The Andean Condor

The Andean condor is the largest vulture and one of the world's biggest flying birds. It has a maximum wingspan of 10 feet, 10 inches and can weigh up to 33 pounds! Commonly known as the largest bird of prey, the Andean condor lives in the Andes mountains and the Pacific coasts of Western South America. 

The Andean condor is a black bird with white feathers arounds its neck and large white patches on its wings. Its head and neck do not have feathers and are a dull red color. This color can change if the bird is scared or excited. Male condors have a wattle on their necks and a red crown on their heads. Most female birds of prey are larger than males, but male Andean condors are actually larger than the females. 

The Andean condor eats all kinds of carrion, but prefers large carcasses such as deer or cattle. It also hunts small mammals and other birds. Flying at 20 miles per hour, it swoops down, folds its wings, and grabs the prey with its talons. 

The Andean condor has the longest lifespan of any bird, living up to 70 years! Andean condors build their nests very high - up to 16,000 feet - usually on mountain ledges that no predators can reach. They lay one to two eggs at a time. The Andean condor is considered vulnerable and is threatened by habitat loss and poisoning by lead found in carcasses killed by hunters. 

Cool Fact: The Andean condor is a national symbol of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru and plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions. It is considered a symbol of power and health by many Andean cultures.

The Southern Elephant Seal

Male (left), pup (middle), female (right)

Introducing the southern elephant seal! You can see from the photo, this animal is not what you think a cute "seal" is. But not all elephant seals have this kind of appearance. Their proboscis, or nose, is used for showing off and is an important part of elephant seal life. It feels squishy when you touch it. Females are normal looking seals - the males are what have the beastly expression with their proboscis. 

This marine mammal lives in the cool waters of Antarctica. Male elephant seals - which are four times heavier than females - are the largest of all seals. They can grow 21 to 23 feet long and weigh 7,000 pounds. Females usually grow about 13 to 15 feet long and weigh 2,000 pounds. The biggest male elephant seal ever was about 28 feet long and weighed 2 tons! That is as heavy as a great white shark! 

Elephant seals love to chow on squid and fish such as cod. Artic char are a favorite too. Elephant seals hunt by sneaking up on their prey and, with a strong stroke of their tail, they grab the prey before they even know what happened. They are great swimmers and have a thick layer of fat (called blubber) that keeps them warm and helps them stand the pressure of diving deep underwater. They can dive as deep as 1,970 feet! They can hold their breath for an hour and a half and are surprisingly good at spotting food by using echolocation. Their eyesight is quite weak. 

Male elephant seals make loud bellowing or roaring sounds to show aggression and also to find a mate. Male elephant seals can also inflate their large noses when roaring at their rivals. Elephant seals can be clumsy on land, so they spend a lot of their time in the water. They don't move well on land, especially dry, rocky land, because they are so large. They can move easier on ice and snow. 

Elephant seals were close to extinction in the 1800s due to overhunting, but their numbers have since improved!

Cool Fact: An elephant seal is called an elephant seal because sometimes its proboscis can look like an elephant's trunk!