They typically screech loudly when they are defending their young. Screech owls often hunt their prey from tree perches and consume a varied diet that includes mice, birds, insects, earthworms and crayfish. They build their nests in hollow trees, tree stumps and hollow trunks.
Medical Definition of TSETSE FLY. : any of several dipteran flies of the genus Glossina that occur in sub-Saharan Africa and include vectors of human and animal trypanosomes (as those causing sleeping sickness and nagana)âcalled also tsetse.ull Definition of TSETSE FLY. : any of several dipteran flies (genus Glossina) that occur in Africa south of the Sahara and include vectors of human and animal trypanosomes âcalled also tsetse â compare sleeping sickness. See tsetse fly defined for English-language learners. See tsetse fly defined for kids.
Sleeping sickness is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected tsetse fly. Even in areas where the disease occurs, only a small percentage of flies are generally infected. Tsetse flies are the size of a honey bee and are grey-brown. They usually bite during the daytime and their bites are usually quite painful. A human becomes infected with Trypanosoma brucei parasites when an infected tsetse fly feeds on his or her blood. The parasites that cause sleeping sickness, especially T. b. rhodesiense, can also infect cattle and wild animals. In rare cases, sleeping sickness can also be spread: