Ostriches are the world-known largest birds that exist in the widespread areas of Africa, Arabia, and Syria. But in the last decade, they have been restricted to some parts of Africa. They are around 9 feet tall and weigh about 300 pounds. Some of them got endangered due to climate change and human activities; they are only limited to Africa now.
When you see an ostrich somewhere around you, you mostly see him eating shrubs or other things, but seeing an ostrich drinking something is rare because they only drink water when they find it; otherwise, they can survive for days without it.
In this article, we will discuss what ostrich drinks and how it fulfills its water needs. If you want to know more about it, stick to the end.
Contents
Do Ostrich Drink Water?
Yes, ostriches are living organisms, and all the organisms need water for their survival; some need it in large quantities while some drink significantly less. When it comes to ostrich, they drink very less because, in the savannah of Africa, it’s hard to find water so that they can survive without water. If they come across a pond, they will take a bath to relax.
How Does The Ostrich Prevent Water Loss?
Ostrich lives in drylands where the temperature is much higher and hot sand makes it harsher. Sweating water loss in those areas is normal; humans can die if they don’t find water. But in the case of ostriches, they have long legs and necks. Legs help them stay higher from the ground so the scorching sand will not affect them.
While the long neck protects them from direct sunlight, the ostrich’s specialized system produces a special mucus when they can’t find water to drink. This mucus helps them to urinate in case of water deficiency. In this urination process extra toxins are removed from their body, leaving the clean water behind in their body.
Moreover, they can slow down their air passage to trap water in their body by lowering the evaporation process. These processes occur simultaneously to save more water for a few more days.
How Much Does The Ostrich Drink Water?
Ostrich can drink 4.5 liters of water each day, but they don’t drink much like other birds; They drink a bit and then wait for a few minutes to take another sip. A dehydrated bird drinks water slowly, so their body functions regulate accordingly and then drink more to fulfill their thirst.
How Often Does Ostrich Drink Water?
Ostrich can drink water daily if they find it in the drylands; otherwise, they can survive without it. They might need water regularly in captivity as ostrich feed didn’t have enough water.
What Type Of Water Does Ostrich Drink?
Ostrich drinks freshwater or uses the extracted metabolic water from the roots and plants they consume.
From Where Do Ostrich Fulfill Its Water Need?
Ostriches will use their metabolic water production mechanism to prevent dehydration if they can’t find water. In this mechanism, water is extracted from food, feces, and urine stored in their body.
Why Is Ostrich Called Camelus?
Their scientific name is Struthio camelus, in which Struthio means ostrich, while Camelus means camel-like. They are known as camel-like because they live in deserts and drylands, run faster in deserts, and can survive for a long time without water; camels can store water in their body that can be used for days, the same as camel ostriches do this too, to stay alive longer if they can’t find water.
Does Ostrich Drink More Water In Captivity Or Wild?
Ostriches drink a limited amount of water as their body can extract it from plants, but in captivity, ostriches drink more than in the wild. In captivity, farm owners fed them dry feed that doesn’t have water content in it, due to which ostrich might need water daily and can drink in large quantities. But in the wild, they eat succulents and other plants that have plenty of water stored in them from where they extract and fulfill their water needs.
How Long Can an Ostrich Survive Without Water?
Ostriches are odd creatures that do unexpected things like killing dangerous predators, running at an incredible speed of 43 miles per hour, and many more. Like this, an ostrich can survive without water for days; like in the wild, they can stay alive for 2 weeks; after weeks, they drink water or consume it if they come across it while running here and there in search of food. But in captivity, they don’t eat plants enriched with water, so an adult ostrich can survive for almost 9 days while a young one will stay for 2 days only. That’s why providing them with fresh water on your farm is necessary.
Does Ostrich Urinate Normally When They Can’t Drink Water?
In the dry areas, when water availability reduces, they carry out the hydrating process through the water extracted from plants. But during this process, the urination rate slows down while urine electrolyte and osmotic concentration increase. Moreover, in water deficiency cases, they produce less than 0.5 liters of urine which is much less than usual.
Can Ostrich Swim In Water?
Ostriches are flightless birds, but this doesn’t mean that they can only run at 43 miles per hour. Ostrich can swim very well; they use their flexible legs in swimming to move forward. They use them in the same pattern as they do in the running. When they find water in the desert, they usually spend time there while eating. Taking a bath and swimming is normal for them, but they do it rarely because of water shortage in the deserts.
Conclusion
Thinking about ostriches, different questions come to our mind, like what do they drink. The most obvious answer is that they drink water but surviving without water is not difficult. Their metabolic system can extract it from the plants. But in captivity, conditions are different.
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