Asian Ostrich | |
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Information | |
Range | China Afghanistan Pakistan India Iran Bangladesh Bhutan Laos Thailand Mongoila |
Scientific Classification | |
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | chordata |
Class | Aves |
Order | Struthioniformes |
Family | Struthionidae |
Genus | Struthio |
Species | Struthio asiaticus |
Conservation Status | |
File:EXSpecies.pngSpecies.png Extinct |
The Asian ostrich (Struthio asiaticus) lived primarily on the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It was omnivorous, eating lizards, snakes, rodents and plants. It was larger than the extant African ostrich.
Location[]
Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, China, possibly Morocco
Extinction[]
The Asiatic ostrich is believed to have gone extinct in prehistoric times or in very early historic times, with the only known record of the bird being the biblical book of Job.
Behavior[]
The Old Testament book of Job describes the Asiatic ostrich as an inattentive and neglectful mother. This suggests that Asiatic ostrich chicks, like the majority of ratites, were reared by the rooster rather than the hen. This ostrich was also said to be much faster than a horse and rider.