the secretarybird or secretary bird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) is a very large , mostly terrestrial bird of prey .

endemic to africa , it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-saharan region .

although a member of the order accipitriformes , which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites , hawks , vultures , and harriers , it is given its own family , sagittariidae .

it appears on the coats of arms of sudan and south africa .

secretarybird

secretarybird <EOT> fuertes’ secretarybird by louis agassiz fuertes is licensed under public domain mark 1 . 0 .

global raptor information network . species account : secretarybird sagittarius serpentarius ( july , 2010 ) urltoken

secretarybird by ian white is licensed under cc by - nc - sa 2 . 0 .

museum specimens indicate historical distributions . the map below shows locations from which museum specimens of secretarybird were collected . you can see more information on the individual museum specimens of secretarybird here .

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secretarybird with a tasty treat by jean & nathalie is licensed under cc by 2 . 0 .

sabap comparison map for the secretarybird , extracted 19 april 2013 . colour coding of qdgcs as per

secretarybird can reach 4 to 5 feet in height and 5 to 9 ½ pounds of weight .

researchers used to believe that name " secretarybird " originates from 19th century when male secretaries wore quills in their wigs ( similar in appearance with crest of secretarybird ) . more likely , name " secretarybird " originates from arabic word " saqu ettair " which means " hunter - bird " .

southern african bird atlas project ( sabap ) comparison map for the secretarybird , extracted 19 april 2013 .

the secretarybird has always been admired by the african people due to its striking appearance and great ally against pests such as snakes and rodents . the secretarybird is also known as the devil horse by many african cultures .

the secretarybird is the national emblem of sudan and is also on the south african coat of arms , representing vigilance and military might . the secretarybird also appears on many postage stamps in over 30 countries in africa .

a third fossil bird from 10 million year - old nebraska rocks has been called the " false secretarybird " since its similarity to the modern secretarybird is believed to be due to convergence rather than a close genetic relationship .

the secretarybird is a nomadic species and will often travel far and wide in search of food and other resources .

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the secretarybird was supposedly named because it resembles an old - fashioned secretary carrying quill - pens tucked behind her ears .

habitat : secretarybird lives in open grass plains and steppes , also in savannahs with scarce bushes and open spaces between trees .

monster hunter on twitter : " # nationalbirdday fun fact : seregios was inspired by the secretarybird and its stomping attack . urltoken urltoken "

a large bird of prey , the secretarybird feeds mainly on large insects and small mammals , which it often stamps on before swallowing whole .

the secretarybird is endemic to sub - saharan africa . it ranges from senegal and somalia all the way to the tip of south africa .

embed this arkive thumbnail link ( " portlet " ) by copying and pasting the code below . < a href = " urltoken " title = " arkive species - secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) " > < img src = " urltoken " alt = " arkive species - secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) " title = " arkive species - secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) " border = " 0 " / > < / a >

baker n , brouwer j , baker l , sinclair a , harebottle d , et al . . ( 2010 ) the status of the secretarybird

diet : secretarybird feeds mainly on insects ( grasshoppers ) , lizards , small birds and eggs , young hares , rodents , small amphibians and snakes .

although it can fly , the secretarybird prefers to move around on foot and can cover 30 km a day , earning it the title ‘africa’s marching eagle’ .

the secretarybird is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) , and listed on appendix ii of cites ( 3 ) .

the secretary bird or secretarybird is a bird of prey found widely across africa , belonging to the same order as hawks , vultures , kites and harriers .

unlike many other birds of prey , the secretarybird often catches it prey with its bill . but like many owl species , secretarybirds swallow most of their prey whole .

protection / threats / status : secretarybird is officially protected because it kills poisonous snakes , but decline of this species continues , and they don’t breed successfully in captivity .

the secretarybird is the odd man out amongst the raptors . it ' s a grey and black terrestrial eagle , 1 . 3m tall , with a distinctive red face .

kemp , a . c . 1995 . aspects of the breeding and behaviour of the secretarybird sagittarius serpentarius near pretoria , south africa . ostrich , 66 : 61 - 68 .

secretarybird has wingspan of 7 feet . these birds rarely fly even though they are proficient in the air . they fly with the help of warm air currents to preserve energy .

the secretarybird is a charismatic and familiar species , and uses a variety of habitats across its range in sub - saharan africa . it occurs in all nine provinces in south africa .

the secretarybird is easy to identify ; it has long legs , grey - black plumage , crest feathers and orange facial skin . in flight its long elongated central tail feathers are characteristic .

the common name secretarybird is said to derive from the bird’s crest of long feathers which look like the long quill pens that the olden day secretaries had tucked behind their ears or in their wigs .

citation : hofmeyr sd , symes ct , underhill lg ( 2014 ) secretarybird sagittarius serpentarius population trends and ecology : insights from south african citizen science data . plos one 9 ( 5 ) : e96772 . urltoken

it is regularly told in south africa that the common name of the secretarybird is due to the dark quill like feathers , resembling a quill pen behind the ear ( apparently common practice for an 18th century secretary ) .

the secretarybird has a widespread distribution throughout much of sub - saharan africa , from senegal and the gambia in the west across to ethiopia in the east , and extending southwards through the eastern african countries into south africa . a fairly nomadic species , the secretarybird will often travel widely in search of food , or in response to rainfall , fires and other changes in environmental conditions ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 7 ) .

secretarybird is large bird of prey that lives in the sub - saharan africa . secretarybird usually inhabits savannas and open grasslands which enable fast identification of the potential prey . other than that , secretarybirds can be found in semi - deserts , forests and farmlands . secretarybirds are threatened by habitat loss due to increased agriculture and urban development . luckily , number of secretarybirds in the wild is large and they are not on the list of endangered species .

dean wrj , simmons re ( 2005 ) secretarybird . in : hockey par , dean wrj , ryan pg , editors . roberts birds of southern africa . trustees of the john voelcker bird book fund : cape town . pp . 542–543 .

behaviour : secretarybird is largely terrestrial , but it is a very good flier . they hunt for preys in grass , walking or running very fast . secretarybird feeds on snakes , and has a method to catch them . it stamps the snake with its long legs and its short but hard rear talon . it is quite equipped to tackle them . it may kill them by grabbing the victim , and beating it to death on the ground . prey may also be tossed into the air several times to stunt it . secretarybird is not immune to the snake poison , and it has to be sure that its prey is dead before to eat . secretarybirds often hunt in small groups or in pair , and keep contact by hooting .

the secretarybird breeds year - round , but with a distinct peak during the spring and summer months further south . two to three broods are often reared in productive years after good rainfall ( 7 ) . the secretarybird makes a nest out of sticks , creating a large platform on a flat - topped acacia tree or other thorny bush , and lining it with dry grass and other materials . it may also nest in non - thorny or exotic tree species if preferred nesting sites are not available .

a more recent theory on the naming of the secretarybird , is that it is a corruption of the arabic saqu ettair meaning " hunter - bird " , which passed , incorrectly , into french as secrétaire & was subsequently translated into english as secretary .

voice : sounds by xeno - canto secretarybird is a silent bird . but when it is displaying , it utters a hoarse croaking sound , very deep and rapid . it may also make a kind of mewing noise during the night , on the roost - site .

kemp ac ( 1994 ) family sagittariidae ( secretarybird ) . in : del hoyo j , elliott a , sargatal j , editors . handbook of the birds of the world . vol 2 . new world vultures to guineafowl . lynx edicions : barcelona . pp . 206–215 .

below are links to dedicated pages for each secretarybird which has been fitted with a tracking device . basic information about each bird as well as a map indicating the movement of the bird can be found on each page . the pages will be updated on a regular basis .

although usually found in grassland and open savanna scattered with small thorny trees , the secretarybird also inhabits farmland , particularly where cereals are grown , as well as semi - desert habitats and grassy , open clearings in forests and woodlands ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) .

