MYTH: An ostrich buries its head in the sand when it’s scared.
FACT: It never does — it couldn’t breathe if it tried.
When an ostrich senses danger, it either sprints off at up to 70 km/h — making it the fastest animal on two legs — or flattens itself to the ground to blend into the terrain.
So where’s the myth from? Its nest. Ostriches lay their eggs in a shallow hole in the ground, and several times a day they lower their heads to turn those eggs with their beak. From a distance, that looks exactly like a head disappearing into the sand.
Far from hiding, a cornered ostrich can deliver a kick powerful enough to kill a lion.
Pretty incredible, isn’t it?