The largest bird on our planet is an ostrich, which lives mainly in hot countries. There are a wide variety of jokes about some of its features. So, even children know that this huge bird with naive eyes at the sight of danger immediately bows its head in the sand. Cartoons are filmed about this, jokes are invented, but is it really so?
Indeed, why does an ostrich hide its head in the sand, if in this way you can’t hide from danger, but only suffocate? Are these birds so stupid? In fact, they are very smart and used, like all prudent representatives of the animal world, to run away from the pursuer. They can easily run a huge distance at a speed of about 75 km / h, and in the face of danger they accelerate to 97 km / h.
The fiction that ostriches hide their heads in the sand has come to us since ancient Rome. When the conquerors conquered foreign lands, they brought home countless truthful and not very stories about distant lands and animals that inhabited them. It so happened that ostriches love the flat space. Since only grass grows on the plains, they have to constantly bend over for food. When an observer sees that a bird holds its head in the grass for a long time, it may seem that it has buried it there.
The ostrich's height reaches 2.3 m, weight is 150 kg, he has two-toed powerful and long legs, so he does not need to stand waiting for a predator to attack. It may seem that the ostrich is hiding its head in the sand, although it only pretends to be. The bird lies on the sand and, laying its neck and head on it, from afar recalls a strange stack. But if the predator could not be deceived, then it turns on the speed and rushes at full speed, fleeing. If there is nowhere to go, the ostrich defends itself and fights for its life with all its might. The blow of his paws is so powerful that when hit in the head can easily kill a person.
The question of why the ostrich hides its head in the sand could also arise because it very often bends to the sand to eat it and pick up the pebbles that are necessary for the fastest digestion of food. In the stomach of an adult is up to a kilogram of stones. Questions about why the ostrich hides its head in the sand may also be related to the fact that the bird really likes to ride on the hot sand, lowering its head in it to get rid of the annoying parasites living in feathers and in the skin.
Ostrich is very shy, because of this, perhaps, a story arose about his peculiar hide and seek. In addition, he often tilts his head to the ground to listen if he is in danger. These birds live in groups, sleep in turn. While some individuals are resting, others walk and watch vigilantly whether a predator is approaching them. Due to their high growth and excellent vision, they see danger from afar, which is reported to their relatives. For this reason, many animals prefer to graze near them.
Many people wonder why the ostrich hides its head in the sand, not realizing that this is just a fiction, a fiction invented by the ancient Romans. Many myths, fictional or unverified facts, which we firmly believe, have come down to our time. Although thanks to ostriches the expression “bury your head in the sand” appeared, that is, to be afraid of difficulties and to avoid solving problems, but this is what proud birds do not do.
