How does a harpy hunt? Harpy

I am often asked: “Tell me, is it normal for a hedgehog to sleep all the time?”

Many people are afraid that their pet sleeps all the time, practically does not leave his house, and his activity is reduced to literally 3-4 hours of wakefulness at night.

To answer this question, you first need to understand whether your pet is healthy, its age, living conditions and the presence of a running wheel in the cage.

To make sure that yours is one hundred percent healthy, you need to contact a veterinarian, I don’t understand such questions, and I don’t even communicate with people who send me photos and ask, tell me, is my hedgehog healthy? I admit, I’m not a psychic, and I don’t have a veterinary education, so I don’t give any health advice, as a matter of principle! Because I believe that only a veterinarian can take on such responsibility, and not a person who simply keeps hedgehogs at home. In my practice there was a lot different cases, and in each case I consulted a veterinarian, which I recommend to you as well.

So, if your pet is active, eats well, spins a wheel, and has no problems with teeth or feces, then the hedgehog is most likely healthy.

Even babies. They sleep all the time, and that's normal. Until about 4 months, you can observe the following picture: the little hedgehog sleeps all the time. He is no different from children of cats, dogs, and other animals, therefore, due to the fact that the hedgehog is small and actively growing, he, of course, sleeps a lot. If you see that your hedgehog is sleeping and sleeping and sleeping, this does not mean that he is sick and that you should not communicate with him. Be sure to take the hedgehog out of the cage as soon as evening comes; from about 5-6 p.m. the hedgehog already gets enough sleep and can be picked up. It's not worth taking during the day!

An adult hedgehog sleeps all the time. I immediately have a question, what is the temperature outside the cage and the presence running wheel. And what do you think, 90% of those who ask this question have a small cage, and they only learn from me that a hedgehog needs a running wheel. The question immediately arises: what should a hedgehog do with a small area and no wheel? Of course, sleep. So the poor fellow goes out at night to run around, climbs the bars of the cage for a couple of hours, hits the bottom of the cage hard a couple of times and goes back to sleep. What else can he do... It was his owner who doomed him to a meager and dull existence.

Let me remind you once again that a hedgehog must have a running wheel (provided that it is not prohibited by a veterinarian, for example, if there is an injury). Active running in a wheel is both physical and emotional relief for your pet. During the night the animal can run up to 10 km! On average, hedgehogs run 5 km per night.

The temperature at which the pet is kept plays an important role. You probably know that a hedgehog cannot be kept at a temperature below 21 degrees, but according to my observations, a temperature of 22 degrees already significantly reduces the hedgehog’s activity - it sleeps more and tries to warm up. Therefore, it is important when the temperature in the apartment drops, for example, when the heating is turned off, to provide the hedgehog with a warm place - a soft fabric house, a fleece bag, or, in extreme cases, you can put a fleece hat in the cage. remember, that low temperature for hedgehogs, babies and older pets can be fatal. because when the temperature drops, the hedgehog goes into suspended animation, i.e. into hibernation. This is not a joke!!! Every spring and fall, I listen to dozens of cases where the hedgehog simply did not wake up! And it would seem that a fleece bag might not have led to tragedy.

An elderly African hedgehog sleeps a lot. The older a hedgehog gets, the less active it is. At what age is a hedgehog considered elderly... no one can say for sure, but it would probably be correct to consider that “elderly” is when his age has exceeded half the life expectancy of a hedgehog. Those. If average duration 5-7 years old, then an animal can be called elderly from 3 years old. So, the animal is 3 years old, it becomes less active, but its appetite does not disappear or decrease. You just started to notice that the hedgehog has become calmer, leaves the house less often, runs on the wheel more slowly and takes less time. And that's okay!

