There is nothing wrong with devoting a little time to personal learning, because knowledge is power. Today you will learn about a rather curious species, known as talegalo leipoa. You won’t be indifferent.
Contents
From where is it endemic?
It is also known as Australian pheasant or ocellated megaphore, and is scientifically known as leipoa ocellata. It is an endemic species of Australia, being the only member of the leipoa genus.
This species usually lives in the jungles of Australia, although it can also be seen from the sheets or wooded areas of trees that are many years old.
What does it look like?
Its appearance is very different from the rest of the members of the talegalos family. The male is about 35 cm long and is usually slightly larger than the female.
The head is covered by a series of very light brown feathers that go down to the lower part of the body, where they become darker until they reach the lower parts of your body that are cream-colored. The wings have an interesting motif that combines white with a series of brown spots and some wings with black tips.
Near the eyes you may have a portion of your face that does not have feathers on it. Their legs are greyish and the feathers on their wings are the same as those on their wings and underparts.
The best digger for its eggs
If you’ve already read about other members of the talegalo genus, you’ll know that this species doesn’t incubate its eggs, but rather designs a very complex nest for the eggs to warm up in the sunlight. This species does something similar, only much more complicated.
First it digs a very deep hole that it fills with a lot of objects that can rot, generating a very soft layer in the soil for the eggs. Then, in this one, he makes a camera for the eggs. When December arrives, he leaves everything ready and goes in search of a female, or several females, to mate with them.
The female will deposit the eggs in the chamber she has prepared and lay a layer of soil about one meter thick on top. This layer of sand protects the eggs and at the same time creates a layer of sunshine that heats the eggs all day long at 33°C. This will allow the chicks to hatch within a month of laying.
It is generally a species that feeds on small insects and some insects, as well as some seeds. Unfortunately, it is an easy prey for many predators. These predators can also attack their nests, which is why they cover them well so that they are not easily detected by egg predators in the area. The male can occasionally approach the nest to check that everything is all right.
Related Entries
