- October 25, 2018
- Miscellaneous
- Ekaterina Gordeeva
Residents of villages are familiar with the problem: they woke up in the morning, went to the chicken coop, and there was darkness and horror. Chickens lie strangled. Some are beheaded, some are whole. And from others there were bones and a bunch of feathers. Not the most pleasant sight.
So what should I do? How to catch someone who strangles chickens? Who could it be? We'll talk about this in more detail in the article.
Who hunts tarantulas?
A wasp called the “tarantula hawk” was caught in the frame. Despite the significant difference in size, this type of insect preys on tarantulas. By attacking spiders, wasps paralyze them and lay eggs in them. The hatched larva then feeds on the spider for about a month until it grows into an adult insect.
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Features of the character of the OS
Wasp.
Wasps can be of two types - social, group-living or solitary. Everyone is dangerous, but those living in a pack are more likely to show aggression.
They have a sting, which is a way of introducing a poisonous substance under the skin of the victim. It, unlike the sting of bees, does not remain inside the victim, so wasps can sting their victims more than once in case of aggression.
Types of food
Birds belong to a class of animals that includes more than 10 thousand different species. And, of course, each of them has its own preferences in the feeding sector. This choice depends on the bird’s habitat, its size, strength and abilities, the number of competitors and the abundance of food.
In general, it is customary to divide birds into three categories according to the way they feed:
- carnivores;
- herbivores;
- omnivores.
Tiny shrew
The tiny shrew (lat. Sorex minutissimus) is a small mammal from the genus shrew (lat. Sorex). This tiny animal (from 1.5 to 4 g) lives an active life. In order for her body to recover, she has to go to bed 87 times a day and the same number of times she has to go in search of food.
flickr/CIMMYT
Their daily food intake is more than 10 grams, and in cold weather, in order not to freeze, the total is more - about 30 grams. Interestingly, the body temperature of the shrew is more than 40 °C, which is considered one of the highest temperatures among mammals.
Bactrian camel
The Bactrian camel (lat. Camelus bactrianus) is an exclusively herbivore.
flickr/Luigi Strano
Its diet consists of 33 of the 50 main types of desert vegetation. Throughout the day, the Bactrian camel eats constantly, chewing its food thoroughly. Camels themselves weigh on average from 650 to 800 kg (males up to 1000 kg), and they eat up to 40 kg of vegetation per day.
Wasp defense mechanism
Wasp sting.
Of course, the most basic means of wasp protection is the sting. They inject poison under the skin of their victim, which has a poisonous and paralyzing effect.
A wasp sting for a person can simply result in itching, slight numbness and unpleasant pain. But for those who are prone to allergies, the problems can be more serious, leading to anaphylactic shock.
Elephant
Elephants (lat. Elephantidae) are the largest land mammals that must maintain their weight at all times.
flickr/Markus CH64
And for this they need to eat more than 250-300 kg of plant food per day. However, this is only 1/10-1/20 of the elephant's own weight. Although by human standards this is an impressive amount of food.
Saturnia polyphema butterfly caterpillar
The larva of the Saturnia polyphemus butterfly (lat. Antheraea polyphemus) is a bright green caterpillar, which allows it to be invisible in the foliage. She is a resident of North America. One of the most voracious creatures living on the planet.
flickr/photochem_PA
Having been born, it immediately begins to eat foliage in huge quantities and with incredible speed. This activity lasts only 2 days, but during this time the caterpillar manages to eat 86 times its own weight in foliage.
What to do?
Get rid of the visitor. In addition to damaging the farm, the fox also spreads rabies. A sick predator can attack a person. Therefore, having barely noticed fox tracks, it is necessary to urgently take action.
The best way to get rid of the red cheater is a live trap. The thief remains alive by getting into it. The trap is taken away and the animal is released.
Nobody has canceled the traps yet. But this is inhumane.
A guard dog is the best option for scaring off foxes and other small predators. An Alabai or Caucasian Shepherd dog running around the area at night will not allow the sister fox to visit the area.
