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Dietary Needs of a Giant

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SandJosieph Since: Dec, 2009
#1: Feb 3rd 2011 at 12:41:13 AM

And when I say giant I mean something of such colossal size that it can practically be seen from space. Like a creature 20 miles wide or my version of the Kraken, which is a massive sperm shaped monstrosity with 20 tails. It's mouth is so wide it could use the Empire State Building as a toothpick.

LoniJay from Australia Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
#2: Feb 3rd 2011 at 12:50:11 AM

Are you talking herbivorous or carnivorous?

In my opinion something that big is unlikely to be a carnivore. The demands it would put on an ecosystem would be tremendous. Even as a herbivore. I'm guessing the ecosystem has evolved around it and is used to such demands?

Although, if you were going filter feeder, it probably wouldn't care what it scooped up.

edited 3rd Feb '11 12:50:50 AM by LoniJay

Be not afraid...
lordGacek Since: Jan, 2001
#3: Feb 3rd 2011 at 7:29:51 AM

I hope you checked out Square-Cube Law, that's gonna to be an issue.

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#4: Feb 3rd 2011 at 8:53:11 AM

^ If he's going to get something that big, he probably doesn't care :)

Well it's going to be omnivore is more like it. In fact, it could probably directly eat pieces of a planet to maintain itself.

SandJosieph Since: Dec, 2009
#5: Feb 3rd 2011 at 9:52:46 AM

Well, it's not like there won't be any super giant predators to prey upon the super giant omnivores. For example, my version of the Kraken would have giant fish with which it would eat along side the usual cruise ship full of tasty people. Also, the Kraken is supported by water boyancy while the twenty mile wide creatures are only a foot tall.

edited 3rd Feb '11 9:58:04 AM by SandJosieph

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#6: Feb 3rd 2011 at 12:29:33 PM

To be really realistic, environmental damage would kill these guys quite quickly, but I'm sure we can easily ignore that for the purposes of a fictional story.

So you've kraken and you've super-kraken that eats kraken? I would thought the kraken was enough to be at the top of the food chain. Things that high up are usually carnivorous because of how food chains work but if they're semi-intelligent or more, then I would say they should be omnivorous. Alternatively, they could be carnivorous when times are good and herbivorous when times are rough.

Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#7: Feb 3rd 2011 at 2:31:33 PM

I think he's saying that the planet is REALLY FUCKING HUGE, to the point that something we could see from the atmosphere would be the equivalent of a blue whale in size. The ecology would be self-supporting, but any humans there... would be dinner.

Or maybe I'm Completely Missing The Point?

edited 3rd Feb '11 6:35:57 PM by Diamonnes

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#8: Feb 3rd 2011 at 2:58:14 PM

The bigger the planet the higher the gravity, this sort of thing could only evolve on a small world, say the size of Mars or smaller.

Diamonnes In Riastrad from Ulster Since: Nov, 2009
In Riastrad
#9: Feb 3rd 2011 at 6:34:23 PM

Astronomy/cosmology isn't my strong point, but:

Wouldn't the gravity only be that high on a dense planet? If the planet has low density, wouldn't the gravity be significantly less than you'd expect?

In addition, if it's underwater, the gravity of planet would affect what lives there significantly less anyway, wouldn't it?

edited 3rd Feb '11 6:35:32 PM by Diamonnes

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.
SandJosieph Since: Dec, 2009
#10: Feb 3rd 2011 at 6:36:12 PM

Depends. Does stronger gravity make water more dense at shallower levels?

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#11: Feb 3rd 2011 at 7:35:56 PM

Wouldn't the gravity only be that high on a dense planet? If the planet has low density, wouldn't the gravity be significantly less than you'd expect?
More volume means more mass, more mass means more density, and also more gravity. Adding 1 extra metre of water to the earth would do squat for its radius, but add over 360 trillion tonnes to its mass, not counting and extra flooded areas.

To look at it another way, Venus' volume is 85.7% of Earth's, but it's mass is only 81.5% of Earth's, hence it's less dense (only 5.204 g/cm3, as compared to Earth's 5.515 g/cm3). It's a pattern that follows in the rest of the cosmos, where atomic matter exists, larger planets have higher densities and consequently higher gravities.

SandJosieph Since: Dec, 2009
#12: Feb 3rd 2011 at 8:37:09 PM

I don't think I'll have that much of an issue with the Square-Cube Law as these giants aren't actually based on preexisting creatures. The giant land squids may have an issue, though.

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#13: Feb 3rd 2011 at 9:34:25 PM

If you're using anything close to the same biology you're going to have issues (where biology is regarded as muscular strength, skeletal strength, etc).

Zersk o-o from Columbia District, BNA Since: May, 2010
o-o
#14: Feb 3rd 2011 at 9:45:28 PM

I know! :D

The muscles/skeleton could be made of carbon nanotubes! :3

edited 3rd Feb '11 9:45:40 PM by Zersk

ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓈᒻᒪᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ
doorhandle Since: Oct, 2010
#15: Feb 4th 2011 at 2:22:01 AM

in order to support anything that big, they would have to be carbon Nanotubes made of diamond.

And even then...

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#16: Feb 4th 2011 at 11:32:04 AM

Carbon nanotubes made of diamond? Diamond is just a different configuration of carbon. :D

Is this story meant to be realistic? I mean giant monsters usually implies some type of fantasy story. You could look at how food pyramids work if you wanted to know what they would eat.

Generally, your lowest base is where you need to have the most energy located. They'd be plants and such soaking in solar radiation to convert into usable energy. Then herbivores sit above that taking in that energy, which means they need to take in less than the plants produce for them. Then carnivores sit above that, taking in energy by eating herbivores, thus they need to take in less energy than the herbivores produce for them. This is why it is pyramid shaped.

So if you have a super large beast, then you'll want to look at it that way. If it's a herbivore, then it pushes out many plant eaters because the environment can't support that many super giants.

doorhandle Since: Oct, 2010
#17: Feb 13th 2011 at 3:17:39 AM

"Diamond is just a different configuration of carbon"

well of cource! That's why it works!

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