To "bury your head in the sand": frequent ostrich behaviour, usually associated with an imminent danger, that has now become a metaphorical expression. But have you ever asked yourself why do they do such a weird thing? What if there's no sand on the ground, but let's say concrete?
Here are some explanations.
- First of all, ostriches don't "bury" their head. They just bend it to the floor, and swallow sand or little stones that help them with stomaching. They get so low, that you have the impression that the head and a part of its neck disappears. It creates the optical illusion that it's buried, though it actually remains above the surface.
- Also, after a long chase, an exhausted ostrich can "drop" its head to the floor because it doesn't have enough strength to keep it straight on its shoulders. However, it is worth mentioning that ostriches are extremely rapid creatures: they can run with an incredible speed (up to 70km/h), easily escaping from a potential predator. They also have a very developed sight, that enables them to notice a danger from a long distance, and react in an adequate way.
We make a mistake every time we associate this typical "ostrich behaviour" to a human one, consisting in ignoring problems, and being afraid to deal with them.
Discover also on this blog: Goodbye Lenin, The Temple of Consumption, Kebab, Politics and Twitter
Here are some explanations.
- First of all, ostriches don't "bury" their head. They just bend it to the floor, and swallow sand or little stones that help them with stomaching. They get so low, that you have the impression that the head and a part of its neck disappears. It creates the optical illusion that it's buried, though it actually remains above the surface.
- Also, after a long chase, an exhausted ostrich can "drop" its head to the floor because it doesn't have enough strength to keep it straight on its shoulders. However, it is worth mentioning that ostriches are extremely rapid creatures: they can run with an incredible speed (up to 70km/h), easily escaping from a potential predator. They also have a very developed sight, that enables them to notice a danger from a long distance, and react in an adequate way.
We make a mistake every time we associate this typical "ostrich behaviour" to a human one, consisting in ignoring problems, and being afraid to deal with them.
Discover also on this blog: Goodbye Lenin, The Temple of Consumption, Kebab, Politics and Twitter
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