The ostrich can sprint at over 70 km/hr (43 mph), making it the fastest animal on two legs.

Although they once roamed all over Asia, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, hunting has reduced their range to sub-Saharan Africa.

Ostriches fight with their feet. A connecting kick is powerful enough to kill a lion. They also have a sharp nail on their feet that can inflict a savage wound.

Since ostriches don't have teeth, they swallows small stones and pebbles which help to grind their food when it reaches the gizzard (second stomach). The gizzard contracts and grinds the stones against each other and against the food that the bird has swallowed.

The ostrich is the world's tallest bird. It can grow up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall.

Their diet consists mainly of roots, leaves, and seeds, but ostriches will eat whatever is available, including insects, snakes, lizards, and rodents.

The common ostrich (Struthio camelus) has a lengthy breeding season that stretches from March to September. Ostriches don't sport flashy new feathers during this time as some other species do, but the male will do a little dance to attract a female, crouching down and alternately bringing his black-and-white wings forward, one after the other.

Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in sand to avoid danger. They react to danger in the most sensible, obvious way available to a flightless bird capable of running at almost 45mph. They flee.

In addition to grinding their food with stones, they have three stomachs to help them digest, or break down, food.

In the wild, ostriches live an average of 30 to 40 years, but in captivity they're able to rival the life expectancy of humans. They can live to be as old as 70, and will continue to breed well into old age.