All Gryphons Great and Small

Quetzal Gryphon

2011-03-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Get Your Own Gryphon!

Cockatiel Gryphon

2011-03-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

Get your gryphon!

Bids start at 99¢!

Get Your Own Gryphon!

2011-02-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

If you ever wanted your own gryphon, then this is the next best thing- get your own custom gryphon art!

You can bid here!

Bids start at $1 and you will receive an illustration of your own gryphon, matching the quality of All Gryphons Great and Small. It gets interesting at $25, because then you will also receive a print of your gryphon, with higher bids receiving even more prints and goodies all included in your bid amount!

Be sure to check it out! ...But don't be upset if you missed out on the bid. A new gryphon will be available every week!

Sea Gryphon

2010-06-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Sea Gryphon

Buy the Print!

ALL PROCEEDS OF THIS PRINT WILL BE DONATED TO HELP THE ANIMALS OF THE GULF!
Buy any greeting card or any sized print and 100% of my earnings on this print will be donated to the International Bird Rescue Research Center (http://www.ibrrc.org/) and The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (http://www.imms.org/).

Please help spread the word!

Description

Sea gryphons have many subspecies with an interesting degree of variation between them, including size, weight, wingspan and other features
Depicted here is a Pelecanus Lontra, commonly known as a Pelican Gryph, Big-Beaked Sea Gryphon or in some parts of it's range, "Basket Beak"
Males and females are roughly the same size at 12-15 pounds (5-6.8 kg)
Wingspan from wingtip to wingtip is 7-10 ft (2-3 m)
Wings are long and built for gliding on air currents over the ocean
The bill is a distinctive feature of the Pelican Gryph, helping it to catch large amounts of fish

Habitat

Various species of sea gryphon cover the seas and shorelines all over the world in every climate
Birds generally live along the shorelines, but some smaller species have successfully integrated their lifestyles into human habitations
Very adaptable animals, some with global-wide ranges, flying immense distances to travel to breeding grounds

Behaviour

Sea gryphons generally stay in large Flights of animals, though usually are paired off into couples for breeding
Sea gryphons can be aggressive around food sources, it is highly recommended that humans not feed sea gryphons to avoid confrontation
When accustomed to accepting food from humans, some species of sea gryphon have been known to snatch food away from humans
The Pelican Gryph is unique among sea gryphons in that they will drive through the surface of the water to collect fish in their beaks

Diet

Sea gryphons are carnivores, eating a diet of mostly fish, although baby chicks of other species and small birds and mammals also are prey
Some species also survive primarily on human refuse and garbage

Reproduction and life cycle

Gryphons typically mate for life
Babies are hatched from eggs, raised on sea side cliffs and beaches
Babies are raised jointly between the parents
The Sea Gryphon lifespan ranges from 20-40 years
Babies are fully mature and weaned and flight-ready at 2 months
Gryphons have an intricate courtship ritual that spans 3 months where the males try to win a female's favour with intricate dances and building elaborate nests

All Gryphons Great and Small Prints Now Available!

2010-06-09T16:12:00.001-07:00

I've set up shop and I am now offering my line of gryphon prints with RedBubble. Prints are available for sale as greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints- prices starting at $2!

Check it out now and consider purchasing a print!

Mountain Gryphon

2010-06-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Mountain Gryphon

Description

The mountain gryphon is one of the most striking in appearance with a white pelt and black spotted markings
Claws are heavily feathered and furred to help in insolation
Claws are strong to allow for a good grip upon rocky surfaces
Females are larger than males wieghing at 145 lbs (65 kg) with the males at 125 lbs (56 kg)
Wingspan from wingtip to wingtip is 10-15 ft (3-4.5m)
Wings are rounded for added quietness when hunting prey

Habitat

Mountainous, largely terrestrial gliders
Live in mountain ranges around the globe

Behaviour

Mountain gryphons live in mated pairs with strict territorial ranges, guarded fiercely
Mountain gryphons often stalk prey along narrow, precarious ledges, often aided by gliding from one rock face to another
Mountain gryphons are notoriously hard to track and spot in the wild as their coats provide great camouflage in snow storms and their natural shyness make them aloof and hard to spot, unfortunately, this makes the gryphon a great prize for trophy hunters and poachers

