Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Animal of the Day

Posted by Mark on Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 9:00 AM

Yeah it's sad that Edith is gone now, but I remember that when we were feeling sad she'd always distract us with a cool animal, so let's focus on the Phorusrhacid, or Terror Bird. Here's what the critics (or that one article) say(s):

... [G]iant predators... that once dominated South America...

Terror birds were the biggest birds the world has ever seen...

"Some of these birds had skulls that were two and a half feet [almost a meter] in length. [They] were colossal animals."

The new, currently unnamed species stood about ten feet (three meters) tall and had a head as big as that of a horse.

The largest terror birds could likely swallow dog-size prey in a single gulp, experts say.

The bird's most striking feature—literally—was its giant nose, a roughly 18-inch (46-centimeter) beak with a sharp, curving hook shaped like an eagle's beak.

Whether the flightless birds used their beaks to impale or bludgeon their prey is unknown... But a single hit from their "massive skull[s] would have killed anything immediately."
Scientists say the Terror Bird is extinct, but I say it's waiting...

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are we going to have an animal every day until edith comes back? she's coming back right? from her holiday? is she in heaven? at a farm?

Posted by Anonymous on August 13, 2008 at 9:01 AM | Report this comment
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Easily one of the top 10 awesomest prehistoric carnivores that may still thrive in deep jungle/sea.

Posted by Ted on August 13, 2008 at 9:02 AM | Report this comment

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