the great skua ( stercorarius skua ) is a large seabird in the skua family stercorariidae .

the english name and species name " skua " is believed to originate from the faroese skúvur or skúgvur [ ˈskɪkvʊər ] and is the only known bird name to originate from the faroes that has come into regular use elsewhere .

in britain , it is sometimes known by the name bonxie , a shetland name of norse origin .

the genus name stercorarius is latin and means " of dung " ; the food disgorged by other birds when pursued by skuas was once thought to be excrement .

great skua

log oc and pbde concentrations in great skua stercorarius skua plasma . . . | download scientific diagram
information on the great skua is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly .
genetically , they are very similar to the arctic skua . great skuas are primarily southern ocean birds , where five out of six species breed ( south polar skua , brown skua etc . ) .
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in britain , the great skua is sometimes known by the name bonxie , a shetland name of unknown origin .
: trend in uk productivity ( no . of chicks fledged per pair ) of great skua 1986 - 2015 .
great skua : large , heavy - bodied seabird , prominent white patch in primary feathers . body color ranges from a light bleached to dark brown , all have a cinammon wash that makes the bird look red - tinged . strong direct flight with constant shallow wingbeats . hugs wave contours or flies up to 150 feet . great skua was split into great skua and brown skua ( not in north american range ) by the american ornithologist union .
relationships between female plasma concentrations of ∑oc ( log ) and hatching date in great skua colonies in the north - eastern atlantic .
( 2001 ) annual variation in great skua diets : the importance of commercial fisheries and predation on seabirds revealed by combining dietary analyses .
anyway , prince edward island once had a great seal , a silver one , an official one , the great silver seal .
image of great skua appears courtesy of ian rendall © , is subject to international copyright law and may not be reproduced in any form whatsoever .
daily growth rate ( until age of 10 days ) among b - chicks in great skua broods in relation to the mothers’ plasma concentrations of ∑oc .
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arkive photo - great skua scavenging on dead chinstrap penguin
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arkive photo - great skua scavenging on dead chinstrap penguin
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miscellaneous : great skuas are strong birds and defend their nest and offspring aggressively . leave quickly if you happen to become the target of a divebombing skua .
since the 1970s , great skua numbers in britain increased by up to 70 % , primarily as a result of an increased availability of discards from commercial fisheries .
the great skuas also target gannets , which are a much better match for them and more than capable of defending themselves and great fights occur .
yet a kleptoparasite is the official name for birds like the great skua , which feeds by taking prey or other food from another bird that has put in the effort to catch its meal only to have it taken away at the last minute . the great skua can’t help it , though – it’s just made that way .
in north america , five species of skuas and jaegers in one genus have been identified . among these are included the graceful long - tailed jaeger and the hefty great skua .
hatching body conditions ( hatching weight controlled for egg size ) of b - chicks in great skua broods in relation to the mothers’ plasma concentrations of ∑oc and ∑bde at bjørnøya in 2010 .
diet : the great skua feeds on fish caught by surface - plunging , but this opportunistic species feeds mainly by stealing food from other seabirds which are heavily persecuted until they regurgitate the food . the great skua also gets food from trawlers and fishing - boats , and scavenges on dead birds . it may take eggs and young of other seabirds , and kills small mammals and birds .
hatching body conditions ( hatching weight controlled for egg size ) of the a - chicks and b - chicks in great skua broods in relation to the mothers’ plasma concentrations of ∑oc and ∑bde .
‘votier says he ' s seen a skua catch a bird and hold it underwater to drown it . ’
the great skuas is the largest skua in the northern hemisphere , breeding each summer in northern scotland , iceland , and the faeroe islands . 60 % of the global population breed in scottish colonies .
nevertheless , it has been observed that many of the most severe declines in arctic skuas in the uk have occurred where they are breeding adjacent to great skua colonies - who are known to prey on arctic skua eggs and chicks , and are more likely to exploit this food source when less fish is available .
‘we were quite low on food , and our depot was about twelve kilometers away as the skua flies . ’
‘one species bucked the general trend : the south polar skua , which hunts mainly penguin chicks and eggs . ’
flight : the great skua performs active , steady flight with slow wingbeats , and very occasional brief glides . even over the waves , the flight remains active . when soaring , the bird flaps its wings frequently and for long periods . in piratical flight , large seabirds are chased with great agility .
the great skua migrates to the uk from the coasts of spain and africa , and can be found right round the coast , including off scarborough , during its migration period in late summer and early autumn .
protection / threats / status : the great skua has stable populations . in absence of evidence for declines or potential threats , this species is currently considered not threatened , and evaluated as least concern by birdlife international .
figure 2 : trend in productivity ( no . of chicks fledged per pair ) of great skua in scotland , 1986 - 2015 . based on smp data ; view the methods of analysis ( pdf 158 kb ) .
census provides the most comprehensive recent assessment of the distribution and abundance of breeding seabirds . numbers of great skua found in different regions , and a map showing the location and size of colonies , is provided in the seabird 2000
periods of low productivity occurred during the late 1980s , the early 2000s and from 2011 to 2014 . in the large shetland colonies , this was probably due to decreased sandeel 4 availability and low levels of discards 3 . however , in periods of severe food shortage , great skuas will become cannibalistic and prey on the chicks in neighbouring great skua territories . for example , although not quantified , high levels of intra - specific depredation have been reported on fair isle in the last 10 years . unlike arctic skua , great skua colonies rarely suffer complete breeding failure . annual monitoring data from six arctic skua colonies in shetland ( fair isle , fetlar , foula , hermaness , mousa and noss ) between 2003 and 2015 recorded 38 cases of complete colony failure out of a possible 72 colony - years , not one instance of complete failure for the great skua occurred over the same period . great skuas do not breed until they are at least 5 years old , so reductions in productivity and subsequent impacts on recruitment will only be manifested in breeding numbers many years afterwards . therefore , we should expect further decreases in populations in the coming decade .
it will directly attack and kill other seabirds , up to the size of great black - backed gulls .
the great skuua is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
great skua can be seen in breeding areas on coastal rocky islands and moorland - at other times seen around coasts , often in the neighbourhood of seabird colonies , scavenging from other birds , or picking food from the surface of the sea .
