Anthropomorphism means an attributing of human qualities to animals or things.

Erratic Retaliation is basically defined by Ishmael as sometimes retreating , and sometimes attacking when threatened.
In the case of the Cawks, this is a "peacekeeping method." It keeps everyone on their toes, constantly preparing for a possible battle.
In a way, this keeps slaughter and population issues to a minimum because the Cawks keep everything to a minimum. There's no greed for more people or land, so the others don't retaliate with the same mind set.