Ostrich are large flightless birds. Two living species are recognised, the common Ostrich, native to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Somali Ostrich, native to the Horn of Africa. They are the heaviest and largest living birds and with the ability to run at 70 km/h (43.5 mph), they are the fastest birds on land. Contrary to popular belief, Ostrich do not bury their heads in sand to avoid danger. This myth likely began with Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), who wrote that Ostrich “imagine, when they have thrust their head and neck into a bush, that the whole of their body is concealed”. This may have been a misunderstanding of their sticking their heads in the sand to swallow sand and pebbles to help digest their fibrous food, or of the defensive behaviour of lying low, so that they may appear from a distance to have their head buried. Another possible origin for the myth lies with the fact that Ostrich keep their eggs in holes in the sand instead of nests and must rotate them using their beaks during incubation; digging the hole, placing the eggs, and rotating them might each be mistaken for an attempt to bury their heads in the sand.
| Mount Type | Ostrich Feet Ashtray – GG173, Ostrich Foot Ash Tray – DD085, Ostrich Foot Lamp – DD08, Ostrich Fullmount – AA010 |
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Males stand 2.1 to 2.75 m (6 ft 11 in to 9 ft 0 in) tall and weigh 100 to 130 kilograms (220–290 lb), whereas females are about 1.75 to 1.9 m (5 ft 9 in to 6 ft 3 in) tall and weigh 90 to 120 kilograms (200–260 lb). While exceptional male Ostrich (in the nominate subspecies) can weigh up to 156.8 kg (346 lb), some specimens in South Africa can only weigh between 59.5 to 81.3 kilograms (131–179 lb). New chicks are fawn in colour, with dark brown spots. After three months they start to gain their juvenile plumage, which is steadily replaced by adult-like plumage during their second year. At four or five months old, they are already about half the size of an adult bird, and after a year they reach adult height, but not till they are 18 months old will they be fully as heavy as their parents.
The feathers of adult males are mostly black, with white primaries and a white tail. However, the tail of one subspecies is buff. Females and young males are greyish-brown and white. The head and neck of both male and female Ostrich are nearly bare, with a thin layer of down. The skin of the female’s neck and thighs is pinkish grey, while the male’s is grey or pink dependent on subspecies.
The long neck and legs keep their head up to 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) above the ground, and their eyes are said to be the largest of any land vertebrate – 50 mm (2 in) in diameter – helping them to see predators at a great distance. The eyes are shaded from sunlight from above. However, the head and bill are relatively small for the birds’ huge size, with the bill measuring 12 to 14.3 cm (4+3⁄4 to 5+3⁄4 in). Their skin varies in colour depending on the subspecies, with some having light or dark grey skin and others having pinkish or even reddish skin. The strong legs of the common Ostrich are un-feathered and show bare skin, with the tarsus (the lowest upright part of the leg) being covered in scales: red in the male, black in the female. The tarsus of the common Ostrich is the largest of any living bird, measuring 39 to 53 cm (15+1⁄2 to 21 in) in length. The bird is didactyl, having just two toes on each foot (most birds have four), with the nail on the larger, inner toe resembling a hoof. The outer toe has no nail. The reduced number of toes is an adaptation that appears to aid in running, useful for getting away from predators. Common Ostrich can run at a speed over 70 km/h (40 mph) and can cover 3 to 5 m (10 to 15 ft) in a single stride. The wings reach a span of about two metres (6+1⁄2 ft), and the wing chord measurement of 90 cm (35 in) is around the same size as for the largest flying birds.
The feathers lack the tiny hooks that lock together the smooth external feathers of flying birds, and so are soft and fluffy and serve as insulation. Common Ostrich can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. In much of their habitat, temperatures vary as much as 40 °C (70 °F) between night and day. Their temperature control relies in part on behavioural thermoregulation. For example, they use their wings to cover the naked skin of the upper legs and flanks to conserve heat, or leave these areas bare to release heat. The wings also function as stabilizers to give better manoeuvrability when running. Tests have shown that the wings are actively involved in rapid braking, turning, and zigzag manoeuvres. They have 50–60 tail feathers, and their wings have 16 primary, four alular, and 20–23 secondary feathers.