daily growth rate ( until age of 10 days ) among a - chicks in great skua broods , receiving supplementary food ( open circles ) and controls ( filled circles ) , in relation to the mothers’ plasma concentrations of ∑oc and ∑bde .
‘the walk would be about seven kilometers as the skua flies from our base camp to the top of gorgon ' s head . ’
on handa , the relatively small arctic skua breeding population peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since then to about 20 pairs .
the above data present a complicated picture with no clear trend ; surveys across the remaining uk distribution of the species , especially other parts of shetland and the western isles , are required to accurately assess the current population status of the great skua .
the above data present a complicated picture with no clear trend ; surveys across the remaining scottish distribution of the species , especially other parts of shetland and the western isles , are required to accurately assess the current population status of the great skua .
no systematic data on the productivity of great skuas in the republic of ireland have been submitted to the smp .
‘we had a week of short walks , drawing , filming and photography with snow petrels and gawky looking skua birds as our neighbours . ’
the great skua has a very restricted breeding range , occurring only in the northeast atlantic from the northern parts of the british isles to the faeroes , iceland , norway and svalbard . its numbers have been increasing since the beginning of the 20th century , and it has been progressively extended its breeding range north and eastwards into the barents sea . the great skua is thus a recent immigrant to svalbard , but now breeds on small islands and along the coast throughout the archipelago . it occurs in highest densities on bjørnøya and the west coast of spitsbergen . great skuas usually nest as single pairs but on bjørnøya they also breed in a loose colony on the northern part of the island . the great skua leaves svalbard in august - september and returns in april - may . adult birds spend the winter months at sea off the coast of newfoundland ( canada ) , ireland and northwest africa .
description : the great skua is the largest skua ( 50 - 58 cm , 1 . 2 - 1 . 8 kg in weight ) and has a rather uniform , brown camouflage plumage . the only white patches are on the underside of the wings and thus visible only in flight . with its broad wings and the strong beak , which has a slightly curved point , it resembles a bird of prey .
bonxie . skua - gull . . . . this is the port egmont hen of our circumnavigators . . . . it is also called skuie .
8 phillips r . a . , thompson d . r . and hamer k . c . 1999 . the impact of great skua predation on seabird populations at st . kilda : a bioenergetics model . journal of applied ecology 36 ( 2 ) : 218 - 232 .
reproduction : the reproduction starts in may . the great skua is loosely colonial . the nest - site is on the ground , a scrape often lined with dry grasses in open area and broken terrain with grass , and wet moorland with higher places to survey the surroundings .
i believe that the following image is misidentified / mislabelled : great rosefinch carpodacus rubicilla severtzovi qinghai china © carlos naza bocos .
great skua diet varies geographically ; in the northern isles , where about 94 % of the uk breeding population occurs , they feed largely on fisheries discards and sandeels 1 . in smaller colonies , such as those in the western isles ( where the remaining 6 % occur ) great skuas tend to specialise in eating seabirds 2 . the population increase during the 1970s is likely to have been supported by high availability
the large and strong skua is the largest of the four species of skuas found on spitsbergen . in flight she can look like big , dark seagull .
‘a recent study found that a five per cent increase of birds in the skua diet would result in an annual loss of thousands of other seabirds . ’
the great skuas are really only threatened by the larger birds of prey , like the golden eagles and the white tailed sea eagles .
analyses of plasma samples were performed at the great lakes institute for environmental research ( glier ) , university of windsor , canada . leat
fig . 4 . log oc and pbde concentrations in great skua stercorarius skua plasma by breeding col ony ( bjørnøya , iceland and shetland ) and by wintering area . bar : median ; box : interquartile range ( iqr ) ; whiskers : da ta range excluding outliers ( i . e . data > 1 . 5 × iqr above / below iqr ; not shown ) . for conge ner com position of pcb group i see table s1 in the supple - ment
great skua : breeds in iceland , norway , the faroe islands and the scottish islands , with a few on mainland scotland . it breeds on coastal moorland and rocky islands . it is a migrant , wintering at sea in the atlantic ocean and regularly reaching north american waters . vagrant to mediterranean countries .
the articles drawn up by the barons were affixed with john ' s great seal , as proof that a preliminary accord had been reached .
‘a third of the world ' s arctic skuas , big fierce birds nicknamed bonxies , nest on the great hills of the island . ’
relationships between hatching date ( date since 1 of june ) and female plasma concentrations of ∑bde in great skuas breeding in iceland in 2009 .
the great skua is part of the scarborough collections , the name given to all the museum objects and artwork acquired by the borough over the years , and now in the care of scarborough museums trust . for further information , please contact collections manager jennifer dunne on jennifer . dunne @ urltoken or 01723 384510 .
moreover , against the background of declines and poor breeding seasons in scottish colonies since 2003 , especially those in the northern isles ( where the most bonxies traditionally occur ) , the handa great skua colony has been relatively productive - with the mean number of chicks fledged per pair remaining consistently above the national average .
this study combines conventional dietary assessment with stable isotope techniques to describe great skua ( stercorarius skua ) diet . stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in feathers of great skua chicks collected over three years were analyzed in conjunction with pellet and regurgitate collections . a significant drop in trophic status was detected in 1997 , which likely resulted from an increase in herring and mackerel in the diet . these items were almost certainly obtained from a commercial trawler , as evidenced by a significant drop in territorial attendance during the ship ' s absence . feathers yielded significantly different ∂13c values among years , and part of this may have been related to a period of enhanced phytoplankton growth during 1996 . a combined approach , such as the one described here , is likely to become increasingly useful in elucidating the diets of polyphagous birds .
the great skua is a large seabird which breeds in iceland , norway , the faroe islands and scottish islands , and occasionally mainland areas of scotland . the preferred habitat of this species is coastal moorland and rocky islands . during winter months , the great skua will migrate to the atlantic ocean and north american regions . diets consist of fish stolen from gulls , terns and northern gannets . this species has been known to attack and kill other species of seabirds . it accomplishes this feat by grabbing the bird by the wing while in flight , causing it to fall to sea . the conservation rating for this species is least concern .
although the great skua is mainly a northern bird , its very similar relative the south polar , or maccormick’s , skua can be found at the south pole , where it will attack penguins . our exhibit , part of scarborough museums trust’s taxidermy collection , can be seen in the community gallery at scarborough art gallery until february 14 as part of endurance and survival , an exhibition curated by the trust’s volunteers and paying tribute to the men of ernest shackleton’s imperial trans - antarctic exhibition a century ago .
on handa , great skuas have a diverse diet ( see research page for more details ) , though it is dominated by fish and birds .
the shetland name for the great skuas - bonxie , may have been derived from a old norse word ( bunki = dumpy ) referring to its heavy - set build . the name does sum up the great skuas habit of viciously dive - bombing anyone unwary enough to approach to close to its nest
periods of low productivity occurred during the late 1980s , the early 2000s and from 2011 to 2014 . in the large shetland colonies , this was probably due to decreased availability of sandeels 4 and low levels of discards 3 . however , in periods of severe food shortage , great skuas will become cannibalistic and prey on the chicks in neighbouring great skua territories . for example , although not quantified , high levels of intra - specific depredation have been reported on fair isle in recent years .
however , the last decade of extremely poor breeding seasons ( 2009 notwithstanding ) for scottish seabirds in general , and for great skuas specifically , are a cause for concern . it is not yet clear the effect this had had on numbers of great skuas , but there are indications that overall they have declined .
schematic trends in multiple stressors in breeding great skuas : anthropogenic ( pops ) and natural stressors ( population health , breeding conditions ) , including fitness variables .
description : the great skua is opportunistic . it often attacks other seabirds to steal their preys and may kill them too , during the breeding period . outside this season when staying offshore , it feeds primarily by pirating food from gannets and gulls . this species appears like the most ferocious of this family . it is often called “bronxie” the traditional shetlanders’ name .
range : the great skua breeds in iceland , faeroes and n scotland . a northwards spread along norwegian coast to svalbard , bear island , jan mayen and into kola peninsula has been reported since 1969s . this species winters off iberia . the young birds may move as far s as cape verde islands and brazil . small numbers reach grand banks of newfoundland .
the great skua is an ‘interspecific’ kleptoparasite – that is , it’ll steal food from any other bird , not just its own kind ( that would make it ‘intraspecific’ ) . it’s also exceptionally aggressive – with a wingspan of around 125 - 140 cm , its roughly the size of the herring gull which is so familiar to us in scarborough , and bears more than a passing resemblance to the juvenile of that species . and yet it’ll happily tackle a gannet to steal its dinner – and the gannet is our largest seabird , with a wingspan of up to 2 metres , and not averse to a bit of aggression itself given the right circumstances . no wonder the great skua is often called ‘the pirate of the seas’ .
during the breeding season , the great skua performs aggressive , threat and courtship displays . this large bird often squabbles where they gather at food sources . the typical displays involves wing - rising , in order to expose the white wing patches . the “long - call” is used to establish the territory , and is typically accompanied by the same “wing - rising display” .
the great skua is an aggressive pirate of the seas , deliberately harassing birds as large as gannets to steal a free meal . it also readily kills and eats smaller birds such as puffins . great skuas show little fear of humans - anybody getting close to the nest will be repeatedly dive - bombed by the angry adult . these birds migrate to the northernmost isles of the uk from their wintering grounds off the coasts of spain and africa . at a distance they look stout and dark and show white wing flashes in flight .
the great skua was first recorded breeding on bjørnøya in 1970 and on spitsbergen in 1976 . since then the population has been growing rapidly . protection from human persecution and improved food availability in the key breeding areas in shetland , orkney and iceland are probably the main reasons for the increase in population size and expansion of the range . recoveries in northern norway and svalbard of great skuas ringed as chicks in scotland indicate that many of the birds originated from this area . a bird caught on bjørnøya in 1991 had been banded ( ringed ) as a chick on foula in scotland 23 years earlier . the breeding population in svalbard is probably between 500 and 1000 pairs , with approximately half breeding on bjørnøya . the colony on bjørnøya is the largest in the barents searegion . the total north atlantic breeding population in 2004 was about 16 , 000 pairs . most great skua pairs aggressively defend their territory by diving towards intruders at great speeds . however , not all pairs do so , and the aggressiveness varies between breeding area , time in the breeding season and food availability .
great skuas breed close to the coast , usually in the vicinity of a bird cliff or a gull colony , but sometimes they can also be found ( or the rest of the barents sea ) , but on bjørnøya it is a mixture of different species of fish and seabirds , especially black - legged kittiwake and northern fulmar . in other parts of its breeding range fish and fish discards make up a large part of the diet . similar to other skuas , the great skua also chases other seabirds and steals their prey . further increases in the barents sea population of great skuas may depend on the species ability to utilize widely abundant fish , like polar cod boregadus saida and capelin mallotus villosus .
great skuas are usually a uniform dark brown with contrasting white flashes in the outer part of both the upper and under wing ( white base to the primaries ) .
however , one of the already proposed splits , severtzovi from great rosefinch ( carpodacus rubicilla ) was not supported and then they consider it should be still considered intraspecific .
habitat : the great skua is marine and migrates more over water than over land . during winter , it can be found in flocks a few kilometres offshore , and they gather close to areas where they can scavenge from fisheries . this species breeds on islands , on flat ground with some vegetal cover . they breed in loose colonies of up to several hundreds of pairs .
voice : sounds by xeno - canto the great skua is noisy during the breeding season , whereas it is silent at sea and during winter . it utters plaintive , nasal , wailing calls “piah piah piah piah” when threatening or attacking intruders . the alarm call is a short , harsh “tuk” or “gek” . during dive - bombing attacks on intruders , it gives a strangled “kayaya” .
in great skua terms , handa island is a conservation success story : a regional stronghold for this nationally important species ; the largest breeding colony on the west coast of scotland , and probably a source population for other colonies in the area . the population has continued to increase slightly in recent years though it is , we believe , now approaching the carrying capacity of the island .
distribution / migrations : the great skua has a primarily sub - arctic distribution and breeds in the eastern north atlantic in iceland , the færøe islands , shetland islands and norway . the first breeding pair in svalbard was recorded in 1970 on bjørnøya and in 1976 on spitsbergen but since then , the species has occupied most parts of the archipelago with the exception of the high - arctic northeast . the largest population is still on bjørnøya , with several hundred breeding pairs . great skuas spend the winter on open ocean , off the coast of senegal , west africa .
