Why does the wraith have to feed on humans?

[Pip]

Why can't wraith feed on other animals. We have plenty of pigs, sheeps, chicken (maybe a bit small for them), etc. Can't Dr. Weir teach them how to raise animals instead? Or there can be a really good trade agreement.

Wraith doesn't seem to be evil (at least not as bad as the Ori), they just happened to be at the top of the new food chain.

[Steve_the_Wraith]

Apparently Wraith are like a vampire crossed with a diabetic. Like diabetics their body doesn't produce certain chemicals necessary to function. Unlike diabetics the Wraith drain what they need from their victims, while they are at it they drain the necessary nutrients needed to sustain them, which have handily been broken down by the victims digestive system.

On the question of Wraith being evil, no ones quite sure, on one hand they're only doing what they need to live. Feeding isn't necessarily evil but the Wraith seem to take pleasure in tormenting their victims - look what they did to Dex when they couldn't feed on him they destroyed his life by turning him into a runner

[mgbland]

Why can't wraith feed on other animals. We have plenty of pigs, sheeps, chicken (maybe a bit small for them), etc. Can't Dr. Weir teach them how to raise animals instead? Or there can be a really good trade agreement.

Wraith doesn't seem to be evil (at least not as bad as the Ori), they just happened to be at the top of the new food chain.

In one of the early episodes, they gave Steve some animals, but he wouldn't go for them. However in the defiant one, the wraith did admit from feeding on his own crewmates.

From Bob's comment, I think the wraith feeding process also involves a psychic bond. Because he told Sheppard that when the other wraith fed on him, they would know what Sheppard did to him.

[Eoin]

We are the animals to the wraith

[Dr Weir]

We are the animals to the wraith

Good point. What makes us so diff when it comes to feeding from other animals? I think it's because we are sentient beings and having high intel and defiance gives the wraith more life force, I don't think they take nutrients from the body, just life force. I think the wraith could feed on other animals, but in larger quantites to make up for less life force but they don't want to because they are evil, humans are probably much tastier and easier to lose the hunger with. As for Dr Weir teaching the wraith how to farm, why pick her? She's not a farmer! I think the Athosians would be better suited to teach them but don't think they would want to!!

[SmallTimePerson]

In one of the early episodes, they gave Bob some animals, but he wouldn't go for them. However in the defiant one, the wraith did admit from feeding on his own crewmates.

The first wriath was steve, not bob. They offered steve animals, not bob (shep killed bob in first interview).
The wraith didn't admit to feeding of his crewmates in the defiant one. They found evidence that he did.

[EyeStrain]

The Iratus bug plays a major role on why they feed on humans.

[Dimeron]

It seems that wraith can only feed on beings genetically closer to themselves. Ie, humans, ancients, and of course, other wraith.

If I remember correctly, the whole point of Telya having wraith gene is to make them better food. So if having wraith genes make the transfer more efficient, I would imagine feeding off another wraith would give more juice as opposed to feeding off a human. But apparently the wraith only does it when it is desperate.

Which brings out to another point, since they are now too many wraith and too little human, I expect a lot of wraith will go "solylent green" on each other when humans finally run out.

[deathbed1983]

maybe humans just taste better

[Ouroboros]

In episodes like Conversion, Instinct and a few others Beckett constantly repeats the theory that the Wraith are evolved Irratus bugs who just took on some human traits (like 99% of them it seems ).

Now it's been theorized (and I agree) that the reason why the Wraith can only feeds on humans and not dogs and cats is because of the close tie between the two species. Dog/Cat juice/souls/whatever just doesn't give their bodies what they need because the species are too far apart. They can't digest them in other words.

Ok so why not Irratus bugs?

If the Wraith really are descended from the bug then they should still share a significant amount of its DNA. Beckett even says that genetically they're "much closer to the bugs than to humans". Now disregarding for a moment how that statement Fs biology in the A wouldn't that mean Irratus bugs would be their ideal food source?

They'd share even more closeness of species than they would with humans so the bugs should be even better for them and they're a lot easier to store/grow/process than similar quantities of humans.

All you need is a cave and a few breeding pairs and you can make lord knows how many offspring. The bugs also don't build nuclear bombs to try and blow you up or break into your hiveships and kill your goons when you make them your primary foodsource.

So what gives?

Why can the Wraith feed on humans but not on Irratus bugs?

[Atlantis1]

And another question. Ronan said the Irratus bug was prey to something else. Why wouldn't the predator of the bug not feed on the Wraith?

[SmallTimePerson]

Why can the Wraith feed on humans but not on Irratus bugs?

we don't know that.

[Daniel-Jackson]

This is off topic, but:
You guys assume the Wraith aren't evil, they just need to eat.
Why do they hunt runners then? That seems pretty evil to me.

[Pip]

humans also hunt for pleasure. examples are birds, fox, dear, etc
especially fishing, in which you catch a fish, let it go, and try to catch another one. it's a sport.

[iLemon]

Why can't wraith feed on other animals. We have plenty of pigs, sheeps, chicken (maybe a bit small for them), etc. Can't Dr. Weir teach them how to raise animals instead? Or there can be a really good trade agreement.

Wraith doesn't seem to be evil (at least not as bad as the Ori), they just happened to be at the top of the new food chain.

They feed on us because we're "compatible" with their DNA.

I think the reason they don't feed on the Irratus bug is because it's not enough "food", it's like us choosing between a packet of crisps and a full meal.