How fast can an ostrich run

But why do ostriches sprint so quickly? Ostriches can run at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour. As you can see from this list of Africa's fastest antelope, that max speed is similar to that of many African antelope.

As a result, we can hypothesize that ostriches run quickly to avoid their predators. After all, if they can't fly, they'll have to find another way to get away. As a result, ostriches can sprint quickly to dodge the most dangerous predators. They may also run for large distances to evade hyenas. Hyenas and wild dogs pursue down their prey over large distances, exhausting it.

Hyenas and wild dogs, on the other hand, lack the ostrich's extraordinary endurance and speed. Ostriches have evolved to survive in arid regions. As a result, they must travel large distances to find food. Ostriches can also run quickly in order to discover new feeding areas quickly. The sight of an ostrich running is breathtaking. One of the joys of an African safari is tracking an ostrich across a long distance.

The safari truck frequently can't keep up with the ostriches as they run and run and run. When most people see an ostrich, they think to themselves, "What a foolish looking animal! Skip to main content. How fast can an ostrich run? Using their wings Humans have tailbones, which are the superfluous bones at the bottom of our spine that serve no purpose. Elastic legs What is the fastest speed an ostrich can run?

A perfect centre of gravity These flightless birds don't appear to be in good running shape. That is why an ostrich can run at 60 kilometers per hour for such a long distance. Escaping predators Ostriches can run at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour. If the lion was close enough, it could certainly catch out an ostrich with a well-timed attack.

However, ostriches are a far cry from being easy targets for lions or other predators. Given their excellent eyesight combined with their strength, speed and endurance, an ostrich is more-than-capable of fending for itself against one or even multiple lions.

Ostriches tend to live in groups of 10 to 12 ostriches which makes them even harder to attack. Under no circumstance could a human outrun an ostrich. Ostriches can run over twice the speed of an average human. Their top speed of 45mph is comfortably clear of the human sprint world record, which is around 27mph.

No human, past or present, can outrun an ostrich - not even over a short distance and certainly not over a long one! Ostriches are not overly aggressive unless they need to defend themselves or their young but will certainly attack when startled or provoked. They know their size and strength and aren't afraid to defend themselves - they do live amongst many large and dangerous predators, after all. The typical advice is to never get too close to an ostrich in the first place.

Keep a distance of around m. If an ostrich approaches you, move away cautiously. If it gets too close, make yourself small by lying on your front with your head protected. Avoid the kick at all costs. Ostrich legs are not just good for running; they're also formidable weapons. One ostrich kick can kill an adult lion. There have been human fatalities related to ostrich kicks, but these are rare and usually occur when people provoke wild ostriches. How fast can an ostrich run?

Not only can ostriches sprint to that speed, but they can run for a long time. There have been nine species of ostriches to have existed, but the only living ones left are the Common ostrich Struthio camelus and Somali or Blue-necked ostrich Struthio molybdophanes. Common ostriches live in different parts of Africa depending on the subspecies. There are three subspecies of the common ostrich:.

Ostriches will typically avoid humans. That being said, there are areas where people can ride an ostrich, which is a tourist attraction in places like South Africa.

There are several reasons why they can run as fast as they do. The springy step mixed with their long legs gives ostriches quite the stride length, measuring up to 16 feet 5 meters! So ostriches can be perfectly balanced when running at high speeds. Their quick speed can help ostriches to run away from their predators including lions, hyenas and leopards. The ostrich's amazing combination of speed and endurance makes it a hard catch for large animals.

There is a popular belief that ostriches bury their heads in sand when facing danger. But it's actually not true. When the bird gets defensive, they lie low and press their necks to the ground so they can blend well with the background. Ostrich eggs are known for their size and an ostrich hen lays around 8 eggs at a time. The territorial male ostrich not only mates with the dominant hen, but also with other females.

What's interesting is that all the eggs, no matter if they are from the dominant hen or from other females, are all put in one nest.