Zombies. Why dont they eat eachother?

[Tharwen]

This has, in fact, happened several times, but the infected outbreaks where the zombies ate each other didn't last very long and no-one noticed.

 

[JodaSFU]

The general consensus among experts on the matter is that one of the major symptoms of a post reanimation stage of a Solanum infection is, indeed, a complete and uncontrollable urge for flesh; preferably human. If humans are in short stock, though, the so-called zombies have been known to eat animal flesh.

However, it is theorized that Solanum also causes infected to become "invisible" to one another, in a way that makes them conceive each other as inanimate objects.

Source: Brooks, Max: Zombie Survival Guide, The, Three Rivers Press, 2003, pp. 8; 16-17

 

[videogamejunkie77]

I'd imagine that they would if they really wanted to

 

[Cowabungaa]

But then again, the infected in 28 days later are not zombies, they are just beserkers who kill any non infected on sight and in some respects I find it a little hard to believe that a virus would allow them to think on terms of being a pack. Admittedly the cunning predatory creatures were scary to watch but in reality I think they would more than likely tear each other apart as well as the non infected.

I think they explain it in 28 Days Later with pheromone production, the infected recognise each other by pheromones regular people don't produce.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

Okay.. But what about the infected in 28 days and weeks later then?

They aren't dead.. just really really pissed off?

this is almost explained in the first movie, when the uninfected guy is acting infected and they pass him up
sortof in zombieland as well... if you can convince a zombie that you're a zombie they'll leave you alone

 

[Aeshi]

In Doom 3 you can find a zombie eating another zombie (if you kill the first the ONE HE WAS EATING gets up to attack you,which combined with the fact it was making no attempts to resist mean he was ok with being eaten...ick!)

 

[oppp7]

They don't eat each other due to the wonderful magic of plot holes.

 

[AnonymouZero]

According to the Zombie survival guide, zombies cant reconise other zombies. I.g. They see another zombie, they think its just an object.

But.. im not talking movie..

im talking fandom fluff

It ponders my mind logically.

ZOmbies seem to loose ALL control.. they will eat their own family.. but somehow they are capable to reckognize another zombie?

I want an answer!

well i like the answer above ya... because, living beings must have like a heartbeat... or a certain smell, since our cells are working.

zombies are dead, hence, the only going on is their putrefaction, which does not involve "living" smells*" or any sounds or beating hearts. Hence, it's just like a rock, or a lamppost. it's just there.

*putrefaction, and the fungus/maggots living does not count as living (in this regard), cuz they're not human flesh, and/or its smell is distinct from those of a human/living organism.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

-facepalm-

It's because of the virus. The virus needs to spread to fresh victims, and zombies already have the virus. That's all it is, viral reproduction.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

I asked this one before, myself, and I have come to this conclusion.

If the zombie is the reanimated dead (i.e. Dawn of the Dead)they no longer recognize each other due to less body heat, no heart beat, and no respiration. Many predators, the wolf for example, can hear your heartbeat from over 40 feet away. Perhaps the zombies home in on this. Would explain why so many come in the event of loud noises.

If the zombie is the result of a disease, but is technically still alive (i.e. 28 Days Later, Left 4 Dead 1&2) maybe the body, during the process of infection, changes its chemical makeup. We incorporate certain smells to identify food. Barbecue chicken, Brussels sprouts, and other foods tend to have strong aromas. The chemical change in the viral zombie changes their scents to where they do not find each other desirable (not food), and makes the poor passer-by smell like fresh prime rib.

Couple this with the common consensus of what passes through what remains of their mind (the need to feed, or pure rage, in the case of 28 Days Later), and you have a horde beating down your front door.

This seams like the most logical reasons. Just down to the most basic bateria/virus surviaval level, they have to try and create as many "children" as possible, which means trying to do anything possible to get a host that can provide the materials needed to reproduce. The Rabies virus, really the closest we have to a "zombie virus" (or at least I hope so) changes the way the infected act simply to cause them to get angry, bite, and spread the diease as far as possible and wide as possible. The host doesn't worry about food or thirst that much, just blinded by pure anger for nine days (at which point the virus kills the host). If a virus ever evolved/ was created to create zombies, it would make the most logical sense to make them waste as little energy as possible on other things besides infecting others.

 

[AnonymouZero]

oh my god... i just thought of the perfect plot hole to the whole "recognizing" thing.

if they can recognize alive humans, from zombie humans... (it's not because they lose control, except on the 28 movies, which do offer some explanation) it means their senses are working. so in a sense, if a brain works, or if a nose works... or if their EYES work then they're not really DEAD... so, they wouldn't really be zombies... which in turn helps with my earlier explanation... but...

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Why don't lions just hunt other lions?

Because they recognise each other.

It's a sensory thing, probably based around smell. Zombies smell another zombie, don't register it's smell as "food" and ignore it.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[manaman]

oh my god... i just thought of the perfect plot hole to the whole "recognizing" thing.

if they can recognize alive humans, from zombie humans... (it's not because they lose control, except on the 28 movies, which do offer some explanation) it means their senses are working. so in a sense, if a brain works, or if a nose works... or if their EYES work then they're not really DEAD... so, they wouldn't really be zombies... which in turn helps with my earlier explanation... but...

Zombies are considered reanimated in the whole mythos. What exactly doses it and if they are brought back to life, semi-life, or magic or what have you depends on the movie, book, game, etc.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

The general consensus among experts on the matter is that one of the major symptoms of a post reanimation stage of a Solanum infection is, indeed, a complete and uncontrollable urge for flesh; preferably human. If humans are in short stock, though, the so-called zombies have been known to eat animal flesh.

However, it is theorized that Solanum also causes infected to become "invisible" to one another, in a way that makes them conceive each other as inanimate objects.

Source: Brooks, Max: Zombie Survival Guide, The, Three Rivers Press, 2003, pp. 8; 16-17

Yeah from what I got out of The Zombie Survival Guide is that zombies prefer human flesh over all others. For some reason they are able to pick it out and go right after it. They'll eat animal flesh if there are know humans about. As for dead flesh it's right out. They'll never eat dead flesh, including zombies, probably because they way the virus programs their bodies to act. It makes sense not to eat dead or zombie flesh because it won't spread the virus anymore.
As for "infected" individuals who don't die due to the virus I'm guessing it's something similar. There aren't a huge number of details that could be applied to all different types of "infected" so your guess is as good as any.

Of course all this hypothesizing relies upon the fact that their reanimated (or changed in the case of infected) by a virus. If the reanimation is a result of magic then I guess it's cus the magic tells them not to eat each other. I guess. It's magic so it can do whatever the fuck it wants to.

 

[fesc]

Warm, fresh meat, probably.

 

[Banana Phone Man]

I just think to myself, Why don't human eat other humans and animals eat the same animals (most of the time) I then just apply that to zombies.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

Probably has something to do with the sense of smell. Rotting flesh smells different, which distinguishes us from, them. Pheromones may also play a part.

Also, it would be a boring movie if they did attack one another.

 

[gigastrike]

Because their flesh is rotted and nasty.