Enemies of house mice
Domestic mice are also susceptible to attack by natural enemies, just like their wild counterparts. Rodents are eaten by gray rats, which also prefer to settle closer to human habitation.
When mice appear in the house, people try to get rid of them quickly. Cats help them in this, and females are much more agile than males. These domestic predators catch rodents mainly not for food, but because of natural instinct.
Hunting dogs of the terrier, dachshund, fox terrier, and husky breeds can also hunt mice. These dogs are often trained to catch foxes and rats, but if a mouse appears on their way during the hunt, they can eat it too.
They eat mice and chickens. These small rodents, in search of food sources, often make their way into the poultry house, where there is always grain or other food. Chickens, reacting to the enemy, deliver a fatal blow with their beak, after which they often eat their prey. However, this can be very dangerous, as small rodents carry infections. This can lead to serious health complications.
To prevent this, at the first signs of mice activity in the chicken coop, it is necessary to take measures to destroy them. Before deratization, all cracks and holes should be carefully sealed to prevent the reappearance of rodents.
Bullfinch
A small songbird with a red breast on males and grayish brown on females. These guys love all kinds of grains, especially ash seeds, as well as dried berries. They are not afraid of people and live in all city parks.
You will meet bullfinches in city parks. Photo: pixabay.com
What delicacies should you add to feed bullfinches?
- flax seeds;
- rape;
- berries of rowan, rose hips, viburnum;
- watermelon grains;
- pumpkin seeds;
- knotweed (annual plant);
- apple pieces.
How to get rid of affection?
Is it possible to destroy someone who strangles chickens? Affection, in particular?
It's possible, just be careful. Let’s not forget that the animal is brave enough to stand up for itself. It is unacceptable to go at him with a bucket, coat and mittens, as in the case of a ferret. And he is more mobile than a ferret.
So what should I do? Tolerate losses? In no case. Buy a frame trap. It differs from the plate one in having a more durable mechanism. The trap is well attached, because there have been cases when the weasel ran away with it.
This method is inhumane. Instead of a trap, you can purchase a special trap for small predators.
Enemies of mice in the wild
Field mouse species inhabit almost all continents. These rodents are characterized by a high reproduction rate, and if there were no animals, birds, amphibians and plants that eat them, the number of pests would increase several dozen times every year. And this could lead, if not to environmental disasters, then to very significant losses of agricultural products, which are their preferred source of food.
Animals
Martens, weasels, ferrets regularly feed on mice, and rodents are the basis of their diet. These animals are capable of eating up to 10-12 adult mice per day. Moreover, weasels, which have a thin, long body, are even able to penetrate mouse holes and eat young animals in the nests. Occasionally, when there is no other prey, animals such as arctic foxes, mongooses, lynxes, wolves, and other predators can feast on mice.
Ferret
Hedgehogs also eat mice. It is generally accepted that this mammal is capable of catching rodents even better than cats, but this is not so. Since this predator is naturally clubfooted, it makes a lot of noise while moving and is only able to catch a sick or weakened rodent. The hedgehog catches mice mainly at the exit of the hole. In this case, he freezes and waits for his prey. As soon as the rodent emerges from its shelter, the hedgehog grabs it by the neck and delivers a fatal bite. In the same way as mice, hedgehogs catch frogs and vipers.
In addition to domestic cats, these rodents are also hunted by their wild counterparts, in whom mice are nevertheless considered only an addition to the main diet. Foxes are not averse to eating mice, especially in winter. During the cold season, these small rodents are the basis of their diet, since it is impossible to find other food at this time.
In addition to foxes, other canids sometimes feed on mice, namely jackals, coyotes, and dingoes, especially when they cannot catch larger prey.
Birds
Of those representatives of the animal world who feed on mice, one cannot fail to mention birds of prey. Some of them are capable of eating up to 10 adults per day. These include owls, whose digestive tract is designed in such a way that they are able to swallow and digest rodents whole, along with their fur and bones.
