Do animals commit suicide?

[EweSheep]

I agree that just about all animals don't have the mentality to say on the good day and say "Hey, its a good day to die!" and then go do it. I think humans and possibly chimps (and the ape world) may have the capability to commit suicide.

To commit suicide to do some procreation, isn't that what happened to the popes and cardinals?? Are they afraid they will be comdemned to die if they decided to bear children? Maybe the hit and run matings sounds like a good idea to them back in those days LOL!

 

[OldGuy43]

Ever watch a Scorpion sting itself to death?

 

[EweSheep]

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maybe he is trying to get rid of his headache!

really, no, I never saw one stung itself to death. What a wasteful thing to do!

 

[D3invertebrates]

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Its rare that a female would kill a male while mating, its more of a thing that happens in captivity because they have no room to escape in there enclosure. I once was mating a pair of mantids in my room when they finished the male flew straight into a wall and killed himself though thats not exactly suicide lol. But many types of animals do commit suicide one of which is the scorpion, if depressed they will often stab themselves in the head to death, Ive actually witnessed this a few times.

Mantids are carnivours. The female will eat the male after mating.The male tries a "bump and run" maneuver on the female.He err..bumps into her and then TAKES OFF MADLY to avoid being eaten alive!!!! Some make it,some dont.This is not suicide.

The female then after some small time lays her egg pods and then wonders off to a dark place and dies.This is not suicide.Its the way of nature.

Black widows do this as well to the males.not suicide but cannabalism.

for example: If a dog loses an owner be it death or unwanted, and it waits in that spot of abandonment for a long time,then one day does a header into an oncomming car out of the blue,then thats suicide.

Mantids are for the most part carnivores but not entirely they will eat plants as well, I would frequently feed my giant asian mantids banana slices as a treat. As for the "bump and run" maneuver that is not often the case most of the time it takes a little time sometimes minutes sometimes hours Ive seen a few mate over night.

This pair mated for about 45 minutes at which point he did a header into the nearest wall and died. Funny thing was he was my last male of the species and I had other females to breed these being all bred in captivity well I walked outside right after this and there was a male of that same species on the wall a foot away from my backdoor, kinda weird lol.

T. graminis

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I once had a pair of bonded ferrets. These guys loved each other, were with each other constantly, slept in a pile together and were just pretty much inseperable. One fall Joe got sick. he just got sicker and sicker and sicker. He died right after Christmas here at home in my arms. I had Bear sniff him all over and say his goodbyes. After that Bear was never "right". He went from being 100% healthy to having an adrenal tumor. I took him to the vet and had the adrenal surgery done (which I had done previously for several other ferrets to great success. In truth, Bear was the healthiest of the ferrets I ever attempted the surgery on). When I went to check on him post surgery, the vet looked a little shell shocked. Bear had coded on the table. It took an hour for them to get him back and stable. The vet was stunned and said that had never before happened to him during an adrenal surgery.

I brought him home and he healed up and was back to being 100% healthy. He was sad though. He lost his zippy, bouncy personality and just laid around moping. One day I came home from the store to find him curled up in a bag of yarn. I thought he was napping. Instead he had passed in his sleep. My sweet boy grieved himself to death missing his buddy. They died within two months of each other.

I don't know that I would call it suicide. I think Bear was so bonded to Joe that he just couldn't exist without him. He just gave up.

 

[Avalon1984]

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I rescued 2 healthy cats from the shelter this year. One was a beautiful long haired cat, the other one a skinny little thing. Both acted fine but after 3 weeks the long haired one disappeared. I searched and searched all over. 3 days later I found her under the horse trailer, all curled up and dead. She looked like she had just gone to sleep. I talked to the shelter about what could have happened and decided that something may have been wrong with the kitty but she held on long enough to see the skinny little one go to a good home. Who knows. All I can say is that the little skinny cat has turned into a big bad barn kitty now. I still miss my Whoozle though.

 

[desertdarlene]

I, for one, don't think animals view death in any way close to human beings do. I get a sense that they don't realize the permanency of it, that a dead animal will never be able to move again, or one killed by a predator will never come back. Death is just another state of existence to them. But, any change in their way of life or illness will change their behavior and possibly cause them an early death. Many animals move away from their flock or pack when they are ill. Often, they're not in their right minds, or it could be a survival instinct so that they don't spread disease to the whole flock. Many animals also stop eating because of changes in their environment or because of illness.

 

[Magic Birdie]

lemmings do!

 

[Matthew3590]

If an animal does something to end its life then that is suicide. Intentional starving, drowning, and jumping off cliffs are all forms of suicide. Something else killing it is not suicide.

 

[theoldchick]

I have an interesting story to add to this. For years the clinic I worked at took care of a basset hound. He was the typical basset puppy: all ears and huge feet with this ridiculously long body. His name was Bobby but I nick-named him Goofus Baloompus. He always came into the clinic baying joyously and left baying happily. He was the typical basset dog. Didn't have a clue the world didn't revolve around him. His owner was a joy, too. He had a booming voice just like his dog.

I knew Bobby 8 years when his owner died of a massive heart attack. The dog was confused with all the commotion of the burial, and seemed at a loss when he could not find his 'dad' in the usual places doing the usual things. Bobby would wander around the house, go outside in the garden, and seem truly confused his dad could not be found.

Then Bobby dug out of the yard and lay in the middle of the road. When a car came, he'd sit up and simply wait to be hit. Of course people went around Bobby. He was finally brought to the clinic as the clinic name and number was on his rabies tag. He was bathed and his surviving owner was contacted. The surviving wife had to deal with Bobby's suicide missions on a weekly basis. In desperation she gave the dog to a basset rescue, and I lost contact with my Goofus Baloompus.