Zoo Poster

A poster depicting the predatory behavior of 4 species from the African continent...illustrations created with india ink and coloured in Photoshop. Overall poster assembled in InDesign.

Deathstalker Scorpion: "The scorpion’s stinger moves lightning fast, striking its prey from above. It can control exactly how much venom to inject from its glands: the more venom, the faster it kills--but it’ll take time to replenish it again. The size of a scorpion’s pincers are a good indicator of how poisonous it is. The Deathstalker’s deadly venom means it doesn’t need very large or strong pincers to hold its food--they won’t be struggling for long. The venom is a mix of neurotoxins, which targets the victim’s nervous system. It causes the nerves to overload the brain with false signals, causing convulsions, paralysis, and eventually death."

African Lion: "Its sharp, curved canines are a lion’s deadliest weapon. Up to 3 inches long, they are rooted deep in the skull to withstand the pressure and torque sustained during killing and feeding. The jaw can exert nearly 1,000 lbs of force, easily breaking the necks of smaller prey. A lion’s retractable claws can reach 3 inches long. With these hooked into the prey, the lion uses its hefty weight--up to half a ton--to throw the fleeing animal off balance. A lion kills large prey by asphyxiation. It bites down on the animal’s throat, puncturing the esophagus with its long canine teeth. The lion’s jaws remain clamped down until the animal suffocates. In the end, the big cat uses only a fraction of its potential jaw strength."

Grey-Crested Helmetshrike: "The shrike’s curved beak is a tip-off of its predatory lifestyle: like a hawk or eagle, it uses its powerful beak to immobilize prey before killing it. The shrike waits patiently in the branches of the thorny acacia tree to swoop down and ambush passing insects and rodents. In a gruesome move, the shrike will impale its prey on the sharp thorns of the acacia tree."

Nile Crocodile: "The crocodile has the strongest bite strength of any animal. Its powerful jaw muscles can can create a biting force of up to 5,000 pounds per square inch. Fighting that pressure would be like trying to get a pick-up truck off your arm! The crocodile ambushes most of its prey on the water’s edge, and drags them into the water. There it performs the infamous ‘death roll,’ where it rolls underwater to disorient and knock the prey off its feet. If not killed by the immense power of the crocodile’s bite, the prey will drown as it is held underwater."