Two Southern Ostriches give a lion a workout. Ostriches can run up to 40 mph (70 km) for miles. A lion can run to 50 mph (80km) for a very short distance. If cornered, Ostriches will stand their ground and have been known to kill a lion with a single kick. Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand-- that familiar pose is actually an ostrich looking for moisture beneath the soil. This myth likely began with the Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79), who wrote that Ostriches "imagine, when they have thrust their head and neck into a bush, that the whole of their body is concealed”. Ostriches in Northern Africa have pink skin while those in Southern Africa have grey skin. Ostriches are for the most part vegetarians. They eat grasses, shrubs, seeds, roots, leaves and flowers. Occasionally they consume locusts and grasshoppers. They have also been known to eat small animals, such as lizards and mice. The Southern Ostrich is found in Africa; south of the Zambezi and Cunene rivers. Ostriches are polygamous. The male gathers around him a harem of three to five females, all of which lay their eggs in the same nest over a three week period. Ostrich mating and egg laying will occur shortly before the onset of the rainy season, so that when the chicks hatch there will be plenty of food to sustain them until they are several months old. The completed clutch is incubated by the male at night and the dominant female during the day. Rendered in Iray without any post work. Models include Hivewire3D's Big Cat (Lion), my Songbird ReMix Ostriches and ShaaraMuse's 3D Plant Foundations: Wildgrass Construction Set