an estimated 60 % of this global population breed in great britain , specifically scotland . in other words , conservation of the scottish breeding populations is critical to the whole species .
ratcliffe n , furness rw , hamer kc ( 1998 ) the interactive effects of age and food supply on the breeding ecology of great skuas . j anim ecol 67 : 853–862 .
its aggression extends to an even bigger and more dangerous creature – man . approach the grass - lined nest , and you can expect trouble – the skua will fearlessly dive bomb , aiming at the head of the intruder . a wonderful painting by the victorian marine artist james clarke hook shows a skua diving at a group of rockpooling children who have obviously had the misfortune to stray too close to its nest – you can see it here : urltoken
there are an estimated 16 , 000 breeding pairs of great skuas in the world , all of whom breed in the northern hemisphere , mainly in iceland , the faroe islands and scotland .
it is part of a small family of birds , with four northern hemisphere species roughly divided into two main types – the chunky , gull - like great skua and the other three , all more tern - like in appearance being more streamlined and having tail streamers . these are the arctic , long - tailed and pomarine skuas . all can be seen off british shores , and each has a southern hemisphere equivalent .
bustnes jo , tveraa t , henden ja , varpe ø , skaare ju ( 2007 ) reproductive performance and organochlorine pollutants in an antarctic marine top predator : the south polar skua . environ int 33 : 911–918 . pmid : 17561256
data on the breeding success of great skuas in ireland are scarce . the recent colonists in northern ireland have been closely monitored , where productivity measures an average of 0 . 80 chicks fledged per pair per year with no statistical significant variation over time . the breeding success of great skuas nesting in the republic of ireland , where as many as 15 pairs are thought to be present , is unknown or unreported .
the great skuas are often called
pirates of the high seas
. the great skuas are accomplished food - pirates , predators and scavengers . one of their favourite tactics is to steal from birds other birds who have just caught their prey’ , returning from fishing trips with a fully laden bills or crops ( the food storage area located just above the stomach in some birds ) , often guillemots and kittiwakes .
the last 40 years there has been a marked increase in the number of great skuas ( catharacta skua ) in norwegian territory , and it seems as if the core distribution area is shifting , from iceland and shetland , northwards to the barents sea region . as a generalist and top predator in the marine ecosystem the great skua has a broad range of available prey , and their impact on prey species , particularly other seabirds , is poorly understood . the diet of great skuas during winter is largely unknown , because they live mostly out in the open ocean . as they come to shore to breed , it is possible to obtain an estimate of the diet during the breeding season through analysis of regurgitated pellets . the pellets were collected from a total of 25 great skua nests in 2008 and 2009 . each nest was visited every fifth day from hatching , and chicks were weighed and measured at each visit . almost all pellets contained remains from birds while 38 % contained remains from fish . on average , 62 ± 3 . 7 % of pellets from a pair contained only seabird remains . in 2008 , dietary specialization toward seabirds was found in 33 % of the pairs , compared to 62 % in 2009 . the overall diet composition did not differ between years , but the proportion of fish in pellets varied between pairs within years . as the breeding season progressed the probability of fish being found in pellets decreased . body mass , tarsus length and wing length of chicks were negatively correlated with the proportion of pellets with only fish . hatching dates varied between years , being delayed in 2009 . breeding success was higher in 2008 than in 2009 . there was no relationship between the number of chick survival to age 15 days ( d ( 15 ) = fledging success ) and differences in specialization , but in 2009 there was a positive relationship between the survival of chicks at the end of the field work and a specialist diet . this indicates that dietary specialization among great skua pairs on bjørnøya can have positive effects on fledging success , and hence also breeding success .
the arctic skua arrives at its breeding grounds in april and leaves in july . look for it offshore in spring and especially in late summer and early autumn when it is migrating along western and eastern shores of the uk , with passage continuing into november .
they are usually monogamous and pair for life , with strong territory site fidelity . pairs often re - establish the pair - bonds when meeting on their usual territories . courtship displays are limited , but both mates call facing each other , with head and neck slightly tossed backwards and bill upwards . if an intruder tries to enter the colony , physical attacks and fights may involve serious injuries . the great skua is a long - lived species , up to 34 years .
bourgeon s , leat ehk , strøm h , furness rw , magnusdottir e , fisk at , et al . ( 2012 ) individual variation in biomarkers of health : influence of persistent organic pollutants in great skuas (
10 votier , s . c . , crane , j . e . , bearhop , s . , de león , a . , mcsorley , c . a . , mínguez , e . , mitchell , p . i . , parsons , m . , phillips , r . a . and furness , r . w . 2006 . nocturnal foraging by great skuas stercorarius skua : implications for conservation of storm - petrel populations . j . ornithol . 147 : 405–413 .
western isles birds - great skuas - very powerful majestic seabirds - in and around the western isles . in poor light you could mistake them for large gulls , but at close range there really is no mistaking them .
conservationists also worry about the effect that great skuas have on the other seabirds on which they prey ( and increasingly so , as the availability of discards has now reduced again , causing skuas to eat more birds ) .
9 miles , w . t . s . 2010 . ecology , behaviour and predatorprey interactions of great skuas and leach ' s storm - petrels at st kilda . unpublished phd thesis urltoken . university of glasgow , glasgow .
jaegers get their name from the germanic word for “hunter” ; an appropriate name for these aggressive , predatory birds . in great britain , though , the word “jaeger” is not used with all members of this family being called skuas .
biology : great skuas like fish , especially if others have caught it . as with other skuas , they chase other seabirds until they drop their prey . they also take eggs and chicks from other birds when the opportunity arises .
great skuas lay two eggs into a shallow nest on flat tundra . both parents sit for a good four weeks . the family will then stay near the nest for another six to seven weeks , until the chicks can fly .
recommended citation birdlife international ( 2018 ) species factsheet : catharacta skua . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 . recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species : birdlife international ( 2018 ) iucn red list for birds . downloaded from urltoken on 09 / 07 / 2018 .
relationships between daily growth rate of a - chicks ( until day 10 of age ) and persistent organic pollutants ( ∑oc and ∑bde ) in the blood of female great skuas in nests receiving different treatment ( supplied extra food and controls ) .
fish , carrion , other birds , mostly fish , obtained from sea , scavenging or by piracy , occasionally berries , or even the odd rabbit so it is said . the great skuas gather in flocks of about 40 or more over shoaling fish .