we develop a method for inferring changes in abundance from atlas reporting rates , with a measure of statistical significance attached . while the count data provided by the car project are not useful for a species such as the secretarybird , because of its low general abundance and nomadic / wide - ranging behaviour [ 3 ] , the habitat use data provide information about the species ' ecology . together , these analyses provide important insights into the conservation status of the secretarybird in south africa in 2013 , which would not have been possible without the existence of these citizen science data .

although its population is distributed over a vast area covering more than 15 million square kilometres , the secretarybird is generally in decline , and is thought to have completely disappeared from west africa in the last 30 years ( 2 ) ( 5 ) ( 8 ) . this species is increasingly threatened by the expansion of human populations , and the associated spread of cultivation and urbanisation ( 2 ) ( 8 ) . on a smaller scale , some populations of the secretarybird are at risk from hunting and persecution , with several individuals found poisoned or injured in south africa in recent years ( 5 ) .

the secretarybird is easily distinguished from other raptors and cranes by its grey plumage , the orange facial skin with raptor - like beak and the characteristic stealthy stride it takes as it moves through the grass in search of prey . the shape of the body is very similar to that of an eagle but walks on the legs of a stork or crane . the sexes are alike with the males having a slightly longer crest and tail than the female . a full grown secretarybird can reach a mass of 4kg ( max 4 . 5 ) and a reach an astonishing 1 . 4 meters tall with a wingspan of 191 - 220cm . in flight one would think that this bird could be confused with the similar coloured grey crowned crane , but it can easily be distinguished due to its barred tail feathers . with a tail of around 75cm long the secretarybird is the record holder for the longest tail in africa .

bill is short , strong , hocked and pale grey . secretarybird has a patch of bare facial skin , which extends behind and above eyes , orange - red in colour . eyes are dark - brown , with very long black eyelashes . both sexes are similar , with male slightly larger than female .

flight : secretarybird is a very good flier . it uses thermal currents to ascend and it soars for long distances . when it is threatened , the bird runs with spread wings , but it will take off and fly strongly if necessary . it may rise on thermals up to nearly 4000 metres elevation .

the secretarybird is a very distinctive bird , which is the sole member of the genus sagittarius . it is only found in africa , in the grass plains & steppes south of the sahara . it is the only bird of prey predominantly terrestial habits , they may walk up to 20 miles in a day .

as a grassland specialist , it avoids dense bush and rocky habitats . the secretarybird walks purposefully across the veld at up to 3km / h looking for prey . its long legs are exceptionally strong and it uses them to stamp on small animals or hold them down while it tears at them with its beak .

insects form the bulk of its diet but it will take rodents and other small mammals , snakes and birds such as the laughing dove and sabota lark . shangaan traditional healers value the secretarybird for muthi . a concoction using its ground bones is reputed to bring respect and power , and the ability to overcome ones fears .

boshoff af , allan dg ( 1997 ) secretarybird sagittarius serpentarius in : harrison ja , allan dg , underhill lg , herremans m , tree aj , et al . . . , editors . the atlas of southern african birds . vol . 1 : non - passerines . birdlife south africa : johannesburg . pp . 152–153 .

secretarybird lets you focus on writing your poems , taking on the burden of managing your work ; allowing you to keep track of your poems and how they have been : revised , critiqued , read , entered for competitions and submitted for publication . with a few clicks you can sort , filter , classify and catalogue poems , review versions , track critiques and build collections . on startup you can have secretarybird pick up where you left off with your latest draft , making use of a standard or customised template , sequencing each version automatically . and you can have early warning of upcoming competitions . the application is benign , working alongside your existing dtp and text writing software .

as you may imagine , a bird with such long legs is built to do a lot of walking . and the secretarybird does not disappoint . scientists estimate that secretarybirds walk anywhere from 12 to 18 miles ( 20 - 30 km ) a day ! that would be like walking the length of an american football field 300 times or more .

baker n , brouwer j , baker l , sinclair a , harebottle d , et al . . ( 2010 ) the status of the secretarybird sagittarius serpentarius with special reference to tanzania and declines across the continent . a preliminary report to the uk cites scientific authority ( fauna ) , joint nature conservation committee . iringa : tanzania bird atlas project .

distribution of secretarybird in southern africa , based on statistical smoothing of the records from first sa bird atlas project ( © animal demography unit , university of cape town ; smoothing by birgit erni and francesca little ) . colours range from dark blue ( most common ) through to yellow ( least common ) . see here for the latest distribution from the sabap2 .

sabap comparison map for the secretarybird , extracted 19 april 2013 . colour coding of qdgcs as per figure 1 . additional data presented here are the reporting rates and z values used to colour - code qdgcs . the upper number in each square is the sabap1 reporting rate , the middle number is the sabap2 reporting rate , and the lower number is z .

it is quite surprising that we know very little about the biology of this species . we know , for example , very little about the secretarybird ' s population size and trends in south africa and other factors such as territory size . juvenile dispersal and general movements are also poorly understood . this information is needed if we are to conserve this threatened species .

reproduction : secretarybird usually mates for life , and they remain very close , even they hunt in different areas . both adults build a platform of sticks and grasses on the top of a low tree or a bush . their nest may reach 8 feet in diameter . they return each year to the same nest , adding some materials , more sticks and grasses .

roberts vii estimates there are approximately 250 secretarybirds in kruger , with each bird covering a daily foraging territory of about 20 square kilometres . they are known to fly far and wide , presumably for better feeding - a secretarybird ringed in the sabi sabi private reserve next to kruger was found four months later in namibia , over 1 500km away . see veld stalker .

a large and distinctive bird of prey , the secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) is said to take its unusual name from the strange and distinguishing arrangement of feathers on the back of its neck . this long , raised crest of black , spatula - shaped feathers ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) is said to give the secretarybird the appearance of an old - fashioned secretary who would carry quill - pens tucked behind the ears . more recently , the case has been put forward that the name may actually be derived from the arabic saqr - et - tair . saqr means ‘hunter’ or ‘hawk’ and tair means ‘flight’ or ‘bird’ , and the translation to french may have resulted in the common name that is used today ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .

the secretarybird occurs within some protected areas ( 8 ) , and in some places it has benefited from bush clearance and deforestation of woodlands to make way for agriculture ( 5 ) ( 8 ) . the secretarybird is protected under the african convention on the conservation of nature and natural resources , in the hope that the species will be protected by participating states from hunting , killing , capture or collection ( 9 ) . it is also listed on appendix ii of the convention on international trade in endangered species ( cites ) , meaning that international trade in the species should be carefully monitored ( 3 ) . these actions will hopefully act to safeguard populations of this unusual and charismatic bird of prey , although much will depend on the rate at which vital habitat across its range is lost to human development .

the secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) was uplisted from near - threatened to vulnerable . in south africa there is considerable concern about the conservation status of the species . a preliminary analysis of sabap1 and sabap2 data shows a considerable reduction in the areas this species previously occupied . this is probably mostly due to habitat loss and habitat degredation , but other threats such as power lines collisions are aslso taking their toll .

the secretarybird also has long , bare legs , which resemble those of a crane but are much more powerful , and end in small , stubby pink toes . juvenile secretarybirds are very similar to the adult , but are grey - eyed , with more brown in the plumage , a shorter tail and a yellow face , until the first moult ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) .