If you ask what specific daily routine a hedgehog has, neither I nor anyone else will give you the answer to this question, because there are many factors that influence this, primarily the nature of the hedgehog. If a hedgehog is shy and intimidated, then he is more comfortable in a house. As a rule, young, tame and inquisitive hedgehogs wake up by 7 pm without any problems and actively run around in the wheel. I now have 9 hedgehogs, and they are all different. They are so different that no one is alike. Each with his own character and his own cockroaches in his head, but it would seem that everyone is treated the same, feeding and living conditions. I could be wrong, but I think it’s all about the character of the hedgehog, which directly affects its activity.

Even if your hedgehog sleeps all the time in the evening, be sure to take him out for communication. In the absence of regular contact with humans, the hedgehog quickly runs wild.

If you suspect any illness (snot, refusal to eat, diarrhea, vomiting, paw failure, lameness, baldness, and other cases with which I am contacted every day!), contact your veterinarian, and not VK groups, forums or breeders. No normally self-respecting breeder will make a diagnosis over the Internet.

The article was prepared by the owner of the nursery "African hedgehog " When copying, an active link to the source is required!

The body length of the harpy is from 90 to 110 cm. The wingspan is approximately 2 meters. The weight of the female ranges from 6 to 9 kg, the male is smaller and weighs from 4 to 4.8 kg. The plumage on the back of the harpy is dark gray. The head is light gray with large dark eyes and a small but strong black beak. On the top of the bird’s head there are wide dark feathers, which, in moments of excitement, rise almost vertically, forming a kind of “crown”. In young animals this crest is lighter. Stomach white, the paws are feathered and dotted with narrow dark stripes. The neck is decorated with a wide dark collar. The long tail has wide gray transverse stripes. The harpy's legs are very strong and large, they can support very heavy weight. The fingers have long black claws. Like all hawks, harpies have excellent vision and hearing.

Harpies feed mainly on sloths, monkeys and other mammals, much less often they include reptiles or large birds in their diet. Thus, the prey of harpies are snakes and lizards, agouti, opossum, nosoha, anteater, armadillo, crax, cariama, and parrots. Sometimes harpies can even hunt porcupines. And from human settlements these predators kidnap piglets, lambs, and even cats.

Harpies hunt in daytime. Prey is most often located on tree branches, where it feels safe, but a large harpy very quickly makes its way between the branches and unexpectedly grabs careless sloths, monkeys, possums or other types of mammals. The powerful paws of the predator allow it to both easily hold the caught prey and break its bones. But the harpy is considered a very insidious predator. She does not kill her victim immediately, but tears out its trachea, after which the animal suffers for a long time. Such cruelty is justified by natural necessity and allows the harpy to carry the prey while still warm to the chicks, who in turn learn to deal with the still living mammal.

Harpies also hunt in open areas. So, they can drag away even a small deer.

Bird distribution

The habitat of harpies is the tropical forests of Central and South America, ranging from Mexico to Brazil. Birds usually live in the wildest thickets tropical forests located near rivers or other bodies of water. Most often the bird can be seen in the forests of Brazil, Panama, Colombia and southern Mexico.

Common types of harpy

The most famous and widespread species of harpy is the South American or greater harpy (Harpia harpyja). In addition, two more are known related species: New Guinea (Harpyopsis novaeguineae) and Guiana harpy (Morphnus guianensis).

A large bird with a body length from 71 to 89 cm, its wingspan is 138 - 176 cm. The weight of males is from 1.75 to 3 kg, females are usually slightly larger in size.

The species is native to South America and is found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia to northern Argentina.

The Guiana harpy often lives alongside the South American harpy. But the first one, on average, is smaller in size and therefore chooses smaller prey. Among its victims are birds and small mammals (capuchins, tamarins), as well as snakes.

Very large bird with a body length from 75 to 91 cm. It is distinguished by a developed facial disc and a crest on the top of the head. The paws are not feathered. The wings are short. The tail is long. The diet consists of mammals, birds and reptiles. Hunts in the treetops.

The species is widespread in rainwater tropical forests New Guinea and is small in number. The bird has been a traditional hunted object of the natives, who value its feathers highly. And it was almost completely exterminated after the local residents received firearms. Currently, the New Guinea harpy is still endangered and is very strictly protected.

