Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Creature Feature #423: Limpkin

The Limpkin is related to rails and cranes, his range extending from Florida down to Argentina. He is characterised by his heavy, down-curved bill. This acts like a tweezer, and is used to pry apple snails from their shells. His widespread toes allow him to stand on floating plants, and he will partly immerse himself in water, or even sim in pursuit of his prey. His deliberate, high-stepping gait gives the appearance of limping and contributes to his common name. Once prey has been located, he will carry it to the shore or shallows, turn it so that the opening is facing upwards and use his beak to pry out the contents.

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