Vulture

Zoology

Families and species

The vultures do not form a Taxon Monophylétique. Their resemblances raise more than one phenomenon of evolutionary Convergence that with a close relationship. One finds them in two distinct orders:

in the Old world, that of the Accipitriformes, family of the Accipitridés, which includes/understands not only vultures but also, inter alia, the eagle S, the Busard S, the Gypaète S and the sparrowhawk S

in new the New World, that of the Falconiformes, family of the Cathartidés, which includes/understands the Condor S, the Urubu S and the Sarcoramphe S (or “vulture pope”).

Various species

fawn-coloured Vulture
Vulture percnoptère or Percnoptère of Egypt
Vulture oricou
Vulture monk
Vulture vulture

Anatomy

One of the anatomical main features of the vultures is them head deprived of feathers. One often allots an adaptive role to this character, because their constrained mode of food their head with being very often covered with Sang, place particularly difficult to clean. They also often have a long neck. They locate the carcasses mainly thanks to their seen piercing. Certain observers lend to them a direction of the Odorat developed, rare fact at the Rapace S in particular and in the birds in general.

Reproduction

The vultures lay only one egg per season of reproduction, which makes their population all the more vulnerable.

Food

The vultures nourish carcasses of dead animals.

They drive out while flying high in the sky to locate the animals dead or close to death. A large prey such as a cow or a dromedary is often divided by several birds.

These dietary habits lead the vultures to take an active part in the natural and fast elimination of the corpses of large animals, as well of the wild animals in the areas little inhabited by the man as of the livestock, such as sheep or cows.

Medical problem in India due to the reduction in the number of vultures

In India, a disease of the kidneys decimates the vultures. This disease of the vultures comes from the Diclofénac, a drug given to the cattle. This disease touches three species of vulture.

That has harmful medical consequences: the carrions are sources of epidemics, human or animal. The other vultures (canidés or Milan) are insufficient or in too close liaison with the man (in this last case, these vultures become themselves propagating of the disease).

Symbolism and reputation

Religion

A the vulture was the object of a worship in the Egyptian Mythologie. They played also a part without the Zoroastrisme. In the Parsisme, one gives deaths grazes about it with the vultures instead of burying them or to burn them.

Reputation

In Occident, one allots to the vultures, as much of Charognard S, a bad reputation. They associated not only with died but as with greedy and morbid waiting as their prey meure.
Thus, a vulture designates a man who can wait until its victim is weakened and without front defense to plunder it. In certain works of fiction such as Lucky Luke , the vultures plane above the characters in difficulty in the desert or hold company with the undertaker's assistant of the city.

View-point of the vultures

External bonds

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