Ostrich Birds

Ostriches are raised for their lean red meat. These ostriches are seen at a commercial farm.Standing up to 9 feet  tall with lanky legs, massive bodies, huge overbites and eyes the size of a child's fist, an ostrich looks like an avian punch line. These birds are no laughing matter, though. They're the largest birds alive, and they can kill a lion with one swift kick.
The ostrich is different from almost all other birds. They belong to a family of birds called ratites, which includes emus and rheas as well, and they are easy to tell apart from other winged creatures. For one thing, these birds can't fly.The ostrich is different from almost all other birds. They belong to a family of birds called ratites, which includes emus and rheas as well, and they are easy to tell apart from other winged creatures. For one thing, these birds can't fly.As strange as it seems for a bird to be flightless, it makes sense if you consider flight as a way to escape predators. Ostriches don't need that particular escape route because they can sprint at up to 43 miles per hour  and run long distances at more than 30 mph  . They're the fastest animal on two legs. Their speed is even more impressive when you consider they can weigh up to 400 pounds (181 kg) [source: USDA]. While they don't fly, their wings aren't useless: They serve to balance the ostrich while it runs and act as rudders to quickly change direction at top speed. Male ostriches also use their huge wingspan to attract females in mating season.
Ostriches live mostly in desolate desert climates, so they have to be pretty flexible in their diet. They'll eat almost anything: plants, lizards, seeds, locusts and stones are common parts of their diet (yes, stones -- they help to crush up the other stuff they eat). One rancher has reported his ostriches swallowing tennis balls -- and a kitten [source: NWF]. On farms, ostriches' small and nonpicky appetite makes them a good investment. They grow faster than cattle on much less food. They reproduce more often than cows, and they sell for a lot more because their meat is considered a delicacy, at least in the United States. In Europe and South Africa, it's actually pretty common fare.Why's their meat so special? For one thing, while ostrich meat is poultry, it's red, not white like most other birds. And this red meat, which looks and tastes much like beef, is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than not only beef, but also white meats like chicken and turkey. All ratites have red meat. It has to do with their muscles. On the next page, we'll find out what meat actually is and what makes ostrich meat red instead of white.

Cheetah Animals

The cheetah is Mammal animals . The cheetah is very large and  world's fastest land animal, the cheetah can go from 0 to 65 km (40 mi) per hour in three strides, with a single stride covering 7-8 meters (23-26 feet). Cheetahs can reach full speed 110 km (70 mi) per hour in seconds. They are the only cats who have nonretractile claws. This gives them better traction, and helps maintain their footing while they run. Cheetahs are one of the few big cats who can purr. They also make other unusual sounds such as chirping, yelping, and bleating. Females live alone except when they are raising cubs. Males live in coalitions of two to five members.The cheetah has unusually low genetic variability. This is accompanied by a very low sperm count, motility, and deformed flagella.[8] Skin grafts between unrelated cheetahs illustrate the former point, in that there is no rejection of the donor skin. It is thought that the species went through a prolonged period of inbreeding following a genetic bottleneck during the last ice age. This suggests that genetic monomorphism did not prevent the cheetah from flourishing across two continents for thousands of years.The cheetah likely evolved in Africa during the Miocene epoch (26 million to 7.5 million years ago), before migrating to Asia. Recent research has placed the last common ancestor of all existing populations as living in Asia 11 million years ago, which may lead to revision and refinement of existing ideas about cheetah evolution.The now-extinct species include: Acinonyx pardinensis (Pliocene epoch), much larger than the modern cheetah and found in Europe, India, and China; Acinonyx intermedius (mid-Pleistocene period), found over the same range. The extinct genus Miracinonyx was extremely cheetah-like, but recent DNA analysis has shown that Miracinonyx inexpectatus, Miracinonyx studeri, and Miracinonyx trumani (early to late Pleistocene epoch), found in North America and called the "North American cheetah" are not true cheetahs, instead being close relatives to the cougar.

Pancake tortoises

Pancake tortoises are small and flat with a thin, flexible shell. The shell is normally 6 to 7 inches long and an inch or so high. On the legs, they have bigger scales with points that project downward and outward. Usually the shell has radiating dark lines on the carapace (upper part of the shell). The plastron (bottom part of shell) is also pale yellow but with dark brown seams and light yellow rays. Juveniles have pale yellow top shells with black seams and yellow rays. Some may have brown spots on their back. The carapace of juveniles is more domed than that of adults.Males can be distinguished from females by their larger and longer tails; However they are smaller than the females and have less distinctive patterns on their shell.
Pancake tortoises live in colonies but the colonies are usually isolated from each other.  Within one habitat they coexist and many individuals may share the same crevice amicably. Males may fight during the breeding season in January and February.

The pancake tortoise is adapted to fitting into tight crevices. Even larger individuals are less than 2 inches high. The shell is so thin and flexible that the plastron moves in and out when the animal breathes. Since the tortoise ould easily be torn apart by predators, it relies on its speed and flexibility to escape from dangerous situations. With the reduced weight of the shell, it can move much more quickly than other species.It was once thought that it could puff its body up with air to wedge itself in place, but this has been found not to be true. Instead, it orients its spiky legs outward so that it is almost impossible to dislodge. Also this animal can also climb vertically. Because they are so light they can turn themselves over with ease if they fall on their backs.
In the wild breeding is in January-February with nesting in July-August.They lay eggs that are about two inches long. The eggs can incubated at about 30 degrees Celsius for 140 to 190 days. Combat between males prior to breeding can lead to better reproductive success.  In captivity breeding can be any time of the year. Captive animals can live 25 years and perhaps longer.

Secretary birds

The secretary bird is light gray with black wingtips, tail, and thighs. The head has a crest of long feathers, the legs and tail are long, and the facial skin is red and yellow.Secretary birds form life-long breeding pairs. They build their nests at the tops of trees. Two to three eggs are incubated for 45 days.Secretary birds are either solitary or found with a mate.Secretary birds kill their prey by stomping on it with their long legs.The only sound made by secretary birds is a croaking noise during mating displays.