Melinda Bagman/Fantastic Beasts/Hippogriff

Hippogriff

Mythology

The first stories of Hippogriffs come from the Greeks as the Hippogriff was a symbol of their god Apollo. There have been a number of Muggle sightings and stories throughout the ages, poems written, and art inspired by the Hippogriff. Muggle tales suggest that they are created from mare and griffin parents which is ridiculous as the two would never mate and Hippogriffs breed true to their own species. The Hippogriff is also used as a symbol in other religious philosophies.

Interaction with Humans

Hippogriffs are proud creatures and, while they can be loyal allies, they must always be treated with respect. Most humans make the mistake of treating them as dumb animals or exotic mounts, and a Hippogriff will react to this treatment by attacking with its talons and beak. In the wild, they defend their territory quite aggressively and while they won't eat anything as large as a human, they will attack on sight to drive them out of their territory. Although proud, Hippogriffs can also be fiercely loyal and protective of those who can satisfy their pride and earn their trust, allowing humans into their territory or even to use them as mounts. One common way to do this is to bow or curtsy to them to both show them they are in charge and demonstrate trust at the same time, but other actions such as gifts of food have been known to work. Once their trust is earned they can be quite affectionate, though the relationship is always tenuous, as any demeaning or cruel action against them will instantly earn their ire. In the wild, the males live by themselves while the females live in small herds of three to seven. On the ground, they are formidable but are much harder to defend against if they are in the air, as they are quite graceful fliers and their maneuverability in the air gives them an advantage against most beings that would threaten their territory.

Nature

Physiology

Hippogriffs can be described as having the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses but the front legs, wings, and heads of giant eagles. This includes steel-colored beaks and large orange eyes. The talons on their front legs are half a foot long and very dangerous. Muggle scientists have determined Hippogriffs cannot exist, as anything as large as a horse cannot have wings large enough to be able to lift them. Clearly, they don't account for magic in their flight, which their wings seem to have in higher concentrations that the rest of them.

Life Cycle

When breeding, Hippogriffs build nests on the ground, and lay only a single, fragile egg. The egg usually hatches in twenty-four hours. Infant Hippogriffs are capable of flight within a week, but it takes many months before they are strong enough to accompany their parents on long journeys. They become adults at the age of two years, and the females join the herd while the males strike out to find their own territory.

Magical Abilities

Other than the ability to fly when they shouldn't be able to, Hippogriffs aren't known to possess any other magical abilities. The most remarkable thing about this ability is that Hippogriffs have been known to be able to fly for hours or even days without landing.

Habitat

Hippogriffs prefer open grassy plains but have also been found nesting in cliff formations, in forest lairs, or even in mountainous regions. They have been seen on every continent save Antarctica including places like Peru, Greece, and Russia. The diet of the Hippogriff consists mainly of insects, birds, and small mammals; however, they will sometimes paw at the ground for worms if no other food is readily available. They can adapt to smaller territories by staying mostly on the ground or larger ones by staying almost exclusively in the sky. When domesticated, they will even accept small pens or stables, as long as they are allowed to hunt regularly.

Uses

Currently no magical potions or constructions utilize any part of the Hippogriff, which may be one reason they're so widespread compared to some other creatures. One does wonder if their feather might be of use in some flight spells, potions, or enchantments (broomsticks) as how they are made is kept secret from the public, but at this point that remains a theory.

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