sometimes described as africa’s ‘marching eagle’ , the secretarybird prefers to move around on foot , easily covering between 20 and 30 kilometres a day when hunting for food ( 2 ) . it spends much of its time stalking across the open ground , periodically stopping and stamping the floor to strike prey , which it will usually crush underfoot or repeatedly kick , before swallowing whole ( 2 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) . the secretarybird’s diet primarily consists of large insects and small mammals , mainly rodents . however , it will feed opportunistically on any animal it comes across on its wandering travels , including hares , mongooses , squirrels , snakes , lizards , amphibians , freshwater crabs , and birds up to the size of guineafowl , as well as their eggs . secretarybirds have also been known to take domestic chickens when foraging in areas close to human habitation ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .

the methods developed here represent an important new approach to the analysis of bird atlas data and habitat use data . these methods are applicable to other species covered by sabap and car , and could easily be adapted for use with similar datasets collected in other parts of the world and for other species . they are , however , exploratory and innovative , and necessarily come with caveats regarding their interpretation . that said , our sabap - related findings have received confirmation through an analysis of reporting rate changes for bird families throughout south africa [ 32 ] . this study modelled bird families in relation to the proportion of qdgcs in their range in which reporting rates had increased between sabap1 and sabap2 . sagittariidae ( a single - species family that includes only the secretarybird ) was fourth lowest in a list of 51 families . this implies that the secretarybird is faring particularly badly in comparison with the majority of other south african bird species .

unique not only for its name , the secretarybird stands out because of its distinct profile , quite unlike that of any other bird . the feathers on the body are generally grey across the back and paler towards the rump and breast , while the belly , thighs and flight feathers are all black . the underwings are white . the eyes are brown and are surrounded by bare facial skin that is a deep orange - red , and the bill is blue - grey .

birdlife south africa has initiated research on the secretarybird in order to understand aspects of its biology which will assist with its conservation . this research includes tracking the movements of secretarybirds using satellite tracking devices . with these devices the movement of individual birds can be determined in great detail . these devices provide accurate locations to within 10m every 15 minutes from sunrise to sunset . not only will it be possible to determine long distance movement patterns , but also habitat use and territory size .

following a courtship that is performed in flight and includes pendulum displays and calling ( 5 ) , the female secretarybird will lay a clutch of one to three eggs , which are incubated for around 42 to 46 days . the nestling period typically lasts between 65 to 106 days , with a post fledging - dependence period of 62 to 105 days . after this time the juvenile secretarybirds will leave the parental territory and range over long distances , displaying characteristic nomadic behaviour as immature birds ( 7 ) .

envision a large majestic bird of prey , sporting a hooked bill like an eagle and an impressive crest and tail of long , black feathers – but one that also walks along the ground on legs like a stork’s and could easily be mistaken for a crane while in flight . put those pieces together , and you’ve got yourself a secretarybird ! found only in the open grasslands and savannas of sub - saharan africa , the secretarybird looks quite unlike any other bird . it hunts on foot for small mammals , lizards , snakes , tortoises , insects , and young birds , and is most notorious for its ability to kill extremely venomous snakes by stomping them to death ! its name is probably derived from the arabic “saqr - et - tair , ” meaning hunter bird . we often see these birds strolling through the grass , and we’ve even spotted a few of their nests on top of the acacia trees . anything that eats venomous snakes is awesome in our opinion , and these birds are definitely awesome !

kemp , a . c . , kirwan , g . m . , christie , d . a . & marks , j . s . ( 2018 ) . secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 9 july 2018 ) .

bird atlas data for south africa suggest that the secretarybird population declined across most of the country , and particularly severely in the kruger national park , between the early 1990s and the late 2000s–early 2010s . although these findings are of concern , this time period is relatively short , and in some less accessible areas coverage for sabap2 had not yet reached desirable levels . a longer data series and broader coverage are required before we would be able to state with confidence that the species population had declined significantly in south africa .

kemp , a . c . , kirwan , g . m . , christie , d . a . & marks , j . s . ( 2016 ) . secretarybird ( sagittarius serpentarius ) . in : del hoyo , j . , elliott , a . , sargatal , j . , christie , d . a . & de juana , e . ( eds . ) . handbook of the birds of the world alive . lynx edicions , barcelona . ( retrieved from urltoken on 23 august 2016 ) .

unlike the snail kite , which has a very specialized diet , t he secretarybird will eat just about anything it can catch . it preys on small - to medium - sized mammals such as mice , hedgehogs and hares . it eats other birds and their eggs , too ! it will catch amphibians and various invertebrates , including insects , scorpions , millipedes , and crabs . secretarynirds also eat snakes , including several poisonous species , such as puff adders and cobras , and other reptiles , such as lizards and small tortoises .

the tallest raptor in the world , the secretarybird is unmistakeable . it has long , stork - like legs that are feathered from the thigh to the tarsus . it has a robust body covered in gray , white and black feathers , a feathered black crest and a red - orange and yellow patch of skin around its eye and in front of its strong curved beak . though it looks more like a stork than a raptor when it flies , it is distinguishable from any other bird by the two long tail feathers that extend beyond its feet in flight .

the secretarybird is monogamous , living in closely knitted pairs that never stray too far from one another . the mating display includes a ground display where male and female chase each other with wings held up and back ( much like the way they chase prey ) or an aerial display of soaring high with an undulating flight pattern coupled with guttural croaking . mating happens on the ground or on an acacia tree . large flat nests made of sticks are built on top of flat acacia trees ( height : 5 - 7m ) and nests will be visited for almost half a year before the eggs are laid .

like many other wildlife , secretarybird populations are declining throughout much of their range and the species has disappeared entirely in some places . though these birds can spend time in and hunt in some human - created open spaces , habitat loss is still a huge problem for this species . areas that are over - grazed leave little cover for prey animals , so they can be quite empty of wildlife . other areas are being cleared for human settlements and agricultural fields – all places where a secretarbird won ' t find what it needs to survive . these changes in habitat are taking their toll on this lovely bird .

the secretarybird is a long - legged raptor , endemic to africa . it kills its prey ( snakes , lizards ) by stomping . the upper two images of nest - - building in the serengeti are courtesy of michael markussen ( left , 2 - 07 ) and fain zimmerman ( right , 2 - 08 ) . the 2nd , 3rd and right 4th row photos were taken in the serengeti ( 2 - 04 ) . the others were taken in ngorongoro crater ( 9 - 08 ) . click the photo above to see more including a displaying pair , nest - building , incubating , preening and hunting .

description : secretarybird is a very large bird of prey . its plumage is mostly grey , with black primaries , thighs , and a beautiful black crest of about twenty long feathers . tail is grey , barred by two broad black stripes , conspicuous when the bird is flying . tail presents two central feathers , longer than the others . the top of its very long legs is feathered with black . the lower leg is bare and pinkish - grey , covered with scales to protect them while it is walking or when it attacks some snake . toes are short , but very strong , with a powerful talon at the rear .

standing up to 4ft tall , it has very long legs , with black feathered thighs . it has a grey body , black feathers & white wing linings , its tail has two black central streamers . its most distinctive feature are the 20 black crest feathers , resembling quill pens stuck behind its ( invisible ) ears . this combination of features made it resemble a 19 th century clerk or secretary , in those days they were male & often wore tailcoats & knickerbocker trousers & placed their quill pens behind their ears . the head of the secretarybird ( with its yellowish bare patch ) and shape of the beak are very similar to those of the caracara . ( they also have a very long eyelashes , which many modern secretaries would appreciate ) .

during breeding season , secretarybirds perform flight displays . several males perform acrobatic flights , climbing high into the sky , and suddenly dropping down . they soar in wide circles high above the ground , with conspicuous long legs and tail projected behind , and uttering strange groaning . they also execute undulating swoops , downward dives , and both clasp each other talons , like eagles . secretarybird prefers to walk into its range , searching for food . it strides majestically across areas . it can fly very well , but rarely does so , because it hunts on the ground . it is able to walk up to 20 miles in a day . after young fledging , pair continues to roost in the nest at night , and they defend from this nest their territory , about 50 km2 around the nest site .