Sexual dimorphism in harpies is manifested in the fact that the female is always 10-20% larger in size than the male. Individuals of different sexes do not differ from each other in plumage color.

The mating season for harpies occurs in April-May, not annually, but every other year. Harpies – monogamous birds, therefore, when the breeding season approaches, they do not fuss, because they already have both a nest and a pair.

Birds nest in the crown of trees at heights from 50 to 75 m above the ground, often near bodies of water. The harpy's nest is made wide, made of thick branches, and the birds line it inside with leaves and moss. A pair of harpies use the old nest for several years.

In one clutch the female has one or two yellowish eggs. But even two eggs are too many for the harpies, who always feed exclusively the firstborn. If a second chick is born, it usually dies of hunger right in the nest.

During the nesting period, harpies are especially aggressive and cruel. During this period, they often attack even people who disturbed them.

The harpy chick develops slowly, and its parents take care of it for a long time. Only by the 8-10th month of life can the chick fly confidently, but it is not yet able to obtain food on its own, and therefore does not fly far from the nest. His parents continue to feed him, but they come less and less often. The chick can remain without food for 10 to 14 days.

Young harpies reach sexual maturity by the age of 4, by which time their plumage becomes brighter and more saturated.

The lifespan of a harpy is up to 30 years.

Interesting facts about the bird

• Harpy's name Ancient Greece referred to the winged daughters of Typhon who guarded the entrance to Tartarus. According to legends, these wonderful and terrible half-women, half-birds were engaged in stealing the souls of small children, who were attacked unexpectedly and then disappeared without a trace, like the wind. Therefore, the very word “harpy” Greek origin and is translated as “to kidnap.” It is no coincidence that the predatory South American harpy received such a name. Like its namesake, this large bird from the hawk family is surrounded by an aura of notoriety. Thus, the Indians believed that one blow from its beak could crush a person’s skull, and the bird itself was very aggressive. At the same time, harpies were tamed, which was a great honor for the owner, and beautiful, valuable jewelry was made from its feathers. If an Indian happened to kill a harpy, then in every hut of his settlement he received a reward for this act.
• The harpy is one of the largest birds of prey in the world. The largest individual recorded in captivity weighed about 12 kg.
• Harpies are the official symbol of the state of Panama; its coat of arms is decorated with the image of a bird.
• Today, the population of South American harpies numbers about 50,000 individuals, but continues to decline. The main reason is the destruction of forests where these birds are accustomed to nest. In addition, harpies reproduce rather slowly: a pair of birds raises only one chick once every few years. Therefore, harpies are under strict protection.

The ancient Greeks called the winged daughters of Typhon guarding the entrance to Tartarus harpies. Terrible and beautiful at the same time, they stole the souls of small children, suddenly swooping in and disappearing without a trace, like the wind. The word "harpy" has Greek roots. It comes from the verb "harpazein", which means "to kidnap".

It is no coincidence that the South American harpy became the namesake of these wild half-women, half-birds.

Now we will talk about the modern, South American harpy.

The South American harpy (lat. Harpia harpyja) is a large bird of prey from the hawk family. The only species of its kind.

Why the emphasis on South American? Because there are other harpies. Guiana Harpy, New Guinea Harpy, Monkey-Eating Harpy or Philippine Harpy. They will be discussed separately.

In addition to birds, there is also a butterfly, under many names - the great harpy, or the spotted forktail, or the large forktail, or the harpy silkworm. Don't be confused! Birds and butterflies.

The South American harpy, a huge predator from the hawk family, is notorious.

The Indians believed that one blow from her beak could crush the skull of an adult, and she herself was constantly irritable and aggressive.

Nevertheless, it was considered a great honor to tame her, and her feathers were an extremely valuable decoration. The Indian who killed the harpy went with her to all the surrounding huts, receiving a reward at each one.

