| Giant Bird Struthio Ridiculensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| First Appearance | Comic 44 |
| Habitat | Forest, Cave |
| Scientific classification not all levels shown | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Class | Aves (Bird) |
| Family | Unknown |
| Species | Struthio Ridiculensis |
Struthio Ridiculensis is a species of bird found within the habitat. The approximate translation of this Latin name into English is "The Ridiculous Ostrich".
Description & Behaviour
Struthio Ridiculensis is a large, flightless bird, standing a head taller than an adult human woman. They have heavy bills, lacking the hook characteristic of carnivorous birds and heavy, muscular legs clearly adapted for running on the ground. They have only small wings and appear to be flightless in the absence of technological assistance such as nanotech.
In Comic 46, Alice explains that the Ridiculensis is mostly harmless. It uses its large talons to dig up roots and tubers whilst its large bill is used to crush nuts and other tough food.
Alice says that adult Giant Birds have no natural predators but their chicks are vulnerable and the adults will defend them aggressively. The essentially gentle nature of the birds is emphasised in that Alice as able to hold the bill of one of them without provoking any kind of response.
She notes that they were doubtless roosting overnight in the cave where Gavia and Ardent first encountered them.
The two specimens encountered in the cave in the forest were noticeably different in appearance. It is possible that this is an example of sexual dimorphism.
Appearances in the Comic
In Comic 44, Ardent and Gavia flee into a cave to escape a mysterious, shadowy giant seen moving through the forest. Inside the cave, they encounter two Struthio Ridiculensis in the cave. Although startled when Gavia used her Nanotech to light the cave, the two birds were not aggressive, although their size and obvious strength clearly frightened the youngsters.
In Comic 46, Alice intervenes and explains that the birds were no threat to the extra-habitat visitors.
One of the of the pair in the cave seems to like Gavia whilst the other has no problem with Alice holding its head to illustrate her point about it being mostly harmless.
Similar large birds are seen bridled and pulling a cart in Comic 136.