Teh Ostriches 0wnz J0o As$,
Some Random Ostrich Info:
The ostrich is too big to fly but has become so perfectly adapted to high-speed running that it is the fastest creature on two legs. At speeds of up to 70 km/h (44 mph), it can easily outstrip most enemies. Powerful legs, flexible knees and supple, two-toed feet are its adaptations for speed. The ostrich has lost its strong wing feathers, but the male has soft, curling plumes, once much in demand for fashionable hats and boas. Female birds are slightly smaller than males and have brownish plumage and off-white wings and tails. Juveniles are grayish-brown. Ostriches eat mostly plant matter but occasionally feed on small reptiles. They are nomadic, wandering in small groups in search of food. At breeding time, the male collects a harem of 2 to 5 females. One female scrapes a shallow pit in the ground in which to lay her eggs, and the rest of the harem probably uses the same nest. The eggs are the biggest laid by any bird -- the equivalent in volume of about 40 hen's eggs. The male bird takes over the incubation of the eggs at night and shares in the care of the young.
The ostrich is the world's largest living bird. The ostrich is a flightless bird, but it can run up to speeds of 40 mph. It can sustained this speed up to 30 minutes. The bird is indigenous to Africa and is not an endangered species. The ostrich is the only bird that has two toes on each foot. An ostrich reaches its breeding maturity at about three years of age. An ostrich can live to be about 70 years old. They can weigh from 250 to 400 pounds and stand 6 to 8 feet tall. A hen can lay from 10 to 70 eggs each year. Each egg weighs about three to four pounds and is about 6 inches in diameter. The gestation period is 42 days. An ostrich will yield 70 to 100 pounds of meat, two to four pounds of feathers, and 12-15 square feet of leather. Ostrich do not put their heads in the sand.
Fast Facts
Common name: Ostrich
Class: Aves
Order: Struthioniformes
Family: Struthionidae
Genus species: Struthio (ostrich) camelus (camel-like)
Size: approximate height 2.75 m (9 ft.)
Weight: up to 156.5 kg (345 lb.)
Description: largest living bird, males are jet black with white plumage and bright red or blue skin; females are fairly uniform in color, with earthy gray- brown plumage and skin color.
Life span: around 40 years in managed situations, unknown in the wild
Sexual maturity: 3 to 4 years
Incubation: around 40 days
Habitat: common in the wild in East Africa: in open country, desert areas, and dry savannah.
Diet: bulk of food is vegetation, fruit, seeds, leaves, shoots, shrubs, succulent plants; also invertebrates, occasionally lizards, and other small vertebrates. Stones are ingested to aid in digestion.
Status: Arabian and West African Ostrich listed as endangered by USFWS; specific populations are protected under CITES.
Fun Facts
One ostrich egg equals up to 24 chicken eggs. And it takes approximately 2 hours to boil! Ostriches can run up to 70 km/hr (40 mph) and can outpace most pursuers, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas. It is the largest and heaviest living bird. It is unable to fly and does not possess a keeled sternum (breastbone) common to most birds. Ostriches stretch out their neck and lay their head on the ground to keep from being seen, hence the myth that ostriches hide in the sand. Ostriches are so powerful that a single kick at a predator, such as a lion, could be fatal. A female ostrich shows a remarkable ability to recognize her own eggs even when mixed in with those of other females in their communal nest.
Ecology and Conservation
Humans have had a close relationship with ostrich for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians farmed ostrich and present day farming, which began in 1833,is run much the same way. Ostrich feathers have been used for adornment by humans for at least 5000 years and the eggs are still used by Bushmen as jewelry and receptacles for carrying water.
Ostriches are a true dinosaur; they have been wandering the earth for at least 70 million years and possibly as many as 120 million years.