its main uk nesting sites , though , tend to be further north – most of our population breeds on the scottish islands , with over half the world’s great skuas on shetland , while a few also nest on the mainlands of scotland and ireland .
returning probability ( ± se ) of great skuas between breeding seasons ( a ) at bjørnøya ( 2009–2012 ) and ( b ) shetland ( 2009–2010 ) in relation to plasma concentrations of ∑oc and ∑bde ( log , ng / g wt weight ) .
outside of breeding season , generally , silent , the brown skua ' s call is a harsh hah - hah - hah - hah ; quacking and croaking noises , more harsh during dive attacks . , the attack call being more of a strangled
kayaya
at high intensity a high pitched raucous scream .
if all this kleptomania , parasitism and piratical behaviour paints a rather unsavoury picture of the skua , then consider this : the birds are remarkably good parents . they mate for life , and guard their chicks through a two - month fledgling process , with the fathers taking on a lot of the responsibility for feeding the youngsters .
great skuas are relatively easy to census as throughout the breeding season , and especially during incubation and early chick - rearing ( from early may to late june ) , they show very high territory attendance . pairs that have lost eggs or young chicks almost invariably remain on territory and those that fail early ( when most clutches are lost ) will lay a replacement clutch . during seabird 2000 not all colonies were counted in the same year , but this should not have affected population size estimates , as great skuas show high fidelity to breeding sites .
gilbertson m , kubiak t , ludwig j , fox g ( 1991 ) great - lakes embryo mortality , edema , and deformities syndrome ( glemeds ) in colonial fish - eating birds—similarity to chick - edema disease . j toxicol environ health 33 : 455–520 . pmid : 1875430
on the head , the plumage varies individually . some birds have dark brown crown contrasting with paler yellow - streaked head sides . but the head may be pale greyish - brown with dark mask restricted to the area around eye and ear - coverts . the rear of ear - coverts is paler . the great skua usually shows irregular white , yellow or buff spotting , mainly on crown . but lores , forehead and chin are often paler than rest of head . nape , neck sides , chin and throat ( and occasionally breast ) , show pale grey , pale yellow or golden narrow shaft - streaks .
coverage of great skua breeding areas in the seabird 2000 survey was good in most regions , although small areas of possible breeding habitat in parts of west and central mainland shetland and caithness were not surveyed . coverage of nesting areas during the scr census ( 1985 - 88 ) was complete although surveys in orkney were conducted in 1982 and counts subsequently adjusted using observed trends to estimate population size . counts from all other areas used in the scr census were conducted during 1985 - 88 . operation seafarer ( 1969 - 70 ) did not attempt to find all inland nesting skuas so will have underestimated numbers by a small amount .
behaviour : the great skua is an opportunistic feeder . it feeds on fish caught by surface - plunging , but it also gets food from trawlers , it scavenges on dead birds , and steals food from other seabirds such as gannets and auks . it persecutes and kills seabirds suck as black - legged kittiwakes and atlantic puffins , and also takes their eggs and young . in iceland and nw scotland , it feeds on squid and more seabirds . during winter , its diet includes discarded food from fishing boats , scavenging , stolen preys , and it catches its own fish , especially sand - eels ( ammodytes ) . it kills small mammals too .
david morgan o ' connor is from a small village on lake huron . after many nomadic years , he is based in albuquerque , where a short story collection progresses . he contributors monthly to the review review and new pages . his writing has appeared in barcelona metropolitan , collective exiles , across the margin , headland , cecile ' s writers , the great american lit mag , bohemia , beechwood , fiction magazine , after the pause , the great american lit mag ( pushcart nomination ) , the new quarterly and the guardian . follow david on twitter @ dmoconnorwrites or visit his website : urltoken
but reductions in discards associated with decreased stocks of cod , haddock and whiting in the 1980s 3 - and a reduction in sandeel stocks 4 - led to reduced productivity and adult survival , resulting in reduced rates of population increase . it appears that density dependent competition for food or breeding territory is likely to limit further population growth . indeed , analysis of the decline in orkney in 2010 indicates the driver of population change was competition for food at a local ( i . e . colony ) level 5 . in addition , the great skua is a cold - adapted species which suffers heat stress during warm weather 2 . this currently limits its southerly extent and it is likely
the great skua , or bonxie , is famous for its aggressive defence of territory against human intruders . the species has a very restricted breeding range – confined to the northeast atlantic , the world population is only around 16 , 000 apparently occupied territories ( aots ) , of which 60 % are in scotland , concentrated in shetland and orkney . however , its population has been increasing since 1900 , and it has progressively extended its breeding range both northeast into the barents sea , and south into the islands of west scotland . closely related species breed in the antarctic and sub - antarctic , and show strong adaptations to cold conditions and a predatory life - style . in scotland , great skuas nest on coastal moorland , often in loose groups of scattered nests , but with some colonies numbering thousands of pairs . when nesting at low density in small colonies , most birds in the colony feed by killing seabirds . however , when nesting in large colonies , the majority feed on fish , including fishery discards , and only a small proportion specialise in killing seabirds . ringing has shown that great skuas from shetland have emigrated to form colonies in many other areas as far away as north russia , but the majority of chicks return to their natal colony to try to establish a breeding territory .
that said , in 2009 they appear to have launched a fightback , with their most successful breeding season in five years . this follows a local increase in density of arctic skua territories , and a resurgence of effective
cooperative defence
against the invading bonxies - a tactic which had not been seen for a few years , but which appears to be an important strategy .
the objective of this study was to examine , both observationally and experimentally , how ecological impacts of environmental contaminants in seabirds may vary , predicting worse effects during adverse conditions and when population health is poor . the great skua ( stercorarius skua ) , a large omnivorous seabird with high pop loads [ 11 ] , [ 12 ] , was studied in three colonies ( shetland , iceland and bjørnøya [ bear island ] in the norwegian arctic ) over a temperate - arctic gradient in the north - eastern atlantic ( 60–74°n ) . the study population at foula in shetland declined by ~ 30 % between 2000 and 2007 due to sustained food shortage and poor breeding success [ 13 ] , [ 14 ] , [ 15 ] . in contrast , the population at bjørnøya has grown continuously since its establishment in the 1970s ( h . strøm , unpublished data ) . biomarkers of health were recorded in these colonies , showing that birds in the shetland population were more stressed and had poor immune function compared to birds in the other two colonies in 2009 ( table 1 ) [ 16 ] .
breeding from 2005 - 8 was poor , with very few chicks surviving . while sad to see , this provides an interesting case study , we have found that predation by great skuas has been a major factor - especially predation of fledglings as they practise their weak flight around the territory during their first few airborne days .
