Paws for this weeks animal facts: Snowy Owl Edition

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Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Dec 29, 2021 1:00 PM EST

Popularized by the iconic Harry Potter movies, you know a snowy owl when you see one. Whether it's flying over Hogwarts hallowed halls, or perched on Harry's finger snowy owls are the pet of the series. These owls, however, are most definitely not pet material. Maybe if you are a wizard or witch, but they are not meant to be captured by us pure mortals.

Snowy owls are exactly what they sound like. Owls that live in the snow. When we think of owls, we typically think dreary dark night skies where we can hear a faint "ooooo" in the background. Not with these guys. Snowy owls have adapted to be able to hunt day and night to keep up with their environment. It's so interesting to learn about common animal sub-species, because there are so many differences we can untap. Enjoy this week's winter animal!

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  • 01
    Smile - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER. Snowy owls have bristles on their beaks to help them sense nearby objects. Their beaks are hooked and used for gripping prey and tearing flesh.
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  • 02
    Snowy owl - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER. Snowy owls have a lot of feathers to keep them warm in the arctic temperatures, making them one of the heaviest owl species.
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    So basically snowy owls have a winter down jacket on them at all times. Seems reasonable. I mean they do have to live in the arctic. Weather it's feather, fur, fat, or blubber, all arctic animals need an extra layer of warmth. Snowy owls win because at least their layer is like a cozy blanket!

  • 03
    Bird - Their feet are also covered in feathers, like fuzzy slippers! ICANHAS BURGER
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  • 04
    Bird - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER Snowy owls eat a variety of food including lemmings, Arctic hares, mice, ducks, and seabirds.
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  • 05
    Bird - ANM CANHAS CHE BURGER They can swallow a small prey whole.
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    This. picture. Honestly a little terrifying. What happens to the little guys once hes eaten? Is he whole inside the belly of the beast? What if a snowy owl ate an entire family of mice whole and they just started a new life inside the stomach of the owl. Sounds like a good childrens book.

  • 06
    Plant - ICANHAS BURGER Females remain with the young in the nest, while the males hunt.
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  • 07
    Bird - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER A snowy owl's powerful wingspan is 4-5 feet on average.
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  • 08
    Snowy owl - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER Male snowy owls are almost completely white, while females are white with dark spots all over.
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  • 09
    Bird - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER The Arctic summer forces snowy owls to hunt by daylight. Unlike most owls that are nocturnal, snowy owls are diurnal.
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  • 10
    Bird - Snowy owls can live up to 10 years in the wild. ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER
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  • 11
    Sky - CHEEZ BURGER The snowy owl is also known as the snow owl, arctic owl, great white owl, ghost owl, ermine owl, tundra ghost, white terror of the north, and Scandinavian nightbird.
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  • 12
    Bird - Depictions of snowy owls have been found in cave paintings in Europe dating back 30,000 ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER years.
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