Vuon thu Ha Noi - Hanoi Zoo http://www.hanoizoo.com