These birds of prey hunt mice not only for themselves, but also to feed their chicks. The life and full development of her offspring directly depends on the number of rodents caught by the female.
Also included in the category of mice-hunting birds are the raven and the shrike. Each of them is capable of destroying up to 12 thousand rodents per year.
Owl
Plants
Mice, living in the tropics and deserts, often become a source of nutrition for some plants. On the islands of Sumatra and Java, a special species of Nepenthes grows, which is capable of swallowing not only small insects, but also rodents. The plant is a vine and grows up to 5 m in length. In addition to the leaves, huge water lilies are formed on its stem, containing food enzymes inside.
The plant emits a smell that attracts the attention of rodents. Once inside the water lily, the mouse can no longer get out due to the slippery surface. Nepenthes digests rodents along with hair and bones. This process lasts several days.
Snakes, lizards
Mice can also serve as a food source for snakes. Mostly they like to be eaten by vipers, which, however, also prey on frogs. They go hunting at night and catch rodents without much difficulty, reacting with lightning speed to any rustle in the dark.
Vipers also use mouse holes as homes, as well as passages dug by them for movement. Even snakes do not hesitate to feast on these small rodents. Mice are also part of the diet of large lizards.
Viper
How to fight?
How to protect a bird from an animal that strangles chickens? In our case, a ferret. Using a trap or trap. You can use a rat trap, or you can make your own.
For this we need:
- Aluminum bucket. Plastic is lighter, and a ferret is quite capable of chewing through it.
- Two-liter plastic bottle.
- Bait (beef, lamb or chicken meat).
We make a trap like this:
- Cut off the bottom and neck of the bottle.
- We put bait in one part of it.
- We put it on the edge of the chair.
- We put a bucket under the chair.
When the ferret reaches for the tasty treat, his weight will outweigh the bottle. And the uninvited guest will fall into the bucket. The disadvantage of this trap is that it does not close on its own. The owner of the chicken coop will have to stay in the house at night in order to have time to close the bucket with the ferret.
Someone catches the pest, armed with thick gloves and an old coat. But they throw a coat on the animal, and then grab it with gloved hands. But the ferret is a fast and agile creature. It is not always possible to catch him this way.
What to do with a caught pest? Ideally, take it out into the forest and release it into the wild. Destroying is not entirely humane.
hummingbird bee
Bee hummingbird (lat. Mellisuga helenae) - the name of this bird speaks for itself.
flickr/picturesinmylife_yls
This baby (its weight is about 1.6 g), in order to survive, must eat all the time: per day it consumes about 2 grams of flower nectar, i.e. the amount of food consumed is slightly more than its own weight. Hovering over a flower, she makes 90 wing beats per second.
Crocodile
Crocodiles (lat. Crocodilia) are large predatory reptiles that can easily eat any animal that comes close to the body of water in which they live. The exceptions are elephants, hippos and rhinoceroses, which due to their size have no natural enemies.
flickr/Johan Aucamp
However, crocodiles most often feed on fish, birds, small vertebrates, frogs and carrion. At one time, this reptile can swallow up to 23% of its own weight. Up to 60% of the food consumed by a crocodile turns into fat, which allows it to starve for a long time. It can survive without food from 1 to 1.5 years.
Flamingo
The long legs of flamingos are equipped with special mesh membranes that help them walk on liquid clay without falling through.
Flamingos have a flexible neck, long legs and a swollen beak that is curved at the end.
The edges of the beak are equipped with small horny plates, forming an ideal filtering apparatus. Having lowered its beak into the water, the flamingo wanders through the shallow water on graceful legs, moving its head from side to side, straining small crustaceans from the liquid silt and water, which are its main food.
The pink or red color of the plumage of adult birds is provided by red pigments contained in the shell of crustaceans, and in captivity on a different “diet”, flamingo feathers may lose their color intensity or even become white.
