Why don't Zombies eat each other?

[Hanzo]

Like the title says "Why don't Zombies eat each other?" I always wondered this. It seems like they would, especially "28 Days Later" zombies.

[AUA]

That would make for a very boring movie. Also, that would suck the fun out of a zombie apocalypse.

It's entirely possible, even outside the context of a thermodynamically-impossible walking dead situation; the only answer I can really give you is, "because they can somehow sense that infected tissue is different, and that the difference makes them unpalatable".

[ei8htx]

Darwinism. Any species that resorts to canabilism doesn't survive to reproduce. That's why predators like lions and wolves don't eat each other.

(ok, I dunno why I gave that serious thought)

ETA (it got me thinking) - Eating your own species is a good way to have what killed them, kill you. Example: a virus. Consuming the corpse of the same species gives you a pretty good chance of inheriting whatever ailments they had. This doesn't even apply solely to already dead food. Perfect example of this is mad cow, which allows for a very easy transfer of pathogens from animal to animal. It's much easier for a pathogen naturally designed for a specific species to stay within that species. If it has to transfer through another animal species first, their is a better chance of the pathogen being intercepted by that animal's immune system (notice that humans cannot get kennel cough, and vice versa dogs don't catch the common cold from humans).

Of course some are capable of surving in multiple species as hosts. Typically these are bad and we here about them. Example: the most recent breakout of swine flu, which initially came from a bird (avian) and then mutated to adapt to both hosts, plus humans as well.

It probably started in a Chinese bio warfare lab, but who knows.

[J.C.]

They like fresh meat.

[Hanzo]

Predators do eat the young sometimes and humans (closest thing to a zombie) can and do resort to cannibalism when we are starving or "just because". Don't know why Im giving it serious thought either lol. As far as infected tissue I can see that being a good reason, but then why don't the eat the whole human when they swarm the body?....I need something better to do with my life

[gronch]

Last year some UK scientists found that a virus infection could spread more quickly amongst cells than thought possible because the already infected cells were putting up a "house occupied" sticker on the outside of the cell allowing other virus to move on to uninfected cells (virus won't waste time reinfecting already infected cells). I was randomly googling "Repulsion of Superinfecting Virions: A Mechanism for Rapid Virus Spread" and came across their article, and then came across this thread... yep.

For any infection or outbreak to occur at such a rapid speed, an infected zombie must signal that they are already infected, or else there would be little pockets of self-limiting zombie on zombie snacking.

I like the fresh meat answer the best, however. Maybe some people lack the genetics to support the "already infected" signal process and just end up being totally eaten.

I guess it's kinda the way you don't ever see two mimes stuck in the same room... You can't see the wall, but you know it's there.

[Cpt. MelonBuster]

Maybe infected flesh emits a distinct pheromone (spelling?) that zombies don't attack for some reason.

[craig_o]

Zombies ignore dead flesh not long after the man or animal expires.

There's no evidence to suggest that zombies are even aware of one another ie a pack mentality, etc.

[squinty]

Zombies don't eat each other because they aren't real, and because they'd rather be eating you!

[Big B]

Because zombies are at room temperture and you're nice and warm. Who wants a lukewarm meal?

Plus, zombies probably taste like rotting ass......

[HazeyWolf]

Cooties, dhurr.

[Fletch]

Heartbeats, they home in on the heartbeat

[Molon Labe]

Zombies don't eat each other because they aren't real, you!

Anyone and everyone who posts shit like this in the Zombie Biology threads deserves to be punched in the ball bag. Seriously, you're in the thread section that's here for the sole reason discuss the fictional zombies. Man up and pull the stick out or simply keep on walking, we don't need your BS. Nor is it wanted. People who come to the biology/combat sections and start posting crap like the quote should be considered trolling.

My take on the OP topic is that zombies ignore each other because the virus/parasite needs to spread. Can't spread to an already infected host. Who's to say that zombies are driven to feed soley by instinct. Maybe it's also the virus/parasite's need to spread to uninfected hosts. The plague, no matter what your poison is, has already shown that it can and will take over a host's brain and motor control. Using the instint to eat isn't that much further of a stretch.

[Hanzo]

Hmmmm well needing to spread the virus seems to make sense. Wonder what it would take to turn the Zombies on each other...That might be an affective tactic to combat the undead. Turn there nature drive on one another and use their numbers against them.