Diet

Mountain gryphons are carnivorous
The beak is short and owl-like, preventing the gryphon from eating prey much bigger than it can swallow in a gulp
Typical prey for the mountain gryphon include, voles, mice, lemmings, rabbits and hare

Reproduction and life cycle

Gryphons typically mate for life
Babies are hatched from eggs
Babies are raised jointly between the parents in caves and other shelters away from the harsh, cold conditions of their natural habitat
The Mountain Gryphon lifespan ranges from 40-50 years, longer if held in captivity
Babies are fully mature and weaned and flight-ready at 6 months
Gryphons have an intricate courtship ritual that spans a month where the males try to win a female's favour with intricate dances and daring aerial displays

Plains Gryphon

2010-06-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Plains Gryphon

Description

Tall, lanky creature predominate in the African and plains of the Americas
Male gryphons stands at 5 ft (1.5 m) at the shoulder, 6 1/2 ft(1.9m) including the head and neck, while large females can tower at 7 1/2 ft (2.2 m) tall!
One of the more notable features, or lack thereof, is that the plains gryphons are wingless
This also happens to be an earless species of gryphon, ears would interfere with the aerodynamics of the species
Large plated feathers that look like scales help the gryphon to achieve speeds of up to 100 mph (160 kph), the fastest known land animal in the world
Feather patterns can vary from the Striped Plains Gryphon shown here to many others including solid, spotted and several others
Bones are not hollow as the species does not fly
Males are 200 pounds (90.7 kg) and females are 250 pounds (113 kg)
Beaks are large and very powerful, the plains gryphon has one of the most powerful bites of all gryphon species

Habitat

Terrestrial, residing on the plains in open areas
Plains gryphons prefer taller grasses to stalk prey

Behaviour

Plains gryphons live in family matriarchal groups, called "flights"
Diurnal, the plains gryphons usually hunt during the day, though their night vision is well developed and have been known to hunt at night if in drought seasons
Large and built for speed, every part of this gryphon is streamlined

Diet

Plains gryphons are predators and hunt large prey
Usual prey consist of deer, antelope, large land based birds and sometimes other large predators if desperate

Reproduction and life cycle

Gryphons typically mate for life
Babies are hatched from eggs
Babies are raised jointly between the parents
The Plains Gryphon lifespan spans from 30-40 years, as the size and speed this animal achieves taxes heavily on the muscles and anatomy
Babies are fully mature and weaned at 1 year, living with the family group until the males are taught to hunt at 1-2 years, then are kicked out of the flight
Plains gryphons are unique in that the females pick suitable males to breed with her flight of females

Desert Gryphon

2010-05-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Desert Gryphon

Description

Small, burrowing animal native to deserts worldwide
Ears are large to aid in cooling, they are laid back during flight
Bones are hollow
One of the small gryphon species, males are 2 pounds (.9 kg) and females are up to 4 pounds (1.8 kg)
Wingspan from wingtip to wingtip is 12 in (.3 m)

Habitat

Terrestrial, living in borrows in the ground to keep cool
Live in hot desert conditions

Behaviour

Desert gryphons live in pairs
Primarily nocturnal, in order to conserve energy, desert gryphons hunt at night
Small and nimble, these gryphons are very fast on the ground and usually only fly to avoid predators or to gain a slight advantage to hunting their prey

Diet

Desert Gryphons are an omnivore species, able to eat just about anything in their environment
Usual prey consist of small lizards, mice, rats and sometimes rabbits
They have even been known to claw through cactus to reach the fleshy inner portions that contain water

Reproduction and life cycle

Gryphons typically mate for life
Babies are hatched from eggs
Babies are raised jointly between the parents
The Desert Gryphon lifespan is rather short at 20 years, though longer if held in captivity
Babies are fully mature and weaned and flight-ready at only 3 months
Gryphons have an intricate courtship ritual that spans 3 months where the males try to win a female's favour with intricate dances