The common Ostrich sternum is flat, lacking the keel to which wing muscles attach in flying birds. The beak is flat and broad, with a rounded tip. Like all ratites, the Ostrich has no crop and it also lacks a gallbladder and the caecum is 71 cm (28 in). Unlike all other living birds, the common Ostrich secretes urine separately from faeces. Unlike most birds, the males have a copulatory organ, which is retractable and 20 cm (8 in) long.
Common Ostrich normally spend the winter months in pairs or alone. Only 16% of common Ostrich sightings were of more than two birds. During breeding season and sometimes during extreme rainless periods Ostrich live in nomadic groups of five to 100 birds (led by a top hen) that often travel together with other grazing animals, such as Zebra or Antelope. Ostrich are diurnal, but may be active on moonlit nights. They are most active early and late in the day. The male common Ostrich territory is between two and twenty square kilometres (3⁄4 and 7+3⁄4 sq mi).
They mainly feed on seeds, shrubs, grass, fruit, and flowers; occasionally they also eat insects such as locust, small reptiles such as lizard, and occasionally animal remains left by carnivorous predators. Lacking teeth, they swallow pebbles that act as gastroliths to grind food in the gizzard. When eating, they will fill their gullet with food, which is in turn passed down their oesophagus in the form of a ball called a bolus. The bolus may be as much as 210 mL (13 cu in). The gizzard can hold as much as 1,300 g (2 lb 14 oz), of which up to 45% may be sand and pebbles. Common Ostrich can go without drinking for several days, using metabolic water and moisture in ingested plants, but they enjoy liquid water and frequently take baths where it is available. They can survive losing up to 25% of their body weight through dehydration.
Common Ostrich become sexually mature when they are 2 to 4 years old; females mature about six months earlier than males. As with other birds, an individual may reproduce several times over its lifetime. The mating season begins in March or April and ends sometime before September. The mating process differs in different geographical regions. Territorial males typically boom (by inflating their neck) in defence of their territory and harem of two to seven hens; the successful male may then mate with several females in the area, but will only form a pair bond with a ‘major’ female.
The female common Ostrich lays her fertilized eggs in a single communal nest, a simple pit, 30 to 60 cm (12–24 in) deep and 3 m (10 ft) wide, scraped in the ground by the male. The dominant female lays her eggs first; when it is time to cover them for incubation, she discards extra eggs from the weaker females, leaving about 20 in most cases. A female common Ostrich can distinguish her own eggs from the others in a communal nest. Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs, though they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird – on average they are 15 cm (6 in) long, 13 cm (5 in) wide, and weigh 1.4 kg (3 lb), over 20 times the weight of a chicken’s egg and only 1 to 4% the size of the female. They are glossy cream-colored, with thick shells marked by small pits. The eggs are incubated by the females by day and by the males by night. This uses the coloration of the two sexes to escape detection of the nest. The drab female blends in with the sand, while the black male is nearly undetectable in the night. The incubation period is 35 to 45 days, which is rather short compared to other ratites. This is believed to be the case due to the high rate of predation. Typically, the male defends the hatchlings and teaches them to feed, although males and females cooperate in rearing chicks. Fewer than 10% of nests survive the 9-week period of laying and incubation, and of the surviving chicks, only 15% of those survive to 1 year of age. However, among those common Ostrich who survive to adulthood, the species is one of the longest-living bird species. Common Ostrich in captivity have lived to 62 years and 7 months.
As a flightless species in the rich biozone of the African savanna, the common Ostrich faces a variety of formidable predators throughout its life cycle. Animals that prey on Ostrich of all ages may include Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, African Wild Dog, and Spotted Hyenas. Predators of nests and young common Ostrich include Jackal, various birds of prey, Warthog, Mongoose, and Egyptian Vulture. Egyptian vultures have been known to hurl stones at Ostrich eggs to crack them open so they can eat their contents.
When threatened, common Ostrich run away, but they can cause serious injury and death with kicks from their powerful legs. Their legs can only kick forward. The kick from an Ostrich can yield 225 kgf (The kilogram-force).