[ausher]

Then they would be cannabals

[TacAir]

LOL
The more obvious answer -just like sharks and lawyers - Professional Courtesy.

[majorhavoc]

Like the title says "Why don't Zombies eat each other?" I always wondered this. It seems like they would, especially "28 Days Later" zombies.

Same reason sharks don't eat shipwrecked lawyers. Professional courtesy.

[Regular Guy]

Same reason a virus will not attack itself. It can't. A virus wants to replicate. The human is the vector (The carrier). The virus would not replicate if the vector destroyed other vectors. Same dealio with mosquitoes and any virus they carry.

[squinty]

Zombies don't eat each other because they aren't real, you!

Anyone and everyone who posts shit like this in the Zombie Biology threads deserves to be punched in the ball bag. Seriously, you're in the thread section that's here for the sole reason discuss the fictional zombies. Man up and pull the stick out or simply keep on walking, we don't need your BS. Nor is it wanted. People who come to the biology/combat sections and start posting crap like the quote should be considered trolling.

My take on the OP topic is that zombies ignore each other because the virus/parasite needs to spread. Can't spread to an already infected host. Who's to say that zombies are driven to feed soley by instinct. Maybe it's also the virus/parasite's need to spread to uninfected hosts. The plague, no matter what your poison is, has already shown that it can and will take over a host's brain and motor control. Using the instint to eat isn't that much further of a stretch.

Wow, after that thorough and excessive ass-reaming I'll have to repost. First, relax, I think you misunderstood the tone of my earlier post - but I admit that was my fault. Enough, please, about my ball-sack.

On topic - since Zombies are fictional, I guess you'd have to refer to the particulars of whatever movie, book, or folklore you had in mind. Undead zombies may refrain from eating each other for entirely different reasons than rage-infected zombies or classical enslaved voodoo zombies. "Return of the Living Dead" zombies don't eat each other because only living brains ease their pain. "28 Weeks Later" zombies seemed as determined to puke on the living as they were to eat them.

I'm pretty sure that rabid dogs (closest living analog to Rage I can think of, explicitly referred to in "Quarantine") would attack each other, as rabies just makes you agitated and paranoid - but there are real life parasites that elicit surprising behaviors from their hosts, every bit as specific as the 'eat this not that' bias of (live) flesh craving zombies, like you described. In the intro to "Breaking the Spell" Daniel Dennett talks about a parasite that infects ants, causing them to become phototropic - to move compulsively up towards light. So infected ants climb to the top of whatever stalk of grass they encounter until they fall off, then compulsively climb again. This makes the ants easier prey for larger animals to catch and eat. The parasite thrives and multiplies in the gut of whatever animal eats the ant, and it's descendants get pooped out by the animal - whereupon they can infect more ants who come into contact with that poop.
A "Zombie" parasite might work the same way, making anyone who didn't already display outward signs of infection look tasty or provocative to the poor host.

[AgentBlack]

Zombies taste terrible! And I should know, this one time while camping...

[squinty]

Zombies taste terrible! And I should know, this one time while camping...

at band camp?

[AgentBlack]

Zombies taste terrible! And I should know, this one time while camping...

at band camp?

Zombie band camp!

[somekindarobot]

the handful of zombie fiction i've read has occasional zombies eating each other. it really depends on what mythos you're looking into. some stories depict zombies as creatures who will eat anything, canned food, pets, other zombies. while others depict zombies as being interested strictly in living human flesh only. it's kind of hard to say why they may or may not eat each other. i think one of the return of the living dead movies went so far as to say they ate brain for the bioelectricity ( i could be way off on that). that's another thing to note, i guess, sometimes zombies only want brain and other times they'll take whatever flesh they can get. i'd assume the ones who don't eat each other require living flesh for some unknown reason. i doubt it would be for nutrients since their digestive system isn't like;y to be functioning.

[craig_o]

I think it boils down to the fact that the overwhelming zombie urge - the only urge - is to eat living flesh, especially human flesh. You might as well ask, "Why don't zombies eat apples? Why don't they day trade?" It's amazing to consider they have one single pursuit that drives out all awareness, much less interest. Still, that's zombies for ya.