This massive, flightless emu-like creature has been called “the world’s most dangerous bird.” The reason is that this exotic bird can seriously injure or kill an individual or dog right away with its deadly claws. In fact, cassowaries are listed as a Class II animal in Florida (together with alligators and feral cats) on account of the risks they pose, which suggests anyone who desires to own one must undergo quite a few tests and procure special permission from authorities local. But even then, tragedies can occur, as within the case of a 75-year-old Florida man who was attacked by a minimum of one in every of the birds kept on his property and later died in hospital from his injuries.
What exactly is a cassowary? Like their cousins, the emu, they’re ratites, that are birds which have a flat sternum and can’t fly. The cassowary, genus Casuarius, is a ratite (a flightless bird with out a keel on the sternal bone) that’s native to the tropical forests of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia), East Nusa Tenggara, the Maluku Islands, and northeastern Australia.
As for the bird’s appearance, it boasts bristly feathers, a vibrant blue face, two red flaps of skin, called corals, hanging from its neck, and a outstanding casque (or casque) on top of its head. Although the three different species of cassowaries – southern, northern and pygmy cassowaries – vary in size, they’ll reach a height of as much as 2 meters and a weight of as much as 60 kilograms. For comparison, you’ll be able to consider one because the equivalent of six swans.
The a part of their body that makes them so dangerous? Muscular legs with three toes ending in claws that may deliver quite a robust blow, including fatal wounds to internal organs and severe bleeding. “The claw on the inside of each foot is impressive,” says Rick Schwartz, global ambassador for the California Zoo in San Diego, which currently houses several southern cassowaries at Safari Park, in an email interview. “In these three species, the claws are very sharp and can be between 7 and 12 centimeters long. The cassowary will use these sharp claws and powerful kick to defend itself. It is often said that they can eviscerate a person with a single kick, although there is no record of such an event.”
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the excellent news is that the chance of being bitten by a snake and even having a dog-borne infection is far greater than being injured by any of those birds. In fact, probably the most dangerous animal of all is not any greater than your thumbnail. Mosquitoes carrying disease-causing pathogens are estimated to be accountable for between 725,000 and 1 million human deaths every year, making them by far the deadliest animals on Earth.
Now that you realize you almost certainly shouldn’t provoke a cassowary – or a mosquito, for that matter – listed here are 10 other interesting facts about this unusual bird.
1. They usually are not emus
Although the cassowary shouldn’t be an emu, each emus and cassowaries could be considered related in taxonomy (the science of classifying living and extinct species), in keeping with Schwartz. “They share the same scientific order [Casuariiformes]”, explain. “But in that order, they belong to different scientific families.”
2. They are quite strong
“Cassowaries are the heaviest bird in Australia, and the southern cassowary is the second heaviest in the world (the heaviest bird in the world is the ostrich),” says Schwartz. “With that in mind, they also have very small wings. When extended, their wings extend less than 0.3 meters from their bodies.” According to Schwartz, female southern cassowaries can weigh as much as 170 kilos (79 kilograms) and males as much as 125 kilos (56 kilograms); Northern females can weigh as much as 128 kilos (58 kilograms) and males as much as 80 kilos (36 kilograms); and dwarf females can weigh as much as 55 kilos (24 kilograms) and males as much as 40 kilos (18 kilograms).
3. Their feathers usually are not suitable for flight
According to Schwartz, the cassowary has dense, black feathers which can be long and thin in comparison with the broad and comely feathers of the flying bird. “From a distance, some even say that cassowary feathers look more like hair,” he adds. “Cassowary feathers are not suitable for flight, but they work very well as a ground bird that lives in a forest ecosystem. The longer and thinner feathers help wick water away from the body and also protect the bird’s body from low branches, sharp twigs and thorns.”
4. This thing on their head is named a helmet
According to Schwartz, it’s made from keratin – the identical protein from which birds’ feathers, nails and beak are made. “The outer shell is thick and hard, but the within may be very porous. The purpose of the helmet shouldn’t be fully understood, but there are several theories – including: that it could help enhance vocalizations, function head protection because the bird pushes headfirst through dense forest, or it could be one other way for birds to indicate their age and vitality.
5. Their Wattles serve a purpose
“Of the three cassowary species, only the northern and southern cassowaries have corals,” says Schwartz. As with the helmet, there are several theories in regards to the purpose of the brilliant corals, he adds. Among them: “It is assumed that they might help communicate the bird’s current behavior, illustrate to other cassowaries the lifespan of a given bird, or convey other cues and messages currently known only to cassowaries,” Schwartz says.
6. They are fruit eaters
According to Schwartz, which means that they feed on fruit, which makes them very essential to the ecosystem around them. “When they eat fruit, they go around and pass the seeds through their digestive tract,” he explains. “In this way, seeds surrounded by natural fertilizer are deposited in their excrement, which helps spread plant diversity in their region.”
7. You’ll probably never see one within the wild
“With their excellent hearing, they will hear you coming long before you know they are there, and will most likely disappear into the woods to avoid you,” says Schwartz. “However, if you ever encounter one in the wild, it is best to give it plenty of space and not approach it or attempt to feed it.”
8. Males maintain the young
According to Schwartz, in several animal species, the male participates in incubating the eggs and caring for them after the eggs are laid. “The female returns to a solitary life, she doesn’t take part in incubating the eggs or caring for the young,” he says. “This may be a way to allow her to lay several eggs in one breeding season with different males, allowing her genetics to diversify in the next generation.”
9. Cassowaries make quite a lot of sounds
The most impressive thing, in keeping with Schwartz? “A deep, resonant, low-frequency sound,” he says. “It is the lowest known call of any bird and is so quiet as to be almost inaudible to the human ear. If you are nearby when the bird calls, you can feel the vibrations in its chest.”
10. Their population is decreasing
On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species (the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the worldwide conservation status of plant and animal species), all three species are listed as vulnerable or near threatened. “Like many species, their biggest challenges are habitat loss due to human population growth, road construction (which causes car collisions), and human-introduced animal species attacking nests,” says Schwartz. “The excellent news is that governments within the countries that cassowaries call home are stepping up efforts to guard the species.”
According to Rainforest Rescue, there are fewer than 1,000 cassowaries left within the wild. To this end, the Australian group is working to guard and restore cassowary habitats, and supply protected passage for these and other rainforest creatures through the strategic purchase of rainforest properties and the regeneration of damaged rainforest.
(Source)
