The largest bird on earth, the African ostrich

The African ostrich is the largest bird on earth and the only two-toed bird. The African ostrich has a body length of about 183-300 cm, a height of 240-280 cm, and a weight of 130-150 kg. The female bird is slightly smaller. Its body proportions are weird. It is 2.5 meters tall and weighs more than 150kg. It has a 90cm long neck on top of its round body and two 1 meter long thighs on the bottom. The neck, thighs and body are unusually thin and small, like a giant There are three toothpicks stuck in the glutinous rice balls.

The ostrich is the largest bird on earth and a flightless bird. In biological classification, it is the only species in the family Ostrichidae. The male ostrich is 2.5 meters tall and can weigh up to 155kg. Although the female bird is smaller, it can also grow to 1.9 meters and weigh more than 100kg. The ostrich is a walking bird and a ratite bird, so although it has a sternum, the keel is protruding. Not developed.

Historically, the earliest contact between humans and ostriches can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian eras, when there were records of trading in ostrich feathers.

Ostrich meat is also edible, looks similar to beef, and has a more delicate texture than beef. It is a specialty dish in many high-end restaurants. Ostrich meat is rich in nutrients, high in amino acids, low in calories and cholesterol, and also contains a large amount of iron, zinc and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The iron content of ostrich meat is higher than that of beef of the same quality, and the zinc content is twice that of oysters of the same quality.

Ostriches are also the only two-toed birds in the world. They originally had three toes, but years of running on land have caused their second and third toes to gradually close together, and now only two toes remain. This is also the result of the unique adaptive evolution of ostriches. In order to escape sudden dangers, they must run faster, and sometimes must avoid predators by suddenly changing direction. The steering ability after stopping is better than that of three-toed feet.

Ostriches are distributed across vast areas of Africa, mainly living in savanna areas, and also live in desert areas and desert steppes. There are five wild subspecies of them, among which the Arabian ostrich is extinct, and there is also a domesticated ostrich species.

In the wild, the lifespan of ostriches is about 30-40 years, but ostriches raised in captivity are very long-lived and can live 50-60 years.

Ostriches are good at running. Their thighs are thick and powerful, and their unique two-toed feet allow them to accelerate quickly. Their top speed can reach 65km/h, each step can cover a distance of 6-8 meters, and they have strong endurance and can run continuously for 20-30 minutes.

The main natural enemies of adult ostriches are lions and cheetahs. Because they are very fast and have excellent endurance, many predators fall down from exhaustion before catching the ostrich. For predators, ostriches are an extremely rich meal, but the process of hunting ostriches is also full of dangers, and they can be fatal.

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