Category Nature Science & Wildlife

A small vulture found in the Iberian Peninsula, the Egyptian vulture is also known as white scavenger vulture or pharaoh’s chicken. They generally inhabit arid open areas such as steppes, deserts, cereal fields and pastures, and move to rocky sites for nesting.

Though they feed mostly on carrion, they are opportunistic predators and will not miss a chance to prey on small mammals, reptiles and birds. They have a long beak with the help of which they tear off small pieces of meat left by larger scavengers. The thin beak can fit through narrow spaces between bones to get food that large-beaked vultures cannot reach. They usually break large eggs with the help of stones; they drop a stone on the egg and feast on its content when it breaks open.

Egyptian vultures hunt by sight and not smell. They mostly seek food in open areas where they can see carcasses from a height.

With broad wings, bald head and a short tail, the African white-backed vulture is Africa’s most common large vulture. The white feathers on its rump contrasts with its dark plumage.

White-backed vultures circle the sky looking for food; they search for prey by soaring far and wide. They have a sharp vision that helps them in spotting a meal. Once a vulture detects a carcass, it signals other vultures by wheeling in the sky. They make chittering and squeaking noises similar to that of a pig upon finding food. Their beaks do not have the capacity to rip through tough meat, as a result of which they can only eat animals that have soft tissue.

These vultures usually feed on large animals ranging from hippopotamuses to wildebeests to elephants, rhinos, and any other sizeable source of carrion. They also do not hesitate to venture into human habitats in search of dead livestock.

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Distinguished by their white collars and bald heads, Andean condors are one of the largest predatory birds that can fly.

They weigh around 11-15 kilograms and have a wingspan of more than three metres. Because of their weight, these birds prefer to live in windy areas where they can glide on air currents with little effort.

Condors are vultures and most of their diet is constituted by carrion. They feast on large animals, both wild and domestic. Their eating habits offer a natural clean-up of the environment. They also feed on the carcasses of marine animals like seals. Apart from carrion, they eat eggs and hatchlings, raiding the nests of other birds.

Andean condors are recorded to live up to 75 years in captivity. Their reproduction is slow though. Loss of habitat has affected the numbers of Andean condors.

These birds are categorized as threatened by the IUCN.

There are three species of electric eels, all of which are found in the Amazon River and its tributaries. Though they have a snake-like appearance and the name says eel, electric eels are not eels. Their scientific classification is closer to carp and catfish.

These famous freshwater predators get their name from their enormous electrical charge. They have electric organs with about 6,000 specialized cells called electrocytes. These cells store power like tiny batteries. When threatened or attacking prey, these cells will discharge electricity simultaneously.

The shocked prey is stunned long enough to be sucked through the mouth directly to the stomach. Electric eels do not use electric charge all the time; sometimes they simply gulp the prey faster than it could react. The electrical discharges are also used to induce a twitching response in hidden prey that causes the prey to reveal its position.

Though most of their diet is made up of fish, electric eels also prey on other small amphibians.

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A muskellunge can be recognized by the elongated body and the absence of scales on the lower part of the cheeks and gill covers. It usually waits around for the prey and at an opportune moment, it swiftly bites the prey and then swallows it head first. Clearly, it is an ambush predator.

The muskellunge is a solitary fresh-water fish usually found in the North American Great Lakes region. Largest of the pikes, the muskellunge averages about 9 kg in weight, but may be 1.8 m long and weigh up to 36 kg or more. It eats all varieties of fish present in its ecosystem including other muskellunge. It is capable of taking prey up to two-thirds of its body length, thanks to its large stomach.

The muskellunge populations are highly vulnerable. Their low reproductive rate and slow growth make them all the more susceptible to overfishing. Therefore, some artificial propagation projects are under way to maintain the numbers.

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Pufferfish have highly elastic stomachs and can quickly ingest huge amounts of water to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball, several times their normal size.

Many scientists are of the opinion that these fish developed inflatability as a result of their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style that makes them vulnerable to predators. They have tough, usually prickly skins and fused teeth that form a beaklike structure with a split in the centre of each jaw. Some species also have spines on their skin to make them even less palatable. Though they are considered small, some of them grow to a size of 90 centimeters.

Puffers are found in warm and temperate regions around the world, primarily in the sea but also, in some instances, in brackish or fresh water. Their diet includes snails, worms, and other crustaceans. Pufferfish are also known as blowfish.