Struthio camelus
Ostriches are the largest living birds, weighing up to 130 kg and standing up to 2 m (6.5 ft) tall. Their feet touch the ground with two toes only. They live in central and south Africa, and a small number of them can be found in Australia (brought there from Africa by European settlers). They eat mostly plants, but occasionally they may taste locusts or remains of animals killed by predators. How fast they run? Up to 65 km/h (40 mi/h). That's a little less than twice as fast as the fastest human!
The above picture was taken at the Indianapolis zoo, in August 2001. Following is another picture of the same individual taken one year earlier, where the bird shows the nice tail-feathers, for which, unfortunately, ostriches were almost brought to extinction in the 18th century, and are still hunted in Africa.
Ostriches are the only members of their family, Struthionidae.
Family Struthionidae
Order Struthioniformes
Class Aves
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
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