Giganhinga (SciiFii)

The flightless darter (Giganhinga kiyuensis), also known as the giant darter, the flightless anhinga, and the giant anhinga, is a species of anhinga that originally lived during the Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene in what is now Uruguay and Argentina and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout the modern tropical and subtropical rainforests, wetlands, and riverbanks across South America to help boost biodiversity. The flightless darter is the largest species of darter in the world, reaching about 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) tall and weighing between 12 and 25 kilograms. The flightless darter fills the similar niche to penguins in the fresh and brackish water rivers and estuaries of South America, feeding primarily on fish and crustaceans. It is flightless, and its wings are apparently reduced, whereas its hips and legs are powerful and allows it to actively chase after fish underwater much like a cormorant. The female generally lays around three to five whitish eggs per clutch, though usually only between one and three chick survives. Both male and female share equally in incubation. Once the eggs have hatched, both parents continue to share responsibilities of brooding (protecting the chicks from exposure to heat and cold, and predation) and feeding the offspring, although the female provides 40-50% more food items than her partner. As the chicks approach independence at 70 days old and if food supplies are plentiful, the female will desert the offspring leaving the male to carry out further parenting, and she will re-partner and breed with a new mate. Thus, females, but not males, can raise several broods in a single season, although studies over a decade indicate that environmental conditions allowing sufficient food availability for this, occur infrequently. The conservation status of the flightless darter is Vulnerable due to habitat loss, however, thanks to the conservationists, the flightless darter is a protected species.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii