[From the FML]: "Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe
that in general, carnivores don't hunt other carnivores, except in special
circumstances, such as starvation."
 
Weeeelll, you did say, "please..."  ;-)
 
Its actually quite common, especially if you include raptors in the heading
of "carnivores," which they are.  However, I'm assuming you meant mammalian
carnivores, so I will give a few examples (I could fill the FML with
examples of non-mammals, such as spiders, wasps, octopus, shark, hawks,
eagles, etc.):
 
Killer whales and polar bears eat seals, wolves eat bobcat, cougar eat
bobcat, coyotes eat fox, coyotes eat black-footed ferrets, badgers eat
black-footed ferrets, short-tailed weasels (ermine) eat least weasels,
cougars eat coyotes, marten eat weasels, mink eat weasels, and bears will
eat anything not covered with cement.
 
In Africa, cheetahs are eaten by hyaenas, lions, and leopards.  Hyaenas are
killed and eaten by lions.  Leopards are regularly hunted by lions.  Single
or young lions are hunted by packs of hyaenas.  The pattern in other parts
of the world is very similar.
 
Interestingly, European and steppe polecats are hunted by hawks, eagles,
owls, fox, wolves (where they exist), and lynx.  Domestic dogs hunting in a
pack are murder on polecats, and have been documented eating them.  They
have been found in American mink scat, but it unclear if they were hunted
or scavenged roadkill.  By far the greatest predator of polecats is humans,
who not only kill them for fur, but often kill them upon discovery; in
eastern Europe the traditional method is by a group of men beating the
polecat to death with sticks as it runs away seeking cover.  Sort of a
pyscho forest hockey.
 
If you put away the cartoon stereotypes, you discover most carnivores are
just great big cowards; the reason they tend to kill carnivores in lesser
numbers than non-carnivores is because they are placed at a greater risk
for injury.  Even a slight injury can be a death sentence for a carnivore
who is at continuous risk already from starvation.  Besides,there are far
fewer carnivores compared to non-carnivores running around; there are
simply less of them to kill and eat.  You can be sure that when there is a
large size difference, such as between a weasel and a lynx, or a leopard
and a lion, they go for it and lick their chops in the chase.  In other
words, it is more than common for one predator to be the prey of another.
Carnivores regularly eat other carnivores.  Pass the salt.
 
Bob C and 20 Mo' Forest Hockey Haters
[Posted in FML issue 2519]