great skuas are a recent colonist in ireland . first nesting in the late 1990s in the republic of ireland , and colonising northern ireland in 2010 , it is thought there are in excess of 15 pairs all though no complete systematic survey has been carried out . overall the population is healthy and increasing . however , great skuas have been shown to be serious predators of leach’s storm - petrels on st kilda ( western isles , scotland ) 8 , consuming as many as 21 , 000 individuals per year 9 , so there may be potential cause for concern in relation to storm - petrel populations on islands off the west coast of ireland 10 .
the great skuas have only one brood , the eggs are oval , smooth , not glossy , chestnut brown , olive grey or pale blue , usually spotted dark brown , mainly around the broad end , . the clutch is usually just one or two birds and the incubation is 29 days . the birds fledge at around 44 days
great skuas ( or ' bonxies ' , a shetland word meaning dumpy , untidy women ) are majestic and powerful seabirds that never fail to provoke a reaction . at sea , they can often be seen harassing gannets or gulls to make them drop their their food , or following fishing boats to scavenge their discards . they also hunt other birds
this is especially worrisome when great skuas are breeding close to globally importnat colonies . an example of this is occurring on st . kilda , where it is believed that the bonxies are having a serious impact on leach ' s storm - petrels . remarkably , the highly adaptable skuas have even learnt to hunt the storm - petrels at night .
it should be remembered that the usual
victims
of the arctic skua ' s piracy , such as kittiwakes and auks , have been struggling to find food themselves and for their chicks , meaning there is also less food for the skuas . in this interdependent food chain , the reduced availability of fish at critical times of the breeding cycle is also at the root of the decline of the kleptoparasites and the higher predators .
every year tourists follow the wet road south to visit the extraordinary wildlife preserves of the subantarctic islands—the raucous penguin colonies , the perennial bloom of megaherbs and the austere and hostile beauty of the ice - laden southern ocean . brett phibbs travelled the great south road with heritage expeditions as part of his prize as the 2011 new zealand geographic photographer of the year .
however , these seabird declines are typical of colonies across britain since 2003 , and while predation by great skuas surely adds to the problem , observations of abandoned eggs and starving chicks on the breeding ledges of these other species point to the same major underlying causes as elsewhere - namely a collapse in the availability of fish , due to a combination of overfishing and rising sea temperature .
the name skua probably originates from the faroese word ‘skúvur’ – if so , it’s the only bird name from that language to have come into regular use outside the islands . it’s also known , rather charmingly , by its shetland name of ‘bonxie’ , a word with norse origins . there’s an old norse word , ‘bunki’ , which means ‘heap’ , and the modern norwegian word ‘bunke’ means ‘stack’ , but apparently once referred to a dumpy woman – and the bonxie certainly has a stocky stature .
in northern ireland , great skuas are a recent colonist , first nesting in 2010 , with the first successful breeding in 2011 . one pair was present in 2012 , but did not breed successfully , with one or two pairs present in 2013 although there was no evidence of breeding . a single pair nested in 2014 and fledged two chicks . one pair was present in 2015 and fledged one chick .
a big , broad - shouldered , predatory seabird of the north atlantic . usually solitary at sea , although concentrations may occur where food is abundant . breeds mainly in iceland and on islands north of great britain ; in north america , very seldom seen from shore , although it may be common far offshore during the winter . closely related forms are common in the southern hemisphere , mostly in subantarctic regions .
the great skua is a large dark brown bird . it is larger than the three other skuas that can be observed in svalbard . in flight it resembles a large gull with well defined white wing patches . adults are 53–58 cm long and weigh 1 . 2–1 . 9 kg . the sexes are similar in appearance . the under - parts are a lighter than the back , and it has broad , rounded wings and a relatively short and stout . it has a sturdy hooked bill . the back is covered with rusty - yellow or yellow - white dappling . the outer flight feathers of the wing ( primaries ) have a white base , which makes up a well defined white patch on the wing . the bill and legs are black . juveniles are a uniformly dark brown . the voice is a loud
tek - tek
or a mewing
ji - ah , ji - ah
.
in northern ireland , great skuas are a recent colonist . a single pair nested in 2010 and 2011 , with the first successful breeding in 2011 . one pair was present in 2012 but did not breed successfully . in 2013 , two adults were present throughout the summer and were later joined by two more birds , although there was no evidence of breeding and the behaviour of the birds suggested there was no nest 6 . a single pair bred successfully in 2014 and 2015 7 .
great skuas nests in solitary pairs or in loose colonies and are territorial on their breeding ground . the nest is a shallow depression located on flat ground ; it is lined with dry grass or other vegetation . egg - laying usually takes place during the first half of june , depending somewhat on snow conditions on the tundra . the two eggs are olive - brown or grey - green with dark brown speckles . both sexes take shifts incubating the eggs during the 29 day incubation period . the young remain close to the nest and are fed by the parents until they are fledged after six or seven weeks . great skuas become sexually mature when they are seven or eight years of age . ringing programmes have shown that the majority of chicks return to their natal areas . once a bird has become established in a breeding area it almost invariably returns to the same territory every year . ”divorces” within a pair are infrequent , and birds that do change partners rarely move long distances . the highest age recorded in norway ( including svalbard ) is 22 years .
due to the difficulties of manipulating pops in wildlife , most ecotoxicological studies are correlational with regard to pop effects , and our study is no exception . it is , however , to our knowledge the first empirical study ( based on both observation and experiment ) that examines the potential ecological impact of lipophilic pops in the same top predator seabird species on a large geographical scale . the findings indicate that the adverse effects of pops are state dependent , varying both with concentrations , the breeding conditions that the birds are experiencing , with population health , and probably also with reproductive investments by the birds . hence , seabirds such as the great skua may be suffering from multiple stressors with regard to pollution effects . the implications are that although the environmental concentrations of many pops are decreasing , the impact of toxicants may not decrease at the same pace . this is worrying because the marine environment is under increasing pressure from exploitation and climate change , and many seabird species are declining worldwide . this should raise concern because although many of the pops are decreasing , new compounds are still entering ecosystems at an increasing rate . thus cocktail effects of different environmental toxicants may be severe in seabirds , and be a potential additional stress to the breeding populations .


