Browsing through my photos, I could not resist to these nice shoots; today, we talk about ostriches!
The ostrich is the greatest bird in the world…and it has the gift of speed, in fact it seems to reach 80km/h.. a real thunderbolt!
Despite what you may think, even if it is well equipped with large wings, it can’t fly.
The scientific name of this huge bird put it between birds and camels; the ostrich indeed is an African species with a body who adapted to the environmental needs of the desert.
Weight and average height? 150kg by two and a half meters, not bad.
A peculiarity linking them directly to their natural habitat can be found in their paws, each with two large padded fingers preventing the body to sink into the sand.
Another hallmark of their “desert” nature are the thick eyelashes, specifically grown to protect their eyes from sand grains that wind could lift up.
A quite bizarre feature of these giants? Their stomach!
Usually, they eat plants, seeds and small vertebrates but if they are in captivity, they tend to swallow everything!
What I mean by “everything”? Well, even pieces of debris, rags, pieces of iron or bricks… I wonder, how do they digest?!
Considering also that they don’t have teeth.. they swallow, that’s it.
It’s true that every living thing has its secrets!
When the ostrich lowers his head almost grazing the ground, it’s just to throw off the predator.. a sort of environmental camouflage, like a rock or bush.
Even if it knows that the extravagant position can help to be misconceived, the ostrich is always ready to spring for a new run.
Thanks to its height and excellent vision, it is believed that it is potentially one of the first animals to notice dangers.
I close the post remembering the ostrich eggs, average weight 1.5 kg, corresponding to about 25 chicken eggs.
I find curious that it is mainly the male to take care of the incubation, unusual, isn’t it?!
Seize the Path 