I always think that what if humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time, how powerful those dinosaurs have been…
We are lucky enough to not share our space with them, but cassowary’s feet and their power truly resemble the evidence of dinosaurs.
And In this article, I’ve explained the size of a cassowary’s feet, whether they are deadly enough to kill people, and other interesting questions related to cassowaries.
Let’s explore it in depth.
Cassowary Feet Size
The unusual flightless bird species known as cassowaries are overall shy birds. The females are larger and brighter than the males, hence their size varies by sex.
The female bird is much longer than the ordinary female human, reaching lengths of up to 6.6 feet and 5 to 6 feet in males.
Males can weigh between 45 and 55 kg, while females can weigh up to 76 kg.
Scientists have not thoroughly studied this species because it is rare and only found in impenetrable forests, but based on its entire length, we may estimate that it has legs that are up to 2 feet long and formidable claws that are about 12 cm (5 inches) long.
Cassowary Feet Power
Similar to their kin the emus, cassowaries have three-toed feet with sharp claws, rather they are larger and more powerful.
A claw that resembles a scimitar and is 125 mm (5 in) long is present on the second toe, which is the inner one in the lateral position.
If they detect any danger, their claws are so powerful that they can easily rip humans apart and harm their internal organs.
So far there have been two incidences of fatality due to cassowary assaults in the past 100 years.
Two boys attacked a cassowary in Australia in 1926, and one of them died after being stabbed in the neck by the animal’s razor-sharp claws.
Another occurred in Florida in 2019 when a man used to pat the cassowary once fell on the ground and torn up by the passerine.
Cassowaries can generate up to approx 500-700 psi force from their feet and human skin can rip at a pressure of around 100psi.
Although this bird has been named the most deadly in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, it is only found in impenetrable forests where it is rare to spot a human.
Studies have shown that cassowaries wait to strike until there is a threat. They leverage their claws more for protection than attacking.
Surprisingly, they eat fruits and foliage largely and seldom insects, rats, or other small mammals for sustenance.
How do they use their feet and claws?
Cassowaries are mostly found using their feet for ripping off raptors and defending purposes.
As they mostly feed on fruits, claws are used to dig up fallen fruits from the leaf litter of dark forests.
Due to the three-toes structure, they can easily sprint up to 50km/hr through the dense forest. along with this, they can easily jump up to 7 feet up in the air and escape any danger easily. they are good at swimming and are found crossing wide rivers and swimming in the sea.
Does Cassowary Have Talons Or Claw?
Talons are sharp hooked claws found in prey birds mostly used to carry or grab things while claws are the same as the talons but are rather not used to grab and hold things.
The claws of cassowaries are razor-sharp and strong enough to rip apart their prey. They have three toes, which are followed by pointed claws, the middle of which is the most dagger-like.
Cassowary’s Claws
- Size: The claw size is approximately 12 cm, equivalent to 5 inches, with a fearful texture.
- Anatomy: In birds, a claw is a small, arching structure that curls down from the tip of a digit. It is a keratinized alteration of the epidermis that has hardened. claws are adapted for scraping, grasping, digging, or climbing. By comparison, the limbs of other lower animals are commonly referred to as claws. The shape of the claw is typically appropriate for the bird’s nutritional requirements.
- Power: Cassowary’s power lies in its claws and feet. They use it mainly to defend themselves from threats and like to take charge of things. They usually feed on fruits and are not omnivorous.
Cassowary Compared To Ostriches
Ostriches may weigh up to 100 kg and reach heights of 6.5 to 7 feet, making them one of the scariest birds ever. The ostrich, like cassowaries, has a foot weapon and can run at a top speed of up to 70 km/h.
In comparison, cassowaries are often much smaller. They stand 5-6.5ft tall, weigh a maximum of 50 kg, and have a top speed of 50 km/h.
Therefore, even the largest cassowary is a smaller, more delicate, and slower animal than the typical ostrich.
The cassowary’s claw is its only truly substantial possession. However, the ostrich itself has a terrible foot weapon.
The identical kick is used by both birds as their method of weaponry. Additionally, the ostrich will have a far greater range than the cassowary and considerably greater strength and speed than the cassowary.
Even while the cassowary has a sharper claw, its opponent is bigger, stronger, faster, and carrying a similar weapon, so this advantage isn’t significant.
Cassowary Kick Force Compared To Horse
There exist two types of claws one with nails and the other with a hoof.
Horse claws are hoofed and thus more power is imparted by their hoofs than that of cassowaries.
A horse’s kick can exert more than 10,000 Newtons of power on the body, breaking the skull or other bones and seriously injuring the intestines.
While that of a cassowary will be less as compared to the horse.
Apart from this horses are more aggressive than a cassowary, so definitely there will be more power in a horse’s kick than a cassowary’s.
Cassowary Kick Force Compared To Giraffe
A giraffe’s kick has the potential to produce up to 2000 pounds of force per square inch which is stronger than kangaroos and second mostly to horse kicks.
Consequently, it can be said that the cassowary’s kick is not even close to comparison at this level.
Conclusion
The cassowary is a huge, flightless bird with strong, three-toed claws, a distinctive appearance, and a solitary lifestyle
I hope you learned something useful from this article. Thank You For Reading!
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