Why an Ostrich does not need to bury it's head in the sand?
An ostrich may stand eight feet tall and weigh over three hundred pounds.
With such a large build and commanding view of his preferred wide-open spaces, should the ostrich really bury his head in the sand?
No, and he does not.
Only proverbially is he credited with such an act.
When danger approaches, his two strong legs are ready to deal heavy blows.
He has only two toes on each foot, but watch out for those toenails!
They can rip a lion wide open.
However, if an Ostrich decides to flee he can get away fast, taking at least fifteen-foot strides and reaching forty miles an hour.
However, when Mrs Ostrich is protecting her eggs from a large predator she may feign injury as a decoy to protect her eggs from being found.
It is believed that maybe this habit is what caused the fallacy of the ostrich burying it's head in the sand to begin.
But on the other hand, Mr. Ostrich is in a class of his own.
He is gregarious, flocking not only with ten to fifty other ostriches, but also with zebras and antelopes.
In fact, Mr. Ostrich is so gregarious he practices polygamy.
He usually mates with three or four females.
Mrs. Ostrich’s eggs weigh nearly three pounds each.
That may seem large, but in proportion to her body it represents only one percent of her total weight and is thus said to be one of the smallest bird eggs in the world.
After about ten of them are laid in a common nest by his wives, Mr. Ostrich settles down on the eggs for the night, surrounded by his harem.
Next morning Mr. Ostrich leaves the nest and the ladies take over.
