How long can wraith go without feeding?

[Hagazussa]

When Steve is captured he is held as a prisoner for a few weeks or so and he is obviously in some pain and discomfort from hunger, enough to be willing to at least share some information for the chance to feed. Todd to is held for some weeks and collapses from hunger. However in Instinct Ellia and the other wraith at the planet she grow up on feed two to three times a year and they seam fine. Is this an inconsistency or is there an explanation why Todd collapses after a few weeks while another Wraith can last four to six months between feedings?

[WraithTech]

Welcome to GateWorld!

Per the transcript from 'Instinct':

GORAN: It (sic; Ellia and the male Wraith, together) feeds three, four times a year, takes two or three people each time.

http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/s2...ipts/207.shtml

Todd may not have fed in a while before the Lanteans held him. Steve was weakened from his fight with Teyla and the taking of 'samples' by the Lanteans.

The Wraith can probably still live a few weeks or months after their hunger sets in. How long that is would be reduced by injuries sustained that would further deplete their vitality.

If you like the Wraith, most of us gather in the Wraith Defenders Club thread:

http://forum.gateworld.net/showthrea...Defenders-Club

[Snowman37]

I would say a few months to a year if you go by "Instinct" where a Wraith would only feed three or four times a year. I don't see a Wraith hunting on an empty stomach, so if it had to, it could go much longer than a few months. Look at us humans, we eat every day, but we could technically go weeks to a few months without food.

[Hagazussa]

I agree that both Steve and Todd could have gone for a while without feeding before they where captured that could be an explanation. However Steve was not wounded during his fight with Tayla, or at least not beyond a few bruises, so unless any kind of strenuous activity burns weeks or months of the time between feedings then that should not have weakened him much. As for samples unless they took chunks of his flesh then medical samples will not really damage a person.

Though that might actually be a weakness of the Wraith and a way to torture them most effectively, when they are wounded they do not need to do anything to heal their body just do it, but it costs stored energy, if you continue causing a Wraith small wounds you will eventually begin to starve them.

Thank you both for the answers and for the welcome.

[The Flyattractor]

In that episode where they found the youg queen, it seemed that They could go about a year if they feed twice at the same time.

[WraithTech]

However Steve was not wounded during his fight with Tayla,

In "Suspicion," Teyla shoots him a few times in the chest, about 37 minutes into the episode.

[Hagazussa]

I had forgotten completely about that. Yes you are right, poor Steve. I need to watch the series again.