long - term public participation ( “citizen science” ) projects make it possible for observations made by many different people to be pooled and analysed as a whole [ 6 ] – [ 10 ] . they provide the best opportunity for assessing population trends in species such as the secretarybird . the first and second southern african bird atlas projects ( sabap1 , 1987–1992 , and sabap2 , 2007–present ) offer two snapshots of avian distribution in south africa approximately 15 years apart [ 11 ] , [ 12 ] . the coordinated avifaunal roadcounts ( car ) project ( described below ) , was established in the western cape in 1993 , by 1998 had expanded to cover much of south africa [ 13 ] , and in 2014 was ongoing . we examine the information provided by these datasets for useful insight into the status and ecology of secretarybirds .

secretarybirds feed on snakes , lizards , grasshoppers , mice , birds eggs & the occasional small mammal . it was once thought that snakes were the primary diet ( the latin name translates as " archer of snakes " ) , but recent studies indicate that snakes make up only around 2 % of the diet . when feeding on snakes , they ensure are dead prior to eating , as they are not immune to the snakes poison . the secretarybird kills its prey by stamping on it , accurately aiming the rear talon at the skull . occasionally , aided by their height , they will pick the prey up & kill it by dropping it . it is often attracted to bush & grass fires , where it will feed on small animals that failed to avoid the fire . unlike other raptors , they have short stout toes that are unable to grasp .

) . the main exceptions were eastern karoo ( winter ) , north - eastern eastern cape ( winter ) and steenkampsberg ( both seasons ) . the eastern karoo result may seem surprising , because the sign tests indicate that a preference for natural habitats was expressed on a highly significant majority of routes . however , the proportion of available habitats that were transformed was extremely low ( less than 2 % ; unpublished data ) , so a similarly low proportion of birds needed to be seen on transformed land for the jacobs index to indicate that they were expressing a preference for that habitat . the karoo biomes are semi - desert , and in general the land is too dry for cultivation or pastures . where crops or pastures are grown , the land is usually irrigated , which may cause the biomass of potential secretarybird prey species ( rodents , reptiles , small birds , insects ) to increase . if this is the case , it would make sense for secretarybirds to prefer transformed habitats where they are available in the karoo . in fact secretarybirds are thinly distributed in the karoo , preferring grassland and savanna habitats

habitat selection in relation to habitat availability was analysed by comparing the proportions of natural and transformed land available to the proportions of birds seen in each type of land in each precinct . the proportions of natural and transformed land available were calculated using all three nlc maps . all classes of land other than natural vegetation classes and waterbodies were combined to form a single “transformed” land class , and the remaining categories were combined to form a “natural” class ( man - made and natural waterbodies , including wetlands , are not distinguished in the maps ) . a caveat to this analysis is the distinction between transformed , modified , and natural land [ 3 ] . land classified as “transformed” is that on which the vegetation structure has been completely altered , e . g . pastures and cultivated fields . the “natural” habitats mapped in the national land - cover maps are in fact mostly modified habitats , i . e . habitats in which the overall structure and main components of the natural vegetation remain , but in which important changes have been made , e . g . the naturally occurring community of herbivores has been replaced by livestock . in 1989 it was estimated that only 7 % of south africa ' s land surface remained fully natural and undisturbed [ 27 ] . thus in these analyses when we refer to natural habitats , we are in fact mostly referring to modified habitats . however , the extent to which they had been modified and to which they differed functionally from natural habitats , from the perspective of a secretarybird , would be variable .

html public " - / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en " " urltoken "

thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .

del hoyo , j . , collar , n . j . , christie , d . a . , elliott , a . and fishpool , l . d . c . 2014 . hbw and birdlife international illustrated checklist of the birds of the world . volume 1 : non - passerines . lynx edicions birdlife international , barcelona , spain and cambridge , uk .

a very large and distinctive terrestrial raptor , which stands c . 1 . 2 m tall ( ferguson - lees and christie 2001 ) . it is grey , whitish and black in all plumages , with small bill and head , bare face , relatively long neck , exceptionally long , bare legs , and long graduated tail with greatly elongated central rectrices . it has a distinctive crest of black - tipped spatulate feathers ( ferguson - lees and christie 2001 ) .

this species is classified as vulnerable because recent evidence from across its range suggests that its population is experiencing a rapid decline , probably owing to habitat degradation , disturbance , hunting and capture for trade .

. it is variably described as common to rare ( only 10 pairs or less in waza - logone west , cameroon [ j . brouwer

although the species occurs across a vast range , surveyed densities suggest that the total population size does not exceed a five - figure number .

2014 ) . on the basis of this evidence the species is suspected to be undergoing a rapid decline overall .

2014 ) . it ranges from sea - level to 3 , 000 m . juveniles can move a long way after leaving their nest site , but will return to their natal area ( retief and smit - robinson 2014 ) . a variety of prey is consumed , primarily insects and rodents , but also other mammals , lizards , snakes , eggs , young birds and amphibians . breeding occurs throughout the year and the species typically nests in a flat - topped

. disturbance by humans , probably most often herders , is likely to negatively affect breeding . the species is captured and traded in apparently small numbers ; however , it is unknown how many die in captivity and transit . direct hunting and nest - raiding for other uses and indiscriminate poisoning at waterholes are also potential threats . these human - induced threats may compound the effects of severe droughts in some areas ( baker

cites appendix ii . it occurs in a number of national parks and other protected areas across its large range .

initiate a coordinated continent - wide monitoring programme to obtain an up - to - date population estimate and track the species ' s trends . in areas where the species is declining , raise awareness of threats amongst local people , particularly livestock herders . monitor and tackle the capture and trade of the species .

to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .

is found throughout africa south of the sahara , except the extreme deserts of the namib coast and the forested region around the equator in western africa . secretary birds do not occur in the southern areas of guinea , cote d ' ivoire , ghana and nigeria , and are entirely absent from the sub - saharan countries of sierra leone and liberia .

secretary birds prefer open savannahs and grasslands , although they also live in semi - deserts and lightly wooded or scrub areas . in grasslands , secretary birds choose areas where the grass is one meter or less in height so their view is not obstructed . they are common near agricultural areas that offer hunting opportunities . secretary birds are never found in true deserts with extreme aridity , or heavily wooded areas . these birds are found from sea - level to around 3 , 000 m .

( ferguson - lees and christie , 2001 ; hosking , et al . , 1988 ; steyn , 1983 )

secretary birds stand around 0 . 9 to 1 . 2 meters tall and weigh between 2 . 3 to 4 . 27 kg . females tend to be slightly smaller than males . wingspans of females range from 1 . 2 to 1 . 32 m , while those of males range between 1 . 26 to 1 . 35 m .

these large raptors have very distinctive morphology . the plumage is generally gray in color , perhaps with some white feathers . they have black flight feathers on the wings and a crest of black - tipped feathers on the back of the head . the bare face is orange to red in color . they have a relatively small head , a gray - white beak , a long neck , and an eagle - like body . unlike an eagle , however , the bare , pinkish legs are very long and end in stubby toes with blunt claws . the tibial portions of the legs are covered in black plumage that give the bird the appearance that it is wearing shorts . the long tail has especially long central rectrices that are often tipped with black .

