I don't know how they find out who won, but eventually the loser creeps away."

2 - Lions

The king of the jungle could not be left out of this list. The ecologist says that when African lions fight, it's usually about the social hierarchy and all the benefits that come with being a group leader.

"Lions are famous for living in groups, with a dominant male, a harem of females and their young. So the other males challenge the dominant leader to have the right to lead the group, " says Steen.

Lion battles are more violent and risky than the ritualized combat seen in rattlesnakes. "When a dominant male is challenged, he has a lot at stake to lose, like females and many of their young, which could be killed if the other male wins. These fights are very cruel, " explained David Steen.

3 - Roosters

If you ask an older uncle or your grandfather, especially if they lived in the interior of the country, they probably met someone who was betting on cockfights or at least knew somewhere where the famous “frogs” happened. The problem is that they still happen.

"There is a whole industry of fighting roosters. What they are doing is capitalizing on their natural behavior, " said the ecologist who explained that the common rooster descended from a wild Asian bird that was known to go into battle.

The spurs on their paws are their main weapons and they all come out of the fighting very badly, but they can also use that power. The brutal practice of cockfighting often ends in death, being illegal in Brazil since 1998.

According to National Geographic, in countries where it is still practiced, rooster owners “perfect” animal weapons by placing small blades on their spurs on their feet, increasing the potential for injury.

4 - Turtles

It seems strange to think that turtles that look so peaceful might have their eyes on the fight. But it happens! According to ecologist David Steen, they have this docile and slow reputation, but they fight each other for the opportunity to mate.

There are species, such as the American gopher, that have a hoof in their hull that helps turn the hull down, leaving her unable to continue the fight for a while.

Thus, the male is free to court the female they fought for. The problem is that the overturned turtle is vulnerable and often this exposure leaves it at the mercy of predators. Steen points out that even the best fighting animals try to avoid risky duels if possible.