Surely you've seen more than once how in a movie or a children's cartoon an ostrich, running away from danger, hides its head in the sand. This is explained by the fact that the ostrich imagines that not only its head, but its whole body is hidden from danger.
This behavior of the ostrich is NOT TRUE. Most likely, the erroneous notion of ostrich behavior was first formed by the ancient Roman scholar Pliny, who claimed in his writings that this is how the ostrich hides from the enemy. Since few people in those days could boast of having seen an ostrich even in a picture, Pliny's words were accepted as true. Since then, the picture of an ostrich hiding its head in the sand in a moment of danger has been firmly rooted in people's minds.
In fact, people working on ostrich farms have never once in their lives seen a frightened ostrich hiding its head in the sand. What, then, did Pliny and other witnesses see burying an ostrich's head in the sand? Maybe the ostrich was looking for small pebbles of gravel, which it needs for normal digestion. It happens that by laying its head in the sand, the statues give rest to its neck muscles, which sounds logical, if before that the ostrich was fleeing.
This is interesting:
Let's grant that the ostrich does indeed hide its head in the sand during danger. But then a number of questions arise.
1. The ostrich is a bird with an advanced respiratory system. But then, how will an ostrich in heat of the chase be able to breathe when its head is covered in sand? It's hardly the record holder for holding its breath.
2. Let the predator play along with the ostrich and decide to pretend not to see him, how will the ostrich know exactly when to pull his head out? After all, he is deprived of both hearing and sight.
3. And finally, how many ostriches, could be saved this way? Wouldn't they have been attacked in such an advantageous situation? Although, perhaps, the naked defenseless ass of an ostrich would really embarrass the predator and he would hurry away.
You must be logged in to post a comment.