Vulture

Vulture
Physical Attributes Kingdom Reptilia; Aves Species Teratornis Feather Color Usually Black Skin Color Usually Pink Diet Carnivore

Teratornis are scavenging birds of prey that lived during the ice ages into the modern day.

Traits

Powerful flying birds, vultures are scavengers and occasional predators that feed off dead and dying animals, as well as smaller animals. Vultures usually have bald heads devoid of feathers to avoid dirtying any part of their heads with bacteria and have hooked beaks. With large powerful wings and sharp talons, vultures often appear at the sites of animals that have recently died by flying overhead in circles.

History

Vultures resided in the Ice Valley and warned the animals of the valley that the land was about to flood over and to escape they would have to reach a boat made of a massive fallen tree. Watching closely for any stragglers or injured animals so as to feast on them, a great flock of vultures watched a herd of mammals, consisting of two mammoths, a Saber-Tooth Tiger, a ground sloth, and two opossums as they hurried to catch up with the other herds of animals, and burst out in a song proclaiming their desire to eat the animals that lagged behind, chasing them while singing it.

A number of the vultures watched still as the herds of animals reached the boat and kept an eye out for any unattended younger animals.

Years later, a group of animals passed through a forest journeying to a destination where an Asteroid was going to hit. One of the mammals, Manny was mocking his future son-in-law, Julian, behind his back. When Julian turned around, noticing Manny was making fun of him, Manny quickly gestured and admired a vulture they passed, calling it "pretty". Julian agreed with Manny and turned back around, happy again. Vultures were among the animals to survive into the present era.

Behind the Scenes

Vultures were initially meant to appear in the first film, but the plans were scrapped, and they instead appeared in the second film.

Much like all the other animals in the films the vultures were probably based on an extinct ancestor of the modern day vulture. Like the Teratornis a prehistoric vulture that shares many similarities to modern day Vultures and live around the time period that the films are set in.

Known vultures

• Lone Gunslinger
• Traffic vulture

Appearances

• Ice Age (deleted content)
• Ice Age: The Meltdown (First appearance)
  • Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (video game)
  • Ice Age: The Great Escape

• Ice Age Village
• Ice Age: Collision Course