Page 63 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators
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Owls
The spectacled owl
These large owls can live at altitudes Because spectacled
owlets look so
of up to 1,600 metres (5,250 feet) different from
the adults, it was
thought they were
The spectacled owl – named after the ring separate species
of light feathers around their eyes – are the
largest tropical owl species living in Central
and South America. They are fast hunters that
swoop down to catch small mammals, birds,
reptiles and occasionally bats and larger
mammals, such as skunks, and return to their
perch with their meal.
© Thinkstock
SPECTACLED OWL
Pulsatrix perspicillata
Lifespan 35 years
Adult weight 450-900g
(16-32oz)
Conservation status
© Getty LEAST CONCERN © Getty
The snowy owl
These agile predators are fast and fierce
enough to knock down a human
Snowy owls are the masters of hunting
prey in the cold, Arctic tundra. Unlike
most owls, they are diurnal – they hunt
during the day and night, meaning
that they can search for food in the
continuous daylight of the Arctic
summer. Their thick fur provides them
with insulation where temperatures
can reach as low as -40 degrees
Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit).
The favourite food of snowy owls is
lemmings; they can eat between three
and five each day. They also enjoy
other rodents, fish, birds and rabbits.
Their excellent hearing and eyesight
© Thinkstock
can locate prey hidden beneath thick
vegetation or snow cover.
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