What !!

What !!

Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

This Ostrich had looked round at me and if to say what !! Carn’t you see I’m eating…. lol (-:

Description: Ostriches do not need to drink – they can make their own water internally and get the rest from vegetation.

Meaning of scientific name
Camel-like.

Subspecies
Four: North African, Somali, Masai, South African.

Life span
40 years.

Statistics
7ft (1.75-2.75m) tall, males up to 150kg, females 90-110kg, Stride length: 3-5m.

Physical Description
Ostriches are the largest living birds, and are flightless, two-toed, with long, powerful neck and legs.

Distribution
Originally, the ostrich occurred throughout Africa, except in evergreen forests and moist savannah. Their current distribution is Southern Africa.

Habitat
Mainly open semi-arid savannahs in Southern Africa.

Diet
Omnivorous, but mostly vegetarian. They eat roots, leaves, flowers and seeds of many plants. Most typical items include succulent plants. They may also eat occasional invertebrates and small lizards. Food collects in the crop then slides down the neck in a bolus. The ostrich has intestines 14m long so that it gets the most out of the tough plants it eats. They also swallow stones to help break down food in their gizzard, sometimes even diamonds!

Behaviour
They have a very flexible social system, and sometimes live alone but more often in groups. Ostriches can be very aggressive if threatened. They use their powerful legs and pick-axe claws to kick/slash at attackers. They spend much of the day feeding. Many of their social interactions with each other include short fights – usually settled with hissing and posturing. It is a myth that ostriches bury their heads in the sand.

What !! belongs to the following groups:

Birds and Creatures of Flight, Cutest of the Cute, Green!, Happy Haven, The Birds, The Eyes Have It, United Kingdom and Zoophoria