Ostrich Attributes |
Facts |
Diet |
Omnivores - This Large bird will divulge in the eating of other small birds, Lizards snakes, and rodents. |
Life Span |
The Ostrich can get a pretty good stretch, they can live from anywhere between 30-40 years in the wild |
Weight |
The Ostrich is a whole lotta bird. They weigh in at approximately 200-350 lbs. |
Height |
Considered to be on of the tallest animals because of its very long and powerful neck. Ostrich has measured over 9 feet. |
There is no doubt in my mind that if you try to race an ostrich you will loose. Ostriches are too heavy to fly, their wings just do not support their body weight. But they do make up for that with good speed. Ostriches are the fastest birds on the planet. They sprint up to speeds of 70 Kilometers per hour. They are not only top sprinters, they have good stamina as they can run a distance of 50 kilometers an hour. Talk about speed, eat your heart out cheetah! If you ever notices an Ostrich legs you will see some pretty strong and powerful muscles backed by some pretty rigid feet. Ostrich has powerful feet that gives it it's running power but are also deadly weapons. Their feet as long sharp claws and the kick from an ostrich i enough to kill man or animal.
Socialization And Mating
Ostriches like many animals group in herds of not more than a dozen. Their hierarchy is not much different than those of the hierarchy as say lions for instance. There is an alpha male who just keeps living the good life. The Alpha male picks, choose and refuse the females in the herd he wishes to mate with. While the females just sit around looking all nice and feathery just waiting for the Alpha male to strut his stuff. The hen which the Alpha male favors or mates with more often is considered to be the dominant female in the flock or Alpha female. All other female ostriches has to show her respect. When the subordinate hens become fertilized and decides to lay a couple eggs. Those eggs are placed in the nest of the dominant hen's nest. The dominant hen and the Alpha male then take turns to hatch those ostrich eggs. Ostrich eggs are huge and probably makes one of the biggest omelets in the world. Ostrich eggs are 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter and can weigh up to 3 lbs. Now a 3lb omelet is a pretty big omelet if you ask me. These large omelets, i mean eggs hatch after 35 to 45 days incubation. The ostrich male is a pretty good father as he defends the hatch-lings and teaches them to feed. The female also does a bit of rearing of the chicklings too.
Ostrich Head In Sand Myth
I can assure you that if you see an ostrich and for some reason it becomes scared of your face, you won't be seeing it dip its head in a sand hole and leave it's entire body above ground to become bar b cued. Ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. The old saw probably originates with one of the bird's defensive behaviors. At the approach of trouble, ostriches will lie low and press their long necks to the ground in an attempt to become less visible. Their plumage blends well with sandy soil and, from a distance, gives the appearance that they have buried their heads in the sand.
- Ostrich has three stomachs.
- Ostriches are used for racing in some countries
- Ostriches swallow pebbles to grind their food and an adult ostrich carries about 1kg of stones in its stomach. A walking construction company.
- The ostrich has the largest eye of any land animal, measuring almost 5 cm across, allowing predators such as lions to be seen at long distances.