Be Afraid, Be Bury Afraid

This is probably an unusual site for most of you (the rest, I don’t know what to say). But it is something that cartoons have normalized for ostriches.

But does it really happen in response to predators? Or is it just something to amuse children?

Why Do Ostriches Bury Their Heads in the Sand?

According to the famous legend, Ostriches bury their heads in the sand when they sense danger approaching. In reality, Ostriches don’t bury their heads to escape danger. Honestly, they don’t need to be afraid of most things.
Ostriches are one of the fastest animals on two legs, capable of running as fast as 40 mph (64.7 kmph). They won’t have any problems outrunning danger. Speed isn’t their only perk, as they stand up to 9 feet tall and weigh nearly 350 pounds. If threatened, they can deliver a kick powerful enough to kill a lion! But they do bury their heads. Not for self defence, but for parenting.

When it’s time to start a family, ostriches dig a massive hole between 6 and 8 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet deep. They lay their eggs in it and the mom and dad take turns sitting on them to protect the eggs till they hatch. A few times a day, the ostrich dips its head in the ground and turns the eggs using their beaks. This relatively brief head-duck lasts till the ostrich can turn the eggs to satisfaction. The myth of head burying probably originates from this observation.

There are a lot of other weird animal myths that are in circulation and it’s hard to deal with all of them. One thing that comes to my mind thinking of cartoon depictions of animals is how Opossums hang by their tails in ice age. Is it something that happens in nature though? Depends on you to find out .