( ferguson - lees and christie , 2001 ; hosking , et al . , 1988 ; mackworth - praed and grant , 1980 ; steyn , 1983 )

are similar in appearance to adults with a few exceptions . first , the bare skin on the face is yellow rather than orange or red . second , juveniles show black coloration on the tips of the wing shoulder feathers , as well as brown to black barring on the underwing coverts . lastly , juveniles also tend to have shorter central tail feathers and crests than adults .

with any other bird of prey , mainly due to their very long legs . from a distance secretary birds are mistaken for

secretary birds are monogamous and are thought to pair for life . in courtship , they give a croaking call while displaying in the air and on the ground . aerial displays consist of high soaring and diving performed by a single individual ( usually the male ) , or by the pair when the male will dive toward the female and she will half - turn to present her claws . this courtship behavior is very similar to that of other birds of prey . on the ground , their displays are very crane - like with the two birds dancing around with their wings outstretched . sometimes small groups of secretary birds will all join in this ground display behavior . after courtship displays , mating will usually take place on the ground , although some pairs mate in trees .

may breed throughout the year , although there are peaks in breeding from august to march . both the male and female will construct a large nest on a flat - topped tree ( usually an acacia tree or some other thorny tree ) . the nest is usually a saucer - shaped platform made of sticks and lined with a thick layer of grass , wool , dung , and other such materials . a pair of secretary birds will usually reuse the same nest for many years , adding to the structure each year to create a nest that can range from 1 . 5 to 2 . 5 meters in diameter . a frequently reused nest will be abandoned if the structure becomes too large and heavy to be supported by the tree and seems likely to collapse .

the female lays a clutch of 1 to 3 eggs , with each egg laid two to three days apart . the eggs are chalky - white with reddish - brown streaks and are pyriform in shape . eggs are variable in size and can range from 68 to 92 mm in length and 52 to 61 mm in width . incubation of the eggs begins as soon as the first egg is laid . incubation duties are shared by both the male and female , although more frequently by the female . the male brings food to the nest for the female during this time . in 42 to 46 days , the semi - altricial young hatch . young generally hatch 2 to 3 days apart , but no siblicide has been observed . however , in a clutch of three eggs , the smallest chick usually dies of starvation because it cannot compete with its larger nest mates .

hatchlings are covered in off - white down and have large heads that seem too heavy for their bodies . at two weeks of age , they attain a thick coat of gray down , and in three weeks the crest begins to appear . development is slow in secretary birds and it takes six weeks before the hatchlings can stand on their own . at this stage , they learn to feed themselves from prey brought to the nest . by seven weeks , nestlings are fully feathered . around 60 days , the young begin flexing their wings , often flapping and lifting small distances into the air before dropping back to the nest . in 64 to 106 days , the offspring will fledge . the offspring remain around the nest tree for an additional 62 to 105 days , during which time they are dependent upon the parents for food and training in foraging techniques .

breeding interval secretary birds can raise two broods within ten months under desirable conditions .

both male and female secretary birds invest heavily in the young . both sexes share incubation duties . after the eggs hatch , parental care is constant . both the male and female feed the young via regurgitation , although the female mostly regurgitates food that the male has brought back to the nest for her . after about a month , parental care drops significantly , with the parents only returning to the nest to feed the chicks . after six weeks , the parents stop feeding via regurgitation and bring larger prey items that they give the chicks to eat directly . when the chicks fledge and leave the nest , the parents will teach the chicks how to hunt for prey . once the offspring know how to provide for themselves and are independent , they generally head off on their own , leaving the parents’ territory . however , in some circumstances the parents will still tolerate having the juveniles in their territory and even allow the now - independent offspring to join in their hunts and share the nest tree as a roost . it is important to note that juveniles are not dependent on the parents during this time . they are just temporarily sharing a territory . two months is the average amount of time that independent juveniles are allowed to remain in the parents’ territory before being chased away so that the parents can breed again .

is sometimes solitary , but is more often found in pairs or family groups consisting of up to five individuals . larger aggregations of secretary birds may form near an abundant food source or a watering hole , but these groups do not remain together long . secretary birds become active about two hours after the sun has risen , when the grass is no longer wet with morning dew . these birds spend the day walking around and feeding until late afternoon , at which point they return to their roosts . secretary birds prefer to walk rather than fly , and average about 20 to 30 km a day on foot . when hurried or confronted with a threat they run before taking flight . when they do fly , they fly well and often at great heights .

a pair of secretary birds defends an area that can range from 20 to 500 square kilometers depending on the density of secretary birds and food resources in the area . any conspecifics caught intruding in a pair ' s territory will be chased out forcefully .

is generally sedentary and will remain in its own territory , but they are sometimes nomadic . in most cases , these nomadic tendencies are caused by a search for food .

secretary birds are generally silent . when they do call , they typically give a deep , trisyllabic croaking wail that can be heard for quite some distance . this call , along with a drawn - out growling sound , is used in conjunction with aerial and ground displays during the courtship process . a softer version of the main call is used when feeding young . an occasional whistle is given from time to time . the young have their own calls to solicit food from their parents , which start off as a quiet squealing , then becoming a loud ' chok - a - chok - a - chok - a - chok ' .

is an opportunistic predator with a broad prey base . the majority of the diet is made up of arthropods ( including grasshoppers , beetles , spiders , scorpions , wasps , etc . ) and small mammals ( including mice , rats , hedgehogs , hares , mongooses , etc . ) . other recorded prey of secretary birds includes small and young birds , eggs , amphibians , freshwater crabs , lizards , small tortoises , chameleons and snakes . although this species is famed for killing and eating snakes , these reptiles are not eaten as often as is generally believed . however , the snakes taken as prey are often adders , cobras , and other venomous species .

secretary birds hunt exclusively on the ground , either alone or in pairs ( usually with their mate ) . the birds will set out across a grassy area at a steady pace searching for movement . if a particularly thick tuft of grass is encountered , the bird will stamp on it to flush out any potential prey . once prey is spotted , the bird quickens its pace to take the prey by surprise . if a chase commences , the bird will flap its wings and run after the prey until catching up to it . with small prey , the bird will merely bend down and capture it in its bill . larger prey , especially snakes , are stamped to death with the bird ' s blunt feet . a secretary bird will strike a snake just behind its head to snap its neck or stun it . secretary birds are said to pick up a stunned snake , fly high into the air and drop the snake to its death , but this behavior has not been well documented . once the prey is stunned or killed , the bird will swallow it whole through its large gape . if the prey proves too large , then the bird will tear it apart much like an eagle , using its feet to hold the prey down .


agustinia / ɑːɡəˈstɪniə / is a genus of sauropod dinosaurs from the early cretaceous period of south america .

the name agustinia honors the discoverer of the specimen , agustin martinelli .

this dinosaur was originally named in a 1998 abstract written by famous argentine paleontologist jose bonaparte .

the original generic name was " augustia " , which , as it turned out , was already preoccupied by a beetle ( see also : megapnosaurus , protognathosaurus ) .

bonaparte changed the name to agustinia in a full paper published in 1999 .

there is one named species ( a. ligabuei ) , which is named in honor of dr. giancarlo ligabue , a philanthropist who provided financial support to the expedition which recovered the remains .

agustinia

agustinia <EOT> 14 . it was jose f . bonaparte who renamed agustinia from augustia to agustinia . the renaming took place in 1999 .

1 . agustinia is pronounced as ah - gus - tin - ee - ah .

agustinia was a herbivore . it lived in the cretaceous period and inhabited south america .

agustinia was a herbivorous titanosaur dinosaur that lived in the cretaceous period of south america .

12 . agustinia was actually named as augustia in 1998 . however , when it was found that augustia had already been used for naming another creature , the name was changed to agustinia .

