Snow owl females in the Arctic tundra deny their partner any sexual intercourse until the male feeds her with lemmings on their nesting place.They do not do this out of material greed. Lemmings are the main food of snow owls. Every three to four years however these prey animals are very scarce. Therfore the male can only find a few and eats them himself. But it would not be possible to raise the offspring like that. So there will be no fertilisation if the offspring would have to starve to death anyway.
Category: Birds
Size: Beak to tail 53-65 cm; wingspan 125-150 cm
Breeding duration: 32-33 days
Age: 28 years
Sexually mature: at 2 years
Reproduction: 4-8 eggs
food: lemmings and other small mammals, birds, rarely fish, insects, including carrion
habitat: arctic tundra, meadows and wet meadows, heather, marsh, salt marshes, sandy coasts
Danger: not endangered
distribution area