The world is full of different species and each one is unique and attractive in its own way. We generally talk about wings, color, and size but, some animals have a throat pouch as a distinguishing feature. This pouch joins the lower beak to the neck which is used for storing food. Here are some of the animals with a throat pouch.
Animals with a Throat Pouch
1. Great White Pelican
The great white Pelican can grow as long as 55 to 71 inches and weighs around 9 kg. It has a wingspan of 7.5 to 11.8 feet with a life expectancy of 51 years. It is found in freshwater lakes, swamps, and marshes of Asia, Europe, and Africa. It has an enormous body covered with gray and black feathers, a small pinkish tail, and webbed feet. Its bill is blue on the upper side and yellow on the underside and an oversized pouch is also present.
It uses its bill to create a large pouch to catch its prey. Whenever the pelican pushes its bill under the water, its lower bill blows out creating a large pouch and as it lifts its head, this pouch contracts pushing the water out, but the fish remains entrapped. It is a carnivorous bird nourishing fish, cichlids, and carp.
2. Blue Jay
Blue Jay grows as long as 9-12 inches and weighs 0.07-0.11 kg. It is found in forests of Eastern North America with a life expectancy of around 20 years. It has beautiful blue feathers present on its crest, wings, and tail. Also, the wings and tails have black, white, and blue stripes and a grayish belly. It feeds on a variety of fruits, nuts, seeds, and small animals. It is an intelligent, smart, and beautiful social bird that typically lives in small flocks. It has a large throat pouch which it uses to store seeds and nuts.
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3. Florida Brown Pelican
Florida Brown Pelican can grow as long as 39-53 inches and weighs 2-5 kg. It is found in tropical marshes, swamps, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans of North America, the Pacific Coast, and the Gulf coast with a life expectancy of 3-5 years. It is a huge bird with a big head, a long bill, and a large gular pouch.
Its gular pouch is capable of holding 3 gallons of water at a time and is dark gray to green which turns to bright red during breeding. During diving, its pouch drains extra water and traps fish in it. During the initial years, its underside is white and turns to gray-brown with black and silver stripes in 3-5 years.
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4. Frigate bird
Frigate bird can grow 39-90 inches long and weighs 1.3-1.8 kg. It is found on the tropical shorelines of the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Galapagos Island. This sea bird has a life expectancy of around 30 years. It is identified by its bright red throat pouch present in males which enlarges to attract females as females lack a throat pouch. It is black to brown with pink feet and legs in males and bluish gray in females. Due to its smaller legs, it glides along the shorelines of oceans and seas. It is a carnivorous bird that dives into the water to catch small fishes, squids, and crustaceans.
5. Wreathed hornbill
Wreathed hornbill can grow 29-39 inches tall and weighs 2 to 3 kg. it is found in mountains, evergreen forests, zoos, and trees of South East Asia, Bhutan, and Eastern India with a life expectancy of 40-50 years. It is black with a small white tail. The male wreathed hornbill has a brown forehead, large circular eyes, and bright yellow throat while the female has a bright blue throat. Both have bluish-black stripes running through the bottom and creamy white bill. Its red eyes give it fierce looks and feed on figs, fruits, berries, beetles, frogs, and insects.
Image Source: Wikimedia
6. White Ibis
White Ibis can grow 21 to 28 inches long and weighs around 1 kg with a life expectancy of 6-20 years. It is found in wetlands, salt water, coastline, mangroves, and shallow water of North and South America especially Florida. It is completely white with black-edged wings; the skin around its eyes is bright red. It has a football-shaped body with a curved bill. Its white body with a tint of red adds beauty to it. It feeds on crabs, insects, small fishes, frogs, and other marine species.
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Image Source: James St. John
7. Marabou Stork
Marabou stork can grow as long as 47 to 51 inches long and weighs 4 to 8 kg. It is found in arid habitats, landfills, and near human habitation in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest stork bird with a life expectancy of 25 years. It is a massive bird with scabby skin, a long bill, round head. It has a long reddish pouch hanging down its neck and helps the bird to produce guttural croaking. It is also known as the undertaker bird because when it is seen from the back, it resembles a shroud. It feeds on fish, insects, garbage, pigeons, flamingoes, and pelicans.
Image Source: Wikimedia
8. Siamang
Siamang can grow 24 to 36 inches long and weighs around 10 kg. It is found in rainforests of South East Asia and has a life expectancy of around 40 years. It has a long, black, shaggy coat all over the skin with pale hair around the chin and mouth. It is known for its pinkish throat sac which gets inflated during vocalization and grows as big as a grapefruit. Siamang can also be distinguished by webbing between the second and third toes and also it has a highly developed brain. It feeds on leaves, fruits, birds, eggs, insects, and other small animals.
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Southern Flying Lizard
Southern Flying Lizard can grow 7 to 8 inches long and weighs around 20 grams. It is found in forests, jungles, areca gardens, and teak plantations of Southern India and South East Asia. It has a life expectancy of around 8 years and is grey, brown, black, and tan helping it to camouflage.
It is known for its wings present at the side of its body for flight. It has a depressed and elongated body with brown rectangular rows of spots on its wings. it has a loose flap of skin called a gular flap hanging down its neck which is generally yellow in males and blue-grey in females. It is an insectivorous animal and feeds on ants and termites.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. Howler Monkey
Howler monkey can grow 22 to 36 inches tall and weighs 6 to 10 kg. It is found in deciduous forests of Central and South America with a life expectancy of 15-20 years. It has a tail as long as its entire body and helps in maintaining balance and eating food. It has large rounded nostrils with a short snout, face, and body covered with fur and hair. It is considered as loudest land animal as its voice can be heard up to 4.8 kilometers. It feeds on leaves, fruits, flowers, buds, nuts, and berries.
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Image Source: Wikimedia
These are the 10 animals with a throat pouch. Kindly share and do post your comments.