These days are long gone, but the number of South American harpies is constantly declining. In a number of countries, this forest eagle is protected, in addition, it is included in the International Red Book. And yet, the tropical forests of Central and South America, which the harpy has chosen for breeding and hunting, unfortunately continue to be actively cut down. Which leads to the disappearance of many species of animals and birds.

The population of these large South American eagles is less than 50,000 (2008 estimate) and is steadily declining. The main reason for this is the destruction of forests in the harpy nesting areas, as well as the peculiarities of reproduction: a couple usually raises only one chick every 2-3 years.

The South American harpy is very strong. Its body length is from 90 to 110 cm, and its wingspan is about two meters. Moreover, females are almost twice as large as males: they weigh more than nine kilograms, while the weight of males usually does not exceed 4.8 kg.

On the light gray head there is a black, down-curved beak and two large dark eyes. When excited, the harpy raises the wide dark feathers on its head almost vertically upward, which makes them look like small horns or ears.

It is believed that this gives her hearing additional sharpness.

The back of the South American harpy is painted dark gray, the belly is white, the wings and tail have black and white stripes, a black collar flaunts around his neck.

The extremely large and powerful paws have an excellent feature: each toe ends in a long and sharp ten-centimeter black claw. With these paws the bird is capable of lifting a decent weight - if desired, it can drag away a small dog or even a young roe deer.

South American harpies feed mainly on monkeys and sloths, periodically diluting their diet with opossums, noses and macaws.

In addition, these are the only predators that can cope with arboreal porcupines.

They fly out to hunt during the day, preferring to look for prey alone. However, they live in pairs, remaining for many years true friend to a friend.

A wide nest of thick branches, leaves and moss is built at a height of fifty meters and used for several years. The female lays here once every two years a single yellowish egg. The incubation period lasts about 56 days. The chick depends for a very long time on its parents, who bravely protect it.

They are capable of attacking even a careless person who wanders into a protected area. Of course, they won’t pierce the skull with their short beak, but they will be able to inflict serious wounds. Alone young man After the attack by the harpies, I had to put 8 stitches on the head and neck area.

At ten months of age, the South American harpy chick flies quite well, but continues to stay near the nest where its parents feed it. Interestingly, he can fast for about two weeks without harm to his health.

Sexual maturity in harpies occurs at 5-6 years.

Subkingdom: Eumetazoans

No rank: Bilaterally symmetrical

No rank: Deuterostomes

Type: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrates

Infratype: Gastrostomes

Superclass: Quadrupeds

Class: Birds

Subclass: New palates

Order: Accipitridae

Family: Accipitridae

Subfamily: Harpyidae

Genus: Harpies (Harpia Vieillot, 1816)

Species: South American Harpy

International scientific name - Harpia harpyja Linnaeus, 1758

Harpy- The alleged leader of the Meereenian organization Sons of the Harpy.

Over the course of A Dance with Dragons, the Sons of the Harpy terrorized and killed Daenerys Targaryen's supporters within the walls of Meereen. Skahaz mo Kandak claimed that behind the Sons of the Harpy there was a mysterious leader, "The Harpy", but he or she was never identified and captured.

The following information is a theory!
The theories put forward by the community must be formulated as assumptions. In the future they may be confirmed by canonical sources or, on the contrary, rejected as false.

• Skahaz mo Kandak came from an unimportant family, but acquired enormous influence, essentially creating his own army, loyal only to him; he stubbornly insisted on terror against the more noble and wealthy families, claiming that it was they who were behind the nightly murders.
• Hizdahr zo Lorak promised to stop the murders committed by the Sons of the Harpy if Daenerys married him, and he fulfilled this promise.
• Galazza Galar, Green Grace

1. She is one of the oldest and respected residents of Meereen (20 years older than Barristan Selmy), and she is also a priestess, and such a person has already formed a worldview, and, most likely, he will defend the old customs to the last.
2. More than once she recommended and stood up for Hizdahr zo Lorak, perhaps he was manipulating him (Hizdahr zo Lorak himself seemed short-sighted: when Dany flew away on the dragon, he immediately tried to remove Daenerys’ entourage during the siege of the city).
3. When Dany first took the city of Meereen, it was most likely the Green Grace who dared to speak to her: “...How much do you need?