Jungle Gryphon

2010-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Jungle Gryphon

Description

Many sub-species of Jungle Gryphon exist, depicted here is the Sulfer-breasted Jungle Gryphon (Ramphastos pardalis)
Claws are small with zygodactyl feet, with two toes in front and two in the back
Front claws are small to grip tree branches and to hang onto cliff-sides
Bones are hollow
Males and females are roughly the same size at 10-12 pounds (4-5 kilos)
Wingspan from wingtip to wingtip is 24 in (.6 m)
Wings are short and stocky to fly in thick brush for short distances
The bill is about 6-7 in in length and is made up of a spongy hollow bone
The tail of the Sulfer-breasted Jungle Gryphon is prehensile and able to grasp branches and protect from falls

Habitat

Arboreal, living in the trees of rainforest environments
Live in rainforests across the equator
Not very adaptable to other environments outside of jungles

Behaviour

Jungle gryphons are very social, living in groups of 10-15 mated pairs
They possess medium intelligence, able to crack open nuts and forage for fruit
Some species of jungle gryphon have charming personalities and antics that have attracted them to the pet trade

Diet

Primarily a herbivore, jungle gryphons eat nuts, berries, fruits and flowers
Humans native to the jungle environment have hunted these gryphons for their decorative feathers and bills

Reproduction and life cycle

Gryphons typically mate for life
Babies are hatched from eggs
Babies are raised jointly between the parents
The Jungle Gryphon lifespan ranges from 50-70 years, longer if held in captivity
Babies are fully mature and weaned and flight-ready at 6 months
Gryphons have an intricate courtship ritual that spans 3 months where the males try to win a female's favour with intricate dances and building elaborate nests

Standard Gryphon

2010-05-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Standard Gryphon

Description

Rich golden colouring, some species showing white patches
Big fleshy toe pads with non-retractable claws
Claws are curved high to adjust from arboreal ancestry to current quadrupedal movement
Bones are hollow but very strong
Male stands at 4 ft (1.2 m) at shoulder, females at 5 ft (1.5 m)
Wingspan from wingtip to wingtip is 25 ft in males and 35 ft in females
Some species have evolved to lack the rear dorsal tail feathers to help in gliding and movement during flight, these species of Standard gryphon generally only glide and hunt on the ground
Rarely, white and black Standard Gryphons have been seen and depicted throughout history, but it is unknown whether it was a Standard Gryphon or another species that was spotted

Habitat

Terrestrial, while nesting primarily on rock cliffs and large trees
Worldwide range
Formidable and adaptable to multiple environment types

Behaviour

Standard gryphons are very territorial, protecting a vast area of space a pair claims as their own
Gryphons are very intelligent, ranging from a dog-like level for some domestic breeds to a cunning chimpanzee-level of the big, wild predators
Some species of gryphon have been sighted using tools in a similar manner to that of crows and other corvids
Gryphons can be aggressive, though they will generally give humans a wide berth

Diet

Primarily a predator, standard gryphons are at the top of the food chain in most areas of the world, though some have been known to forage for fruits and grasses
Typical prey, depending on area, can range from rabbits to full grown deer and in parts of Africa- elephant calves
Humans have hunted and killed gryphons throughout history, so gryphons generally avoid human settlements, but a single human should be weary when walking alone in gryphon territory
Man-hunters are rare, but old or sick gryphons may prey on humans as they are easier prey than the usual rabbits and deer that make up their normal quarry

Reproduction and life cycle

Gryphons typically mate for life
Babies are hatched from eggs
Babies are raised jointly between the parents
The Standard Gryphon lifespan ranges from 40-60 years, longer if held in captivity
Babies are fully mature and weaned and flight-ready at 9 months to a year
Gryphons have an intricate courtship ritual that spans 3 months where the males try to win a female's favour by intricate dances, fighting amongst other males and building elaborate nests

Emblems and popular culture

Gryphons are popular in modern culture and have been throughout history
Gryphons are popularly depicted to denote fierceness, dedication, loyalty and courage
The gryphon has been used as a symbol of royalty for centuries
Gryphon body parts have been used for various healing properties as well as jewellery and decoration
Even though typically male gryphons have been depicted as the larger of the sexes, females are usually the larger gender
Within the past few centuries, gryphons have been bred and domesticated arriving at a great number of domestic varieties and breeds