9 . agustinia lived in the woodlands of the area which is currently known as south america .

bone histology sheds light on the nature of the " dermal armor " of the enigmatic sauropod dinosaur agustinia ligabuei bonaparte , 1999 .

time to break away from the theropods temporarily and tackle a sauropod . agustinia was requested by mike keesey , so here it is .

size height and weight about 50 feet long and 10 - 20 tons the name the scientific name is agustinia ligabuei the common name is agustinia pronunciation a - gus - tin - e - ah . the names meaning and from which language the meaning of the name is for agustin ( agustinia  ( named after agustin martinelli ,  the discoverer ) . the language which the name came from is lithuanian ( says google translate ) the name of the dinosaur was named by josé bonaparte  -  1998 . which is named in honor of dr . giancarlo ligabue where , when , and by whom was it discovered the agustinia was founded by agustin martinelli it was discovered in argentina the agustinia was discovered in 1998 the agustinia was a herbivore , and this dinosaur was a prey dinosaur project : agustinia katie ramsdell 11 / 18 / 14 period 6 the agustinias eating habits and was it a predator or prey ? feathers , fur or scales ? the agustinia has scales offspring live birth or egg living which geological period or era the agustinia lived during the aptian to albian of the cretaceous solitary or herd not yet specified not yet specified number of offsprings per litter not yet specified closets living realitives not yet specified cite resources urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken

15 . agustinia lived from aptian through albian ages of the middle cretaceous period . the fossil was found from argentina’s neuquen province’s lohan cura formation .

apart from their respective features and characteristics description of anabisetia and agustinia is incomplete without they being segregated from each other . what is a better way to differentiate the dinosaurs than classify them on them basis of their character and shape in a scientific way . by comparing anabisetia and agustinia classification , we get information about species of anabisetia and agustinia and also its kingdom , phylum , class in which they are categorized etc . the former dinosaur is a part of a . saldiviai species while the later belongs to agustinia ligabuei species . the former belongs to chordata based on its body structure . it is a member of reptilia class . the clade of the same is dinosauria . it is grouped in ornithischia . it is part in anabisetia . it is classified in saurischia order . the clade of the same is dinosauria . the class of agustinia is reptilia . the genus of the same is agustinia

bone histology sheds light on the nature of the " dermal armor " of the enigmatic sauropod dinosaur agustinia ligabuei bonaparte , 1999 . - pubmed - ncbi

apart from their respective features and characteristics description of alvarezsaurus and agustinia is incomplete without they being segregated from each other . what is a better way to differentiate the dinosaurs than classify them on them basis of their character and shape in a scientific way . by comparing alvarezsaurus and agustinia classification , we get information about species of alvarezsaurus and agustinia and also its kingdom , phylum , class in which they are categorized etc . the former dinosaur is a part of a . calvoi species while the later belongs to agustinia ligabuei species . the former belongs to chordata based on its body structure . the family of the concerned dinosaurus is alvarezsauridae . it is a member of reptilia class . the clade of the same is dinosauria . it is grouped in saurischia . it is part in alvarezsaurus . it is classified in saurischia order . the clade of the same is dinosauria . the class of agustinia is reptilia . the genus of the same is agustinia

scaling the fibula from rebbachisaurus gives a length of 16 meters while scaling from saltasaurus gives a length of 15 meters , so agustinia was about 15 - 16 meters .

2 . most interesting of agustinia facts is that this dinosaur was named after its discoverer agustin martinelli . agustin was a student when he discovered the fossil of this dinosaur .

agustinia is a genus of sauropod dinosaurs from the early cretaceous period of south america . it contains the single species agustinia ligabuei , a single specimen of which was recovered from the lohan cura formation of neuquen province in argentina , thought to date from the late aptian to albian stages of the early cretaceous period , between 116 and 100 million years ago .

13 . another interesting one of agustinia facts is that though the fossil was discovered by agustin martinelli , paleontologist jose f . bonaparte was the person who was actually responsible for identification of the dinosaur .

a hand - painted , highly detailed model of the amazing dinosaur agustinia , an armoured , long - necked dinosaur from the cretaceous period . part of the procon dinosaurs and the collecta dinosaurs ranges .

6 . agustinia was a quadrupedal dinosaur and fed on plants . yes , it was an herbivore and did not pose any threat to other animals at least in terms of hunting them down and devouring them .

agustinia ligabuei is an early cretaceous sauropod dinosaur from the northwest of patagonia that is currently the topic of debate with respect to its phylogenetic position and atypical dermal armor . the presence of four morphotypes of laminar and transversely elongated putative osteoderms was used to consider agustinia as an armored sauropod . regarding the different hypotheses about the identity of the bony structures of agustinia ( e . g . , osteoderms , cervical or dorsal ribs , hypertrophied elements ) , a comparative histological analysis has been carried out . histological evidence is presented herein and reveals that none of the morphotypes of agustinia shows a primary bone tissue formed by structural fiber bundles as in other sauropod dinosaur osteoderms . furthermore , on the basis of their gross morphology and microstructure , the bony structures originally classified as types 1 + 4 and 3 are more comparable respectively with dorsal and cervical ribs than any other kind of dermal or bony element . due to poor preservation , the nature of the type 2 cannot be assessed but is here tentatively assigned to a pelvic girdle element . although a phylogenetic reassessment of agustinia is not the purpose of this paper , our paleohistological analyses have broader implications : by not supporting the dermal armor hypothesis for agustinia , its inclusion in lithostrotia is not justified in the absence of other diagnostic features .

like with many sauropod dinosaurs ,  agustinia is known from incomplete remains .  some of these remains however revealed a startling revelation in that this sauropod had what appeared to be armour along its back similar in appearance to the plates of stegosaurus ,  a herbivorous but completely different kind of dinosaur .  this is in particular reference to the plates that would have been on the back of the neck of agustinia ,  although these plates were at a right angle to how they would have been arranged in stegosaurus which means that from the side they would have looked thin ,  but from the front you would have seen the full shape .  however , later studies now suggest that this plates are actually fragments of the ribs and hips , and if this is true , then agustinia did not have armoured plates . the phylogenetic position of agustinia has been difficult to establish as the few bones known for the genus display a combination of diplodocid and titanosaurid features .  to make things even more difficult both of these groups of dinosaurs are known to have roamed south america during the cretaceous .  agustinia was first named in 1998 as augustia ,  but this was later found to have already been used for another creature ,  hence the change to agustinia in 1999 .

the bizarre and remarkable agustinia , an armoured , long - necked dinosaur from the age of reptiles . this hand - painted model is ideal for creative play . a super quality model from the procon dinosaurs and collecta dinosaurs ranges .

10 . as far as the armor is concerned , some paleontologists who have studied the fossil remains say that what appeared to be armors were actually fragments of hips and ribs . if those paleontologists are correct then , agustinia didn’t have any armored plates .

agustinia is a sauropod based on - more than three sacral vertebrae ; metatarsals i and v with proximal ends subequal in area to metatarsals ii and iv . it is eusauropod based on - dorsal neural spines broader transversely than anteroposteriorly ; metatarsal iii 25 % or less of tibial length ; minimum shaft width of metatarsal i greater than ii - iv . sauropod systematics are currently unresolved regarding basal forms such as cetiosaurs and euhelopodids , but agustinia shares several characters with diplodocoids and titanosaurids , which would place it in the neosauropoda .

due to the fragmentary nature of its remains , agustinia ' s classification is unclear ; it could be either a diplodocoid or a titanosaurian . however , its back plates have recently been redescribed as likely rib or hip bone fragments instead , and its status as a discernible species has been put into question by some .

in this article titled 15 interesting agustinia facts were are going to learn about an armored titanosaur – a sauropod that has a pretty unusual name . why it was named so ? what kind of armor did this dinosaur have ? when and where did it live ? this article is going to answer all these questions . it will be a quick and short article as usual because not much information is available on this extinct creature .