The ostrich is too big to fly but has become so perfectly adapted to high-speed running that it is the fastest creature on two legs. At speeds of up to 70 km/h (44 mph), it can easily outstrip most enemies. Powerful legs, flexible knees and supple, two-toed feet are its adaptations for speed. The ostrich has lost its strong wing feathers, but the male has soft, curling plumes, once much in demand for fashionable hats and boas. Female birds are slightly smaller than males and have brownish plumage and off-white wings and tails. Juveniles are grayish-brown. Ostriches eat mostly plant matter but occasionally feed on small reptiles. They are nomadic, wandering in small groups in search of food. At breeding time, the male collects a harem of 2 to 5 females. One female scrapes a shallow pit in the ground in which to lay her eggs, and the rest of the harem probably uses the same nest. The eggs are the biggest laid by any bird -- the equivalent in volume of about 40 hen's eggs. The male bird takes over the incubation of the eggs at night and shares in the care of the young.
Ostrich, common name for a large, flightless bird, now found only in Africa, but formerly found in the Middle East, where it is now probably extinct. Ostriches are the largest and strongest of living birds, attaining a height from crown to foot of about 2.4 m (8 ft) and a weight of up to 136 kg (300 lb). They have long necks and small heads, with large eyes and short, broad beaks. They spread their small wings when running and have long, powerful legs that are used for defense. The feet have only two toes. Male ostriches are black, with white wings and tail. The white feathers of the male, which are large and soft, are the ostrich plumes of commercial value. The female is a dull grayish-brown.
Ostriches are rapid runners and can reach speeds of about 65 km/hr (40 mph). The males are polygamous and travel about with three or four females, or in groups of four or five males accompanied by mates and young. The females lay their yellowish-white eggs together in a single large depression in the sand. The eggs weigh about 1.4 kg (3 lb) each and have a volume of about 1.4 liters (3 pt). The male sits on them at night, and the female incubates them by day.
In the last half of the 19th century, ostrich farming or the breeding of domesticated ostriches for their plumes was carried on extensively in South Africa, Algeria, Australia, France, and the United States. Ostrich plumes were used in hat-making and dressmaking. Farming declined as the demand for ostrich plumes became almost negligible; however, the introduction of ostrich hide as a luxury leather and the use of its flesh as meat has renewed interest in ostrich farming, even in Great Britain. South Africa is responsible for 95% of global ostrich production, and African Ostrich Marketing is your main door into this market.
About the ostrich...
In the wild they have very few predatory enemies, with lions as their main demise. Their weapons are their ability to kick and their speed. They can go from 0 to 45 miles per hour in 2 1/2 seconds, and can run at that speed for almost 30 minutes. They also have a very powerful kick, which is estimated to be 400 lbs per square inch. By the way, they do not hide their heads in the sand. They will occasionally stretch their necks on the ground, but generally they hold their heads erect.
Ostrich meat is a red meat, similar in color, texture and density to beef. However, it has only 1 1/2 percent of the fat content of beef and virtually no cholesterol. It cooks slightly different than beef because of the low fat content. It is delicious on an open grill, but also does well pan fried. All of the ostrich meat is USDA inspected so you can be assured of an excellent quality meat.
Ostrich produce useful products other than meat, leather, and feathers. The fat on the ostrich is located on the under belly. Oils extracted from this fat are world renowned for their penetrating properties, not only for industrial purposes, but skin care as well. The shin skins and toe nails are also used. The shin skins are used to make boots, and the toenails are used for jewelry. There is even experimentation with the corneas in a number of major universities in the United States as transplants for humans.
Ostrich advantages...
Ostrich have several advantages over cattle. For instance, they can live over 70 years and are reproductive for over forty years. No other meat animal can make that claim. In addition, an ostrich hen can lay from 20 to over 100 eggs in a season, year after year. A cow gives only one offspring per year. An ostrich is one of the most efficient food conversion machines on Earth. They convert on average 3 lbs of feed to 1 lb of flesh. The average for cattle is about 6 to 1. They can be pastured like cattle, or raised in pens. They make virtually no noise, and their pens have no smell.
Ostrich has the wonderful taste and texture of a quality red meat without the harmful excess of fat and cholesterol. They have relatively small wings which are used for balance when running and strong powerful legs used for defense. They can run at speeds up to 50 mph, making them one of the fastest land animals. Females will lay 3 lb eggs in a communal nesting area and incubate them during the day, while the male will keep watch at night. Ostriches are farmed for their meat, feathers, and hides, which are used to make luxury leather goods.
And that my friends.... is the ostrich
the most random thing u can think of
