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casque, a tall, bladed crest that from the front looks as if it can saw through flesh,
but also is broad when viewed from either side. The neat visual trick this accom-
plishes is that it makes for a more imposing profile while also increasing its height,
like a Mohawk or Roman helmet. A stout but pointed beak pokes out from its face,
behind which are yellow eyes dotted with black pupils, giving it an unnerving gaze.
The side of its head and the skin just under its face reflects several shades of bright
blue,contrastingsmartlywithlongred-maroonflapsofskin(wattles)hangingdown
from the lower part of its neck.
Below, its scaly reptilian legs connect to three thick toes, all terminated by
pointy claws. The inner one—digit II—really stands out, though. It is about 12 cm
(5 in) long and is often described lovingly as “disemboweling,” a descriptor be-
stowed in recognition of how this bird defends itself by leaping claws first into an
attacker. In terms of Newtonian physics, this is a fine example of mass times accel-
eration translating into force which, when applied to a surface, transmits stress, and
I mean that in the worst way. Given their weights, and that they are capable of run-
ning 45 km/hr (28 mph) and leaping more than a meter into the air, cassowaries can
concentrate that forward momentum into the tiny areas of those claws, thus better
enabling the splitting of an antagonist's soft body cavity.
Whyarecassowariessoaggressive?Mostlybecausetheyfeelaneedtodefend
their territories, which could also include protecting nest sites and offspring: good
reasons to give them plenty of room to roam. Incidentally, if you are chased by a
cassowaryandtrytoescapeitbyjumpinginanearbywaterbody,beawarethatthey
are also excellent swimmers and are known to venture into the sea. In fact, they are
so comfortable in water that, much like human hot-tub or pool parties, their mating
rituals sometimes happen while immersed. The only way this bird could be more
terrifying is if it also flew. Fortunately, it and its ratite relatives—emus, ostriches,
rheas, and others—are ground-dwellers, which make them even more comparable
to medium-sized flightless theropods from the Mesozoic Era.
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