eupithecia spissata is a moth in the geometridae family .

it is endemic to china ( sichuan ) .

the wingspan is about 20 millimetres ( 0.79 in ) .

the forewings are brownish grey and the hindwings are pale whitish grey along the costa and in the middle and darker grey along the terminal and anal margins .

eupithecia spissata

12 new species of eupithecia ( lepidoptera , geometridae ) are described from china .
ash pug ( angle - barred pug ) ( eupithecia innotata f . fraxinata )
第4報までと同じように中国産カバナミシャク属eupitheciaの12新種を記載した . 今回記載した新種は次の通りである . e . blenna mironov & galsworthy ( 四川 , 陜西 ) , e . verprota mironov & galsworthy ( 陜西 ) , e . spissata mironov & galsworthy ( 四川 ) , e . nirvana mironov & galsworthy ( 四川 ) , e . serpentigena mironov & galsworthy ( 四川 ) , e . fulvidorsata mironov & galsworthy ( 陜西 ) , e . atuni mironov & galsworthy ( 雲南 ) , e . phantastica mironov & galsworthy ( 浙江 , 台湾 ) , e . actrix mironov & galsworthy ( 陜西 ) , e . severa mironov & galsworthy ( 陜西 ) , e . magica mironov & galsworthy ( チベット ) , e . villica mironov & galsworthy ( チベット , 雲南 ) .
a taxon identifier is composed of name , author , year and attribute , all separated by a blank . these are all extracted from the original publication .
the name is reproduced exactly as proposed in the original publication . the name of a genus is made up of one word and species made up of two words ( genus and species ) separated by a blank .
the author ' s name is made up of a string of letters , with no blanks , and multiple authors ' names are separated by a comma . spelling of author ' s name is based on the original publication . if there are more than three authors , only the names of the first two authors are shown , followed by
, +
and the number of omitted authors .
attribute is enclosed in square brackets . this is rarely needed , but to differentiate homo - identifiers , this will contain the page , line or plate number of original publication .
all diacritic marks , hyphens , and apostrophes are eliminated , thus only the following characters are used : a to z , a to z , 0 to 9 , blank , comma , and opening and closing square brackets . although upper and lower cases are used for the convenience of human recognition , it is not case sensitive .
created by dicky sick ki yu 1997 - 2012 please send me information about errors and omissions ( contact information ) with supporting references , possibly with pdf or hard copy .
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to date 683 species of macro - moth along with 1159 species of micro - moth have been recorded in norfolk since records began in victorian times . this site aims to provide full details of all the species that occur ( or once occurred ) in norfolk , with photographs , descriptions , flight graphs , latest records , distribution maps and more !
if you have photos of any moths featured on this site , and would like them displayed along with your name and comments . . . please send them in ( any size . jpg images ) .
please consider helping with the running costs of norfolk moths . thank you : - )
underlying maps using digital map data © norfolk online lepidoptera archive - nola™ 2018 . © james wheeler - n o r f o l k m o t h s 2007 - 2018 . data © nola™ 2018
liobagrus marginatoides is a species of catfish in the amblycipitidae family ( the torrent catfishes ) endemic to the province of sichuan in china .
liobagrus marginatus is a species of catfish in the amblycipitidae family ( the torrent catfishes ) endemic to the province of sichuan in china .
rana zhengi is a species of frog in the ranidae family that is endemic to sichuan , china .
scutiger pingwuensis is a species of toad in the family megophryidae known commonly as the pingwu lazy toad and the pingwu alpine toad .
scutiger jiulongensis , also known as juilong cat - eyed toad , is a species of amphibian in the megophryidae family .
nebria rougemonti is a species of ground beetle from a nebriinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan province of china .
carabus exiguus absconditus is a subspecies of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan , china .
pselnophorus emeishanensis is a moth of the pterophoridae family that is found in sichuan province of china .
triplophysa moquensis is a species of ray - finned fish in the genus triplophysa .
the puxiong salamander , pseudohynobius puxiongensis , is a species of salamander in the hynobiidae family , endemic to china .
brachytarsophrys chuannanensis ( sometimes known as chuanan short - legged toad ) is a species of frog in the megophryidae family .
carabus batangicoides is a species of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus ajax is a species of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus agamemnon is a species of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily , that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus exiguus cithara is a black coloured subspecies of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus exiguus exiguus is a black - coloured subspecies of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus exiguus nivium is a black - coloured subspecies of ground beetle from carabinae subfamily that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus exiguus tagong is a black - coloured subspecies of ground beetle in the carabinae subfamily that is endemic to western part of sichuan , china .
carabus dietererberi is a species of beetle from carabidae family that is endemic to sichuan , china .
carabus huangi is a species of black - coloured beetle from carabidae family , that is endemic to sichuan , china .


the yellow-bellied climbing mouse ( rhipidomys ochrogaster ) is a species of arboreal rodent in the family cricetidae .

it is known only from southeastern peru , where it has been found in cloud forest at an elevation of 1830 m .

this species was long known only by the type collection until it was rediscovered in may 2010 .

yellow - bellied climbing mouse

species rhipidomys ochrogaster j . a . allen , 1901 - yellow - bellied climbing mouse
species rhipidomys couesi ( j . a . allen & chapman , 1893 ) - coues ' s climbing mouse
species sigmodon fulviventer j . a . allen , 1889 - tawny - bellied cotton rat
a young / baby of a yellowbellied climbing mouse is called a ' pinkie , kitten or pup ' . the females are called ' doe ' and males ' buck ' . a yellowbellied climbing mouse group is called a ' nest , colony , harvest , horde or mischief ' .
species reithrodontomys gracilis j . a . allen & chapman , 1897 - slender harvest mouse
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
tribe , c . j . 2015 . genus rhipidomys tschudi , 1845 . in : patton , j . l . , pardiñas , u . f . j . and d ' elía , g . ( eds ) , mammals of south america , volume 2 : rodents , pp . 583 - 616 . university of chicago press , chicago .
amori , g . ( small nonvolant mammal red list authority ) & schipper , j . ( global mammal assessment team )
justification : this species is listed as data deficient in view of the absence of recent information on its extent of occurrence , threats , status and ecological requirements . this species is poorly known and occurs in an area where numerous threats could be effecting populations , and it has not yet been recorded in any protected areas .
this species is known only from the type locality and vicinity , southeast río inambari in northern puno department , peru ( patton et al . , 2002 ; tribe , 1997 ) . it has been collected at 1 , 830 m .
it is presumably an arboreal species . it was collected in cloud forest , with a dense undergrowth of shrubs and vines .
the species is presumably threatened by deforestation of habitat through conversion to agricultural use , however , further research is necessary as this species is known from only a few localities .
it has not been recorded from any protected areas . further research is needed into this poorly known species .
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musser , g . g . and carleton , m . d . 2005 . superfamily muroidea . in : d . e . wilson and d . a . reeder ( eds ) , mammal species of the world : a geographic and taxonomic reference , pp . 894 - 1531 . the john hopkins university press , baltimore , usa .
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musser , guy g . , and michael d . carleton / wilson , don e . , and deeann m . reeder , eds .
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 3rd ed . , vol . 2
mammal species of the world : a taxonomic and geographic reference , 2nd ed . , 3rd printing
with contributions by bernadette n . graham , adam p . potter , and mariana m . upmeyer
comments : r . leucodactylus section sensu tribe ( 1996 ) . retained as a species until judged the same as r . l . leucodactylus by cabrera ( 1961 ) . j . a . allen ( 1901b ) , however , pointedly contrasted his new species with peruvian r . leucodactylus ; musser and carleton ( 1993 ) and tribe ( 1996 ) retained it as species . geographic range and closest specific relative uncertain
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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species santamartamys rufodorsalis ( j . a . allen , 1899 ) - red crested tree rat


scelidotherium is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family mylodontidae , endemic to south america during the middle pleistocene epoch .

it lived from 780,000 — 11,000 years ago , existing for approximately 0.67 million years .

it is characterized by an elongated , superficially anteater-like head .

in fossil distribution , it is known from argentina ( lujan and arroyo seco formations ) , bolivia ( tarija formation ) , peru ( san sebastián formation ) , panama , brazil , paraguay and ecuador .

he allied it to the megatherium .

owen ( 1840 ) recognized the true characters of the remains and named them scelidotherium , which means " femur beast " to reflect the distinctive proportions of that skeletal element .

they were 1.1 metres ( 3.6 ft ) tall and might have weighed up to 850 kg ( 1,870 lb ) .

scelidotherium

scelidotherium and paramylodon represent two different subfamilies of the mylodontidae . scelidotherium and its close relatives have long narrow skulls while paramylodon and its relatives have wide broad skulls . the difference in skull shape suggests they fed differently . scelidotherium was more selective in the parts of plants it ate while paramylodon was more of a generalist and consumed all of the plant .
what made you want to look up scelidotherium ? please tell us where you read or heard it ( including the quote , if possible ) .
scelidotherium was named by owen ( 1839 ) . it was assigned to mylodontidae by carroll ( 1988 ) ; and to scelidotheriinae by gaudin ( 1995 ) and zurita et al . ( 2004 ) .
in his journal of the voyage of the beagle , charles darwin reports the finding of a nearly perfect fossil scelidotherium in punta alta while travelling overland from bahía blanca to buenos aires in 1832 . he allied it to the megatherium . owen ( 1840 ) recognized the true characters of the remains and named them scelidotherium , which means
femur beast
to reflect the distinctive proportions of that skeletal element . they were 1 . 1 metres ( 3 . 6 ft ) tall and might have weighed up to 850 kg ( 1 , 870 lb ) .
to these were now added the _ mylodon darwinii _ , a giant sloth ; the scelidotherium , a somewhat smaller form ; the great camel - like , yet odd - toed , macrauchenia ; and the toxodon , as large as a hippopotamus , yet having a strange resemblance to the little rodents .
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see also carroll 1988 , cope 1889 , hoffstetter 1954 , lydekker 1894 , paula couto 1956 and zurita et al . 2004
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average measurements ( in mm ) : femur length 450 . 0 , humerus length 370 . 0 , skull length 490 . 0 , tibia length 290 . 0 , ulna length 365 . 0 , femur length 440 . 0 , femur diameter 40 . 0 , humerus length 350 . 0 , humerus diameter 50 . 0 , radius length 270 . 0 , radius diameter 59 . 0 , tibia length 280 . 0 , tibia diameter 60 . 0 , ulna length 340 . 0
estimated body mass : 229 . 7 kg based on femur diameter , femur length , humerus diameter , humerus length , tibia diameter , tibia length , and ulna length
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n . a genus of megatherioid edentate mammals founded by owen in 1840 upon remains of a species called s . leptocephalum , from the pleistocene of patagonia .
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a genus of megatherioid edentate mammal s . also anglicized scelidothere , an animal of this genus .
( oed )
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a genus of extinct pleistocene four - toed so . american edentates ( . . . )
mammifère de l ' ordre des édentés , voisin de mylodon , dont ( . . . ) les restes ( . . . ) se rencontrent dans les terrains plio - pléistocènes de l ' amérique du sud .
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the skeleton of megatherium , as figured in william buckland’s geology and mineralogy considered with reference to natural theology . there is something fantastically weird about giant ground sloths . creatures from a not - too - distant past , close enough in time that their hair and hide is sometimes found in circumstances of exceptional preservation , these creatures have no living equivalent . …
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nomenclator zoologicus . a list of the names of genera and subgenera in zoology from the tenth edition of linnaeus , 1758 to the end of 2004 . digitised by ubio from vols . 1 - 9 of neave ( ed . ) , 1939 - 1996 plus supplementary digital - only volume . urltoken ( as at 2006 ) .
sn2000 : brands , s . j . ( compiler ) 1989 - 2005 . systema naturae 2000 . amsterdam , the netherlands ( 2006 version ) . available online at urltoken
analcimorphus giganteus leptocephalus ; ypm vppu 015561 ; south america ; argentina ; santa cruz province ; guer aike department ; oolf a . peterson , princeton 1896 - 1897 patagonian expedition ; 1896
proeutatus oenophorus ; ypm vppu 015014 ; south america ; argentina ; santa cruz province ; guer aike department ; john b . hatcher , princeton 1896 - 1897 patagonian expedition ; 1896 - 07 - 21
proeutatus oenophorus ; ypm vppu 015491 ; south america ; argentina ; santa cruz province ; guer aike department ; oolf a . peterson , princeton 1898 - 1899 patagonian expedition ; 1899 - 06 - 03
perimys oemulus ; ypm vppu 015812 ; south america ; argentina ; santa cruz province ; guer aike department ; john b . hatcher , princeton 1896 - 1897 patagonian expedition ; 1896 - 09 - 19
is an extinct genus of ground sloth of the family mylodontidae , endemic to south america during the middle pleistocene epoch . it lived from 780 , 000—11 , 000 years ago , existing for approximately
it is characterized by an elongated , superficially anteater - like head . in fossil distribution , it is known from argentina , peru , panama , brazil , paraguay and ecuador .
the family mylodontidae contains large ground sloths and belongs to the order xenarthra , which also includes armadillos , glyptodonts , anteaters , tree - sloths and ground - sloths . species in xenarthra are known for low body temperatures and massive limb bones with well - developed claws . they have a second set of ribs that connects their regular ribs to their breastbone ( sternum ) , and their hip and tail vertebrate are fused to form a solid structure called a synsacrum . all xenarthrans lack an appendix .
species in the mylodontidae were the most successful during the plio - pleistocene ( about 2 . 5 million to 10 , 000 years ago ) . they were found throughout south america and some ( such as paramylodon ) reached as far north as north america . they were about 1 . 8m long and weighed about 1 . 5 tons . like other sloths mylodonts were herbivores ( only ate plants ) , and their lobe - like teeth with flat chewing surfaces suggests they were grazers that fed on grasses . fossil dung of mylodon darwinii found in a cave in chile contained crushed blades and stems of grasses and sedges .
some members of the mylodontidae family , like the north american paramylodon harlani , had small pebble - like bones in their skin called dermal ossicles . these were thought to help protect against predators .
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paramylodon harlani belongs to a family of sloth called mylodontidae . this . . .
the brazilian intertropical fauna from 60 to about 10 ka b . p . : taxonomy , dating , diet , and paleoenvironments | springerlink
marine isotope stage 3 in southern south america , 60 ka b . p . - 30 ka b . p .
the brazilian intertropical fauna from 60 to about 10 ka b . p . : taxonomy , dating , diet , and paleoenvironments
this chapter reviews information about the extinct fauna that lived in the brazilian intertropical region ( bir ) between 64 and 10 ka b . p . data from the available literature regarding dating ( 14 c , esr , u - series ) and paleodiet reconstruction ( δ 13 c ) for some of taxa of the bir are herein presented . furthermore , paleoenvironmental reconstructions of two climatic moments are presented , one at 64 ka , and another between 27 and 10 ka b . p .
to flavia franchini ( memorial university of newfoundland ) for the english review of the manuscript . to the anonymous reviewers which corrections and suggestions improved the quality of this manuscript .
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