Early explorers in South America must have been stunned at the sight of this huge bird. They were so impressed that they named it after a frightful half-avian, half-woman monster of Greek mythology- the Harpy. Today the striking appearance of the harpy eagle still inspires wonder. Standing three feet tall and having a wing span of up to seven feet, this bird of the central and South American rain forests is one of the biggest and most powerful eagles in the world. Female are the larger sex and can weigh in at 20 pounds. Commensurate with their size, Harpy Eagles are armed with powerful talons that grow to about five inches in length, twice that of bald-eagle talons. Moreover, according to National Geographic Today, harpy-eagle talons are so strong that they can crush "the bones of the sloths, monkeys, and other prey the eagle snatches from the rain forest canopy, often killiing its victims instantly." Despite the harpy eagle's great size and formidable weaponry, however, it flies so quietly that it may not even be noticed as it passes overhead. Research has shown that harpy eagles do not become sexually mature until they reach four or five years of age. Even then, they breed in two -year cycles, females laying just one or two eggs at a time. What do you think? Was this amazing creature designed?