   Harpy bird (lat. Harpia harpyja)

   – some old woman asked her with tears. “How long does it take for you to spare us?” In theory, she (the old woman) should have been executed first, because... in such circumstances, either proud people or madmen begin to say, but Dany was spared...

4. She went to negotiate with the Yunkais and could tell what hopelessness was developing in the city.
5. All her speeches are aimed at the peaceful direction of established laws, but this is Slaver’s Bay, where anyone can squeeze out a tear, and we must not forget about those crucified children encountered on the outskirts of Meereen.
6. As Daario noted, the harpy of Meereen has a woman's face...

Harpy, bird.

The harpy bird (Harpia harpyja) is a species of large bird of prey, described in detail in 1816.

The predator's distribution area is very wide, extending from southern Mexico to eastern Bolivia, southern Brazil and northern Argentina. In the west, the range is limited to the Andean mountain range. Most of these territories are covered with dense tropical forests, in the upper tiers of which harpies live.

Harpy Appearance

The described species of birds can be considered one of the largest birds of prey on the planet. Their body length varies from 90 to 102 cm, and their wingspan reaches 2 meters. Female individuals average weight which reaches 8 kg, are usually larger than male ones, whose weight on average does not exceed 6.5-7 kg.
The harpy has a crest of wide feathers on its head.

The beak is powerful, but narrow, with a large hook. The paws are huge with powerful claws. The wings are wide and rounded, the tail is of moderate length, straight cut. The adult harpy outfit (it is put on at the age of four) is gray on the head and neck (the crest on the back of the head is black or dark gray), on the dorsal side it is black with whitish edges on the wing coverts, loin, and rump. The tail is grayish-brown with three black transverse stripes.

The ventral side is white with a black band on the crop and with black transverse stripes on the feathers of the lower leg. The iris is dark brown or black, the legs are yellow, the beak is bluish-black.

The young are in the first plumage with 10-11 transverse stripes on the tail, their crest is white, the color of the dorsal side is pale gray, the band on the crop is pale gray.

Description

The harpy is the strongest of all birds of prey. The body length of this eagle is from 90 to 110 cm. The female weighs 7.5 - 9 kg, the smaller male 4-4.8 kg.

The harpy has a dark gray back. The light gray head with large dark eyes and a relatively small but powerful black beak is decorated with wide dark feathers. At the moment of excitement, the harpy raises them almost vertically on her head like “horns.” Young birds have a lighter crest. The belly is white, with small dark stripes on the feathered legs. There is a dark wide collar around the neck. By long tail there are wide transverse stripes of gray color.

The paws are extremely large and powerful, capable of supporting very large weights, and the toes are armed with very long black claws.

Spreading

This large eagle lives in the lowland tropical forests of Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil.

Nutrition

The main food of the harpy is sloths and monkeys, as well as all large and medium-sized animals of South America: agoutis, noses, opossums, capybaras, etc.

In addition, harpies attack macaws, and are the only predators that hunt arboreal (or prehensile-tailed) porcupines.

Harpy - the largest eagle in the world - 16 photos

Harpies often drag pigs and dogs from villages.

Reproduction

The harpy nests in the crown of tall trees at a height of 50-75 m above the ground, often near water.

It builds a wide nest from thick branches and lines it with leaves and moss. The same nest is used by a couple for many years. Harpies nest every other year. The female usually lays one yellowish egg. The chicks develop very slowly and spend a long time in the care of their parents.

Near the nest, adult birds are aggressive, attack strangers, boldly driving away even humans. At the age of 8-10 months, harpy chicks can already fly well, but they still cannot feed on their own and do not fly further than their parents’ nesting area. They can fast for up to 10-14 days without harm to themselves. The final outfit is acquired after 4 years, with the onset of puberty.

Harpy.

Photo of a harpy on a branch. Photo: Sidney Dantas

Harpy head. Photo: Perry Quan

Number

Currently, the numbers of these large South American eagles are steadily declining.

The main reason for this trend is the destruction of forests in the harpy nesting areas, as well as the fact that harpies raise only one chick. National Park Coiba, on the west coast of Panama, has become the last refuge for many species of endangered eagles, such as the harpy eagle. The harpy is listed in the International Red Book.

Video: harpy
Duration 0:34 

Philippine eagle
(Philippine harpy)

The Philippine eagle, or Philippine harpy eagle, or harpy monkey-eater is extremely rare bird and belongs to the accipitridae family. Lives in the Philippines. These are islands such as Mindanao, Leyte, Luzon, Samar. Largest quantity These birds are found on the island of Mindanao. There are about 230 breeding pairs there.

Only 6 pairs were found on Samar Island. In total there are about 350 pairs of these birds. The total habitat area of ​​the population is 146 thousand square meters. km.

The most powerful bird in the world is the South American Harpy

Appearance

Body length is 86-102 cm. Average length for males it is 95 cm, for females it is 105 cm, respectively. The stronger sex is 10% smaller than the weaker. The weight of birds varies from 4.7 to 7 kg. On average 4.5 kg for males and 6 kg for females.

The wingspan is 185-220 cm. The beak is up to 7 cm long. The tail is long. Its length is 42-45 cm. Vocalization is a loud, high-pitched whistle. The Philippine harpy is perfectly adapted for flying in the forest, that is, it has high maneuverability.

On the back of the head there are long brown feathers that form a shaggy crest. It reminds lion's mane and gives the bird the appearance of a mythical griffin. The plumage on the wings and back is dark brown, and the lower part of the body is covered with white feathers. Transverse dark stripes are observed on the tail. The limbs are yellow with dark, strong claws. The beak is bluish-gray in color. The eyes are blue-gray.

Reproduction and lifespan

Males and females form monogamous pairs that remain for life.

Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 5 years, in males at the age of 7 years. The breeding season is in the month of July. The nest is built on high tree with a large crown at a height of 30-35 meters from the ground.

The diameter of the nest reaches 1.5 meters. In my own way appearance it resembles a platform made of sticks and branches. Lined inside green leaves. There is 1 egg in the clutch.

The incubation period lasts 58-68 days. Most often 62 days. Both parents participate in incubation.

The hatched chick remains under parental care for at least one and a half years. These birds of prey breed once every 2 years. IN wildlife The Philippine eagle lives from 30 to 60 years. The bird lived in the Roman zoo for 41 years, but was brought there as an adult. Nevertheless, wild birds live on average less than in captivity.

Behavior and nutrition

These predator birds dominate Philippine forests. The pairs nest at a distance of about 13 km from each other. And the area of ​​the circular plot reaches 133 square meters. km. The flight is fast and agile, reminiscent of the flight of small hawks. The diet of Philippine eagles depends largely on their habitat. The prey is very diverse, weighing from 10 g to 14 kg.

In the latter case, this is how much a Philippine deer weighs. The main prey are monkeys, birds, squirrels, the bats. Reptiles are also eaten. These are snakes, monitor lizards. Monkey hunting is usually done in pairs. One bird sits on a branch next to a flock of monkeys and distracts them. And at this time the second one flies up unnoticed and grabs the prey.

Saving a view

This species is characterized as endangered.

This is the result of deforestation and agricultural expansion. Poaching also contributed. Sometimes the Philippine eagle falls into traps set by local residents for deer. About 50 of these birds are in zoos in Europe, the USA, and Japan. The first captive breeding dates back to 1992. Today, hunting for representatives of the species is prohibited. A 12-year-old faces a 12-year-old sentence for killing a feathered predator. prison term and a large fine.