Aug 20, 2010: Kiwi

[Adak]

I'm surprised the species isn't extinct:

*Can't burrow a protective underground home

*Can't outrun much of anything that wants to eat it.
(Cellar members excluded)

*Can't fly.

*Can't swim fast, if at all.

*Can't climb trees to get away from predators.

*Nice claws, but most predators can still clean it's clock.

Flightless birds are a risky proposition. Emu, and Ostrich are the only ones I know of that live on land, and have been successful. (Roadrunners can fly a bit - and do nest above ground)

[TheDaVinciChode]

Originally Posted by Adak

I'm surprised the species isn't extinct:

*Can't burrow a protective underground home

*Can't outrun much of anything that wants to eat it.
(Cellar members excluded)

*Can't fly.

*Can't swim fast, if at all.

*Can't climb trees to get away from predators.

*Nice claws, but most predators can still clean it's clock.

Flightless birds are a risky proposition. Emu, and Ostrich are the only ones I know of that live on land, and have been successful. (Roadrunners can fly a bit - and do nest above ground)

They can burrow, actually - some species make rather intricate, labyrinth-style burrows, whilst others will make single-entrance burrows... It varies amongst species, but, they are all rather successful burrowers.

They are very strong swimmers, capable of traversing even rather heavy-flowing rivers.

They're very fast, especially for their size - able to fiercely defend a territory 62 acres or more in size, every night.*

* Being as small as they are, and yet, able to maintain such a large territory, is evidence of great tenacity, as well as relative-to-size great speed. I forget how fast they can actually move, but, lacking other defences, the Kiwi uses its SPEED to evade predators... surviving millions of years, prior to the introducing of non-native predators to their habitat, thanks to their speed.

Many animals can't fly. Doesn't stop them living very successful, long lives. (Kiwi live, on average, between 20 - 30 years, and as stated, have existed for millennia, without any threat of extinction, prior to man, anyway.)

Also - They have an incredible sense of smell, to help them know when predators are around, as well as to locate food sources; they can even locate insects, beneath the ground, using nothing but their sense of smell.

Oh, and don't believe what you hear, about them being stupid, or half-blind, either. They have good eye-sight, and are very fast learners.

(Once more - I apologise for not being around... damn surface dwellers keepin' me down... or up, I suppose.)