titanosaurids and diplodocoids both have prespinal and postspinal laminae in the posterior dorsal vertebrae and dorsalized proximal caudal vertebrae ( with laminae ) , but only diplodocoids have posterior dorsal vertebrae with craniocaudally compressed neural spines and only euhelopus and titanosaurids have six sacral vertebrae . diplodocoids and some titanosaurids ( saltasaurus and opisthocoelicaudia , not alamosaurus , malawisaurus or titanosaurus ) have craniocaudally compressed proximal caudal neural spines . only titanosaurids have been discovered with dermal ossifications . bonaparte states the four perpendicular laminae with postspinal laminae longest are more similar to rebbachisaurids than titanosaurids . this makes it apparent that agustinia is either a diplodocoid or advanced titanosaurid , with the evidence about equal for either . both groups were common in early cretaceous south america . a titanosaurid affinity is suggested by six sacral vertebrae and dermal ossifications , while diplodocoid affinity is suggested by craniocaudally compressed posterior dorsal neural spines and the orientation of the laminae . thus , i recommend placing agustinia as neosauropoda incertae sedis , as either a diplodocoid or advanced titanosaurid .

a number of sauropods feature in robert’s south american themed diorama . the picture above shows a close up of an agustinia ( pronounced ah - gus - tin - nee - ah ) , a bizarre , herbivorous dinosaur whose fossils were first discovered around twenty years ago . from the limited number of fossils found , palaeontologists remain uncertain as to the phylogeny of this particular dinosaur . it could be a member of the titanosaurids , or perhaps it was more closely related to diplodocus ( diplodocid dinosaurs ) . until more fossil material is found and studied , the family classification of this particular south american dinosaur remains uncertain .

name : agustinia  ( named after agustin martinelli ,  the discoverer ) . phonetic : a - gus - tin - e - ah . named by : josť bonaparte  -  1999 . classification : chordata ,  reptilia ,  dinosauria ,  saurischia ,  sauropodomorpha ,  diplodocoidea / titanosauridae ? species : a .  ligabuei ( type )  . diet : herbivore . size : estimated 15 meters long . known locations : argentina ,  neuquen province  -  lohan cura formation . time period : aptian to albian of the cretaceous . fossil representation : partial remains including a fibula and tibia ( bones of the lower hind leg )  ,  very fragmentary femur ( upper hind leg bone )  ,  five metatarsals ,  partial vertebrae and the associated back armour of plates and spikes .

we thank j . bonaparte and a . martinelli for providing helpful information , comments , original field - work photos , and field notes , as well in helping us to reconstruct the taphonomy of holotype materials of

; the dirección provincial de patrimonio cultural of neuquén and the museo municipal carmen funes of plaza huincul for their collaboration , as well as legal and logistic support ; j . curruinca , s . adrian , sr . firelli , and the municipalidad of picún leufú for allowing the access at the cerro leon locality and to support part of the field works ; r . a . coria of mcf for the collection access and e . montes for preparing part of the material ; d . codega of usl for making the thin sections ; j . carballido , p . mannion , m . d’emic , and an anonymous reviewer for providing constructive criticism and suggestions that improved the original manuscript . j . blanco kindly provided the

. a . elbakyan , j . bar , and wikipaleo group provided the literature . this project has been partially funded by jurassic foundation ( grant to f . b ) and agencia nacional de promoción científica y técnica ( pict 2015 - 1021 to i . a . c ) .

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vickaryous mk , sire jy ( 2009 ) the integumentary skeleton of tetrapods : origin , evolution , and development . j anat 214 : 441–464 . doi :

( gekkonidae ) with comments on their regeneration and inferred function . j morphol 276 : 1345–1357 . doi :

sp . ( sauropoda ) . j vertebr paleontol 34 ( 4 ) : 852–869 . doi :

wedel mj ( 2003 ) vertebral pneumaticity , air sacs , and the physiology of sauropod dinosaurs . paleobiology 29 : 243–255 . doi :

wilson ja ( 2002 ) sauropod dinosaur phylogeny : critique and cladistic analysis . zool j linnean soc 136 : 217–276 . doi :

zhang y ( 1988 ) the middle jurassic dinosaur fauna from dashanpu , zigong , sichuan : sauropod dinosaurs . vol . 1 ,

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further reading - an armoured sauropod from the aptian of northern patagonia , argentina . - j . f . bonaparte . in proceedings of the second gondwanan dinosaur symposium tokyo : national science museum monographs y . tomida , t . h . rich & p . vickers - rich ( eds ) . - 1999 . - osteology of the late jurassic portuguese sauropod dinosaur lusotitan atalaiensis ( macronaria ) and the evolutionary history of basal titanosauriforms . - zoological journal of the linnean society , 168 , 98–206 . - p . d . manion , p . upchurch , r . n . barnes & o . mateus - 2013 .

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3 . this dinosaur lived during the early parts of middle - cretaceous period . in terms of years , that’s about 115 to 100 million years ago from current time .

4 . the dinosaur was a titanosaur which reached the length of 50 feet from snout to tip of the tail .

5 . you can very well guess from its size that the dinosaur was pretty heavy . paleontologists say that it weighed anywhere between 10 and 20 tons .

7 . the incomplete type fossil that was unearthed by agustin revealed that the dinosaur had an armor along its back .

8 . the armor was in form of spines along the vertebrae . paleontologists think that the purpose of the armor was merely display and had nothing to do with defense .

11 . however , it is assumed that the dinosaur did have armored plates on its neck and back and that the plates were arranged in such a way that they appeared to be thin when looked from side but full size appeared only when looked at from the front .

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is named after agustin martinelli , a young argentine student who discovered it . the

( lee - gah - boo - ay - ie ) , honors dr . giancarlo ligabue , a philanthropist who provided financial support to the expedition which recovered the remains . this is the second of three dinosaurs to honor ligabue , sandwiched between

was discovered in the cullín grande member of the lohan cura formation ( sandwiched between the older la amarga formation and the younger candeleros formation ) at cerro de los leones , neuquen province , argentina , in 1997 . the

( mcf - pvph 110 ) originally included an almost complete right shin and calfbone , five metatarsals from the left foot , three partial vertebrae from the back , six from the hip , and ten from the tail , and nine oddly - shaped " armour " plates . however , it was later suggested that the plates were perhaps partial rib bones or hip bones , or both , and the hip vertebrae are too damaged to count with accuracy . a thighbone was also found at the site but it was so fragmented it wasn ' t worth collecting .

" in " proceedings of the second gondwanan dinosaur symposium tokyo : national science museum monographs " .

• upchurch , p . , barrett , p . m . , and dodson , p . ( 2004 ) " sauropoda " in weishampel , dodson and osmólska "

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translation : a quadrupedal herbivore which has long thorns from its neck to tail .

along with edmontosaurus , metriacanthosaurus , piatnitzkysaurus , and olorotitan , it is one the latest dinosaurs released in the arcade .

it appeared on the kyoryu king wallpaper before its actual debut , alongside metriacanthosaurus .

it is one of the very few dinosaurs to not appear in the tcg .

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etymology - " honoring agustin and ligabue " , agustin martinelli being discoverer of the specimen and dr . giancarlo ligabue being an active philanthropist who supported the 1997 patagonian expediation .

note : a femur was found with the specimen represented by hundreds of small weathered fragments and was not collected .

diagnosis - fibula wraps anteromedially around cnemial crest of tibia ; dermal ossifiations with thick proximal / ventral processes , starting as rhomboid transversely oriented midline plates , proceeding to rectangular transversely oriented midline plates with dorsolateral spikes , then to dorsolaterally projecting flattened spines .

the last three dorsal neural spines are preserved . they are transversely rectangular in dorsal view and possess four laminae . the supradiapophyseal laminae are shortest , the prespinal lamina is longer and the postspinal lamina is longest .

the six sacral neural spines are fused to one another along their pre - and postspinal laminae and similar to the dorsal spines in morphology , being transversely expanded and rectangular , with four laminae each .

the first three caudal neural spines are represented , along with what probably represents the neural spines of caudals 6 - 13 . these start out transversely expanded in caudals 1 - 3 , then changes to longitudinally elongate . the lateral laminae are prominent until the eighth caudal , then become rugosities . the prespinal laminae are much more prominent than the postspinal laminae in the proximal caudals .

both lower limb elements are crushed lateromedially , while the metatarsals are deformed . the tibia has a pronounced , thin crest on the proximoposterior corner and a poorly developed cnemial crest . the fibula wraps anteromedially around the cnemial crest , which is an autapomorphy , and is placed anterior to the tibia in it ' s distal half .

the metatarsals are very robust and decrease in thickness towards metatarsal v . the first two metatarsals are subequal in length and shorter than iii and iv , which are also subequal . there may be an incipient laterodistal process on metatarsal i , but the deformation makes this uncertain . both ii and iii have distal condyles for a phalanx , while i lacks them . metatarsal iii is transversely wider ( 78 % ) compared to i and ii than all sauropods except vulcanodon and shunosaurus ( should have < 65 % ) according to sereno and wilson ( 1998 , omeisaurus + neosauropoda , character # 73 ) .

the first type is roughly rhomboid and probably had a median position . it resembles a stegosaurus plate that ' s been rotated so that the faces of the plate face anterodorsally and posteroventrally . the anterodorsal face is convex , while the posteroventral face is concave . at the base of the posteroventral face is a thick process with a sagittal ridge and concave posterolateral areas adjacent to the ridge . it was probably positioned on the midline of the dorsal area and is 200 mm on it ' s sagittal axis .

the second type also had a median position , but is rather different otherwise . it is a large rectangular plate , with the faces pointing roughly anteriorly and posteriorly . there are two large spikes projecting dorsolaterally . the spikes are anteroposteriorly flattened and conical . between the spikes and plate body is a ridge , the area between the ridges is concave . there are also two thick processes ventrolaterally that probably contacted the dorsolateral edges of the dorsal or sacral neural spines . this ossification is 640 mm wide , 260 mm between ridges .

the third type is a split version of type 2 , so it was paired . it has a dorsoventrally broad and bifurcated medial section , with a thick ventral process . there are several ridges on the proximal section , between which muscles probably attached . again , there are two spikes ( one on each type 3 ) . the spikes are dorsolaterally projected and most are blunt , with subparellel edges , while one is conical and pointed . these are 460 m long .

the fourth type is very similar to the third type , but with less expanded proximal ends and smaller proximoventral processes . they are also longer than type three , being 760 mm .

bonaparte , j . , 1998 . an armoured sauropod from the aptian of northern patagonia , argentina , in tomida , y . , rich , t . h . & vickers - rich , p . , eds . , 1998 . second symposium gondwana dinosaurs , 12 - 13 july 1998 , abstracts with program , national science museum , tokyo : 10 .

bonaparte , j . f . , 1999 . an armoured sauropod from the aptian of northern patagonia , argentina , in tomida , y . , rich , t . h . & vickers - rich , p . , eds . , 1999 . proceedings of the second gondwanan dinosaur symposium , national science museum monographs # 15 , tokyo : 1 - 12 .

the figures of the neural spines , dermal ossifications , tibia , fibula and metatarsals are available as usual . as for next time , dan bensen wants some dromaeosaurids , as did mike keesey , so i guess i ' ll be writing about some of them . and for those of you who wrote to me previously about species you wanted " details on . . . " segments about , your e - mails were destroyed with my old hard drive , so you might want to send me those messages again .

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full reference : j . f . bonaparte . 1999 . an armoured sauropod from the aptian of northern patagonia , argentina . y . tomida , t . h . rich , and p . vickers - rich ( eds . ) , proceedings of the second gondwanan dinosaur symposium , national science museum monographs 15 : 1 - 12

see also bonaparte 1999 , calvo and porfiri 2010 , curry rogers 2005 , d ' emic 2012 , d ' emic et al . 2009 , grellet - tinner et al . 2012 , lü et al . 2007 , malkani 2008 , mannion and otero 2012 , salgado 2003 , salgado and coria 2005 , upchurch et al . 2004 and wilson 2002

type specimen : mcf - pvph 110 . its type locality is cerro de los leones , level 3 , which is in an albian floodplain mudstone / sandstone in the lohan cura formation of argentina .

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dinosaur find - this series by renowned dinosaurs author dougal dixon looks at dinosaurs and the different places they lived more than 65 million years ago . the beautifully illustrated books feature some of the biggest , fastest , and brainiest dinosaurs ever to roam the world .

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from the lower cretaceous of argentina is known from fragmentary remains . it was an armored sauropod with spikes and plates on its back not unlike the unrelated

holotype ( mcf - pvph 110 ) : 3 incomplete dorsal , 6 incomplete sacral , and 10 incomplete caudal vertebrae , 9 dermal ossifications , almost complete right tibia and fibula ; and 5 articulated left metatarsals .

j . f . bonaparte . 1999 . an armoured sauropod from the aptian of northern patagonia , argentina . y . tomida , t . h . rich , and p . vickers - rich ( eds . ) , proceedings of the second gondwanan dinosaur symposium , national science museum monographs 15 : 1 - 12 .

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museo municipal " carmen funes " , av . córdoba 55 , cp8318 , plaza huincul , neuquén , argentina . flaviobellardini @ gmail . com .

dirección provincial de patrimonio cultural , vuelta de obligado 50 , cp8300 , neuquén , argentina . flaviobellardini @ gmail . com .

conicet , instituto de investigaciones en paleobiología y geología , universidad nacional de río negro , museo carlos ameghino , belgrano 1700 , paraje pichi ruca ( predio marabunta ) , cp8324 , cipolletti , río negro , argentina .

dinosaur model enthusiast and collector robert townsend very kindly sent into everything dinosaur some further pictures of his prehistoric landscape . this time he has focused on dinosaurs that roamed the southern hemisphere during the mesozoic . in his diorama entitled “south american giants” , robert highlights the diversity of sauropods that once roamed the landmass of gondwana , he has also added some large theropod models to highlight the apex predators which once called south america home .

the picture above shows a safari ltd ( wild safari dinos ) amargasaurus in the foreground , in the background , a pair of long - necked dinosaurs ( saltasaurus ) walk by . this is a well composed photograph . the position of the models provides perspective and depth perception , the animals moving in opposite directions provides contrast and draws the eye into the photograph , allowing the clever and careful use of foliage to be appreciated .

a number of super - sized theropods are known from south america . robert depicts different types of meat - eating dinosaur in his diorama . amongst the abelisaurids , robert has included a number of different types of predator , including mapusaurus and giganotosaurus which are greedily feeding on the remains of a sauropod in the photograph above .

“when i was about eleven or twelve years old i saw the film “valley of the gwangi” which was about some cowboys in the old wild west who discover a lost world of living dinosaurs inside a secret and hidden canyon . i was so impressed with the realism of the animation of the creatures that i wanted to make my own lost world of dinosaur models in a prehistoric world . ”

in his childhood , robert constructed a number of dinosaur model kits and he started building landscapes from a young age , but not always with the results he desired . when it came to creating prehistoric scenes , robert admits his early efforts were a case of trial and error .

“what materials did one use ? i didn’t have a clue . my dad suggested that i make the landscape out of a large piece of white card he obtained from somewhere . it was rolled up , and when unrolled and flattened out it was about four feet square . on the dining room table i used a felt tip pen to draw where the rocks and the rivers were meant to go . to make prehistoric type plants i rolled up pieces of white paper , coloured them in with green and brown felt tip pens and then cut one end to spread out the fronds at the top . they were stuck on the card with sellotape . after an afternoon of trying this , the whole thing looked such a mess and so totally unconvincing that i was disappointed with my clumsy efforts . i threw the whole lot away in the bin . i thought it was best to wait until a time when i learnt what materials to use and how to build properly with them . well , now that time has come and you can see some of the results above . ”