Common Ostrich formerly occupied Africa north and south of the Sahara, East Africa, Africa south of the rainforest belt, and much of Asia Minor. Today common Ostrich prefer open land and are native to the savannahs and Sahel of Africa, both north and south of the equatorial forest zone. In southwest Africa they inhabit the semi-desert or true desert.
Planning carefully is the key to a good Ostrich taxidermy job. When tanning and oiling the hides, the best chemicals and methods in the world are used to make sure they will last for generations. At Lifeform Taxidermy, we carefully choose our forms to make sure they fit well, and we’ll even custom make the forms according to any instruction, you may have in mind, at no extra cost. Full-mount trophies come with standard natural habitat bases that are made just for them. We use only the best materials and our 40 years of experience in the field to give your trophies new meaning. The finished trophies look life-like. When repair is needed, every effort is made to repair cuts and scrapes while keeping bullet damage to a minimum. Skin preparation and storage tips for a flawless Ostrich trophy.
Take care of your trophy before you bring it to the taxidermist – field preparation is the most important start. As soon as you take the hit on your trophy, it starts to rot, and the heat of Africa speeds up the decaying process. The hunter must not drag the body of the animal from the site where it was shot to the waiting hunting truck. The trophy should be protected from the hot metal bed of the hunting truck with a thick layer of cut grass or leaves.
So that nothing goes wrong, the skinning needs to start right away. Remove all of the meat, fat, dirt, and blood from the skin. Clean the skin well. After that, allow the skin to drip dry for a short time, it should then be salted. It is recommended to soak the skin in a salt solution for at least five hours and ideally overnight. Use about 20 kg of salt per 100 litres of water. After taking the skin out of the solution, salt it while it is still flat and flesh side up on a clean surface. To get the full effect of the salt, it needs to be absorbed into the skin all over, into all the crevice’s, especially around the facial features. Put the skin in the shade with a layer of salt on it. After 24 hours, dry the cape. Fold with the hair and ears in when it’s dry. To stop insect damage, pesticides must be sprayed on the skin and in the storage area.
How you choose an Ostrich taxidermy mount depends on things like your budget, wall space, and personal taste. When it comes to the creation of a full mount, we find that considerable discussion with the customer yields the best results. This is due to the fact that each form is given a distinct shape and arrangement.
Life-Form Taxidermy will make an exact copy of the skin as soon as they get all of your mounting instructions. All of the skins are tanned and oiled with high-quality products and methods to make sure they are preserved for years. Each skin is put on a manikin to make sure that it fits well. After the eyes and ears are expertly placed, the skin is sewn by a professional. Before making any last changes, the taxidermist waits until the animal is dry. They put the trophies in crates, and the shipping company hired by the client brings them to the client.
Every year, dust the mounts with a soft brush or compressed air to fluff up the hair. Trophies should be protected from common pests by spraying a light mist of normal aerosol surface pesticide around them. Think about preserving your trophy with Mount Medix Africa. This is a product that Life-Form Taxidermy offers.
Keep trophies in a cool, dry place. Daylight makes the mounts fade over time, so artificial light is better. If there’s too much humidity, open the windows or turn on a fan. Due to salt and tan residue, hair can make moisture beads when the humidity is high. Using a tissue that soaks up water will also soak up the salts.
The pricing of any trophy is subject to the costing stipulated per taxidermy order, quantity of trophies and preferred mounting options, along with additional requirements.
Should you wish to receive a quotation prior to the hunt, the taxidermist can generate such for you. Please contact [email protected]
Taxidermy is an art form that involves a complicated step-by-step process to make sure that each trophy looks just right and is of a high enough quality that it will last your whole life.
The time it takes a taxidermist to mount an animal might range from days to weeks, and possibly several months, depending on the quantity of trophies per taxidermy order, the display preferences, and volumes of client trophies to be produced, simultaneously, per production schedule.
This depends largely on the “what, how, when” factors. A taxidermy order also only becomes available for production scheduling upon receipt of the required deposit and trophy mounting instructions.
