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Snake eater (krachun) is also known by another name - eagle-serpent eagle, it is a representative of the predatory breed of birds from the family of hawks. The unit to which it belongs, has the name Falcon, and the subfamily of this population of birds is called serpent eagles. In Latin, this bird has a different name, which, literally, sounds like a “chubby”. All due to the fact that the bird is distinguished by the round shape of the head of a large size, giving it a similarity with owls. The British christened the bird by its name, they call it an eagle, having short fingers, if translated literally. But in its external data, the krachun is more like a moon, than an eagle.
Personal characteristics of the bird
Serpents are often represented by an eagle, although he has little resemblance to the well-known person. He is a characteristic representative of large predators, whose length reaches 70 centimeters, their wingspan reaches 190 centimeters,and the mass of an adult hunter is able to form up to 2 kilograms.
The characteristic feature of females is their size, they are usually larger than males, although in terms of the color of their plumage they are not at all different from males. On its back, the serpent eagle has a gray-brown hue of plumage, and its neck is colored brown. The belly of the bird has a white color, dotted with dark patches. The wings of the bird and its tail are provided with stripes of dark color. At a young age, krachs have a brighter color and look darker than their adult relatives.
Predator's food intake
In their diets, snake eaters prefer to choose a narrow specialization. Their menu is rather limited, they eat mostly vipers and snakes, and they do not squeeze with crawfish or snakes. In general, they are distinguished by a passion for any representatives of reptiles, for which they received their name. But, if in the field of view of a hunter a lizard falls, it will not be left without attention either.
With the onset of winter, the snakes, having chosen a secluded place, fall into anabiosis, spending the winter period in an immobilized state. This fact allows the krachun to open the hunting season in the middle of spring.During this period, solar activity reaches a limit when the soil warms to a sufficient temperature so that the snakes start moving from their winter shelters.
The leisurely hunter begins his hunt at midday, and continues to hunt the rest of the daylight hours. This period of time coincides with the maximum activity of reptiles.
Witnesses of the skill of the serpent in the sky are tipped off by his “king” of flights. In search of his victim, the Krachun spends large periods of time in the air. This species of birds is characterized by its excellent vision, they are able to distinguish their prey from a great height.
Having found his goal, the serpent king falls like a stone to the bottom, thus developing a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour. Having reached its goal, the snake eagle claws prey behind the head and delivers it a fatal blow with its beak. Not infrequently, he fails to complete his attack instantly, in such cases, the victim can put up fierce resistance. Krachun prefers to swallow its prey entirely, in rare cases when a bird misses, it has to rise into the sky to continue the attack.
Most often, predators are victims of snakes, but if poisonous snakes are found, the krachun does not refuse such a treat. For him, both the viper and the shtekomordnik or gyurza are of equal value. The bird is able to perform lightning-fast actions, avoiding the response bite. In addition to his incomprehensible reaction, he is protected by flaps from the cornea, located on his legs. In a situation where the victim manages to inflict a poisonous bite on the hunter, the serpent eater can very rarely die from it. Although suffering such injuries painfully and for a long time fails.
Predator's habitat
The bird has got its distribution in the eastern, as well as the south-eastern part of the European continent. It can be found in the vast northern part of Africa, or in the southern part of Asia. Serpent-serpent subspecies live in India, southern regions of China, and also in Indonesia.
The snake-eating population tends to decrease in its numbers, this fact is directly related to the decrease in the population of reptiles, which form the basis of the predator's diet. Not a small share of responsibility for reducing the number of different reptiles lies on the person who actively occupies spaces suitable for the habitat of these animals.
In the northern regions, the Krachs prefer to choose forest tracts for life, in the southern zones they stop at forest-steppe territories, in rare cases they have to build their nests on the sheer mountain slopes. The main location for the location of nests, the birds choose the tops of tall trees, from this height it is convenient to begin the flight.
Known serpent species
Serpent eagle reaches the size of 72 centimeters, the width of its wings reaches a mark of 190 centimeters. The females of these birds are usually larger than the males, but they have no differences in color. The area of the back is colored grayish-brown, and the neck and chest are light-colored. The shape of the head has a rounded shape, the eyes are golden yellow in color. On the tail of this bird there are several lanes located across. The color of young individuals is not distinguished by individual characteristics.
These predators can be found in southern or central Europe, in the northwestern part of the African continent, as well as in some areas of the Caucasus or Mongolia. A large population of these birds is located in the expanses of Siberia, some individuals can even be found in Pakistan or India.The common snake eater leads a nomadic lifestyle, coupled with seasonal flights. He prefers to live in forests of mixed nature or forest-steppe.
Black-breasted Serpent
The length of the body of this representative reaches 68 centimeters, the width of the span of its wings is 178 centimeters, and the weight of the bird is 2.3 kilograms. The head of the bird, like its chest, has dark brown or black plumage, and on the belly of this serpent and the inside of its wings are light areas, the color of the eyes determines the golden-yellow shade.
You can meet this predator in Africa, from the borders of Ethiopia, as well as Sudan to the northern limits of Angola. Here he inhabits the semi-arid areas of desert surfaces, on which there are single trees
Serpent Baudouin
In the wingspan of this serpent representative reaches 170 centimeters. On his back, head, and chest is gray-brown plumage. The belly of the bird is painted in a light color, lined with small stripes of brown. The legs of the bird have an elongated shape and color, consisting of a gray tone.
These winged predators have chosen the expanses of northern Africa as their habitat.They live in savannas or light forests, preferring picturesque landscapes.
Serpent Brown
This predator is the largest representative of its species, its body length reaches 75 centimeters, the width of its wingspan is 164 centimeters, and the weight of a bird can be 2.5 kilograms. From above, the bird is painted dark brown, the inner part of its wings is gray, and the tail is brown, having light color stripes located across. The paws of this bird are elongated, painted in a pale gray shade, the eyes are yellow, and its beak has a black color. Juveniles differ in lighter tones of their plumage.
The brown snake eater prefers the more arid regions of Africa, where it inhabits wooded areas.
Striped southern krachun
The length of this bird reaches 60 centimeters. On the back, as well as the predator's chest, the plumage is colored dark brown, its head has a characteristic light brown tint. Small white stripes are located across the abdomen, and its tail of an elongated design has several longitudinal white stripes.
Representatives of this species are located in the eastern part of the African continent,choosing dense forests for their settlements, located in the tropical and subtropical zones, characterized by high humidity.
Video: Serpent Eagle (Circaetus gallicus or Circaetus ferox)
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