Do you know how much the ostrich weighs?

Contrary to popular belief, only one species of non-flying birds belongs to the ostrich family - the African ostrich. According to the zoological classification, emu, nandu and cassowary are not ostriches, although they have similarities with them. Let's try to figure out the difference between these unusual representatives of the fauna, as well as find out how much the ostrich weighs and its closest colleagues.

Giant from the expanses of hot Africa

Ostriches, living on the African continent, are divided into several subspecies. They are distinguished by the color of their limbs and plumage. In the eastern part of the continent, black birds with reddish legs and necks predominate. In feathered, caught the south-western and northern regions of Africa, blue paws and grayish-brown color of feathers.

A distinctive feature of a true ostrich is a naked neck and powerful two-toed feet, the flapping power of which is so great that at times of danger the bird is able to strike a predator on the spot, such as a lion. This is not surprising, given how much the ostrich weighs, - the mass of large males can reach 160 or more kilograms with growth of about three meters. The sizes of medium individuals are slightly smaller, but they are also impressive: length in height is 180-230 cm, and weight is from 120 to 150 kg.

In nature, ostriches keep the herds numbering from ten to fifty heads. These birds though are deprived possibility to fly, but on speed of run with them seldom who can compete. On an even terrain without obstacles, an ostrich can reach speeds of up to 90 km / h, an average of 50 km / h with a step length of three to four meters.

Features of reproduction of the African ostrich

Females have a more modest color and relatively small sizes (from 100 to 120 kg), which roughly corresponds to how much the ostrich weighs per year. During the mating season, the herds are divided into small "harems" of 3-5 female individuals under the leadership of a male.

The total clutch of 15-20 (less than 30) eggs in the daytime, the selected couple of birds guard in turn. At night the head of the "harem" is engaged in incubating. Nestlings appear in the light after 35-45 days, punching a thick shell with their heads. Because of this, they have bruises on the nape, which dissolve as the infants grow up. The weight of the newly hatched ostrich is 0.9-1.2 kg, and the length is about 25 cm. In the first week of life, the chicks do not eat or drink anything, and then start growing every day to 1-2 centimeters and quickly gain weight .

Considering how much an adult ostrich weighs, it can be assumed that from the moment of birth, the chick is gaining 10-12 kilograms per month, since at the age of 1 year the body weight of it exceeds centner. But the sexual maturity of these birds comes only with two, and sometimes with four years. Interestingly, the lifespan of these giants can reach 70-75 years, half of which they do not lose the ability to reproduce.

South American nandu

A flightless bird from South America looks very much like an African fellow. However, this species belongs to the group of nandooobraznyh, its neck is covered with feathers, and on each leg there are three fingers. The growth of nandu is small compared to the real ostrich - only about one and a half meters. The husky voice of a feathered runner is reminiscent of a cat's hissing, then a terrible lion's roar, in which the sound of "nan-du" is listened, which is why the bird got its name.

The zoologists could not determine exactly how much the ostrich weighs . According to one information, the maximum mass of his body is 40 kg, on others - not more than 30. The inhabitants of the South American savannas move rather quickly - up to 60 km / h. They also know how to swim well and defend themselves against enemies with their feet and sharp claws on their wings. There is an opinion that the nandu lived on our planet already in the Paleocene period, that is, 66 million years ago and, thus, are the oldest species of all birds now existing.

Australian emus

Handsome emu is a native of the Green Continent. This bird, like its closest relatives, is not able to fly, but it runs remarkably, developing a speed of up to 50 km / h. In contrast to the African ostrich, emu has thinner, but rather strong legs. Each paw is provided with three clawed fingers and soft pads on the soles of the feet.

Inconsistency in the structure of the limbs has become one of the main reasons that emu and African ostrich are referred to different kinds of birds. The Australian grows only slightly inferior to the true ostrich. Sexually mature specimens reach a size of 1.7-1.9 meters.

How much ostrich emu weighs, depends on the conditions of his life. In the wild, where birds are forced to travel long distances in search of food and escape from enemies, their weight rarely exceeds 50-55 kg. When breeding on farms, due to intensive feeding and care, individual specimens reach a size of about 70-75 kilograms.

Reproduction of emu in nature and captivity

Individuals of male and female are practically indistinguishable in color, growth, body structure. Recognize them only by the timbre of sounds issued during the mating season. Like African flying birds, the male takes care of the future offspring without leaving the nest for 55-60 days, eating only dew drops.

Knowing how much the adult's ostrich weighs, it's not difficult to guess that a self-sacrificing dad for two months is very exhausted. But this does not prevent him afterwards, as carefully, take care of the chicks, take them out for a walk, and protect them from attack by predators.

In artificial conditions for the same period eggs are laid in the incubator. After the put period from dark-green eggs on light amicably appears young growth. The weight of each chick is usually 300-500 grams. The body of the children has a beautiful striped coloration, and on the head there are clearly visible black and white spots.

Who are cassowaries?

Until recently, emu was referred to as "ostrich". In the eighties of the last century, scientists, having studied the peculiarities of the structure of the African ostrich and other birds similar to it, came to the conclusion that emu is an independent species from a detachment of cassowaries. The second representative of the family is the cassowary.

On the head of these large birds that live in New Guinea and the north-eastern regions of Australia, there is a peculiar growth, for which they are called "shlemonic". In growth, they are slightly inferior to emu, but exceed them by body weight. The height of the cassowary is 1.5-1.8 meters, and the weight can reach 80 kilograms.

These birds run fast, swim well and are able to jump up to one and a half meters. A sharp long claw on the middle finger of a feathered three-finger paw allows him to deal deadly blows to enemies. It is believed that, unlike the friendly emus, cassowaries have an unruly character and prefer to stay away from other animals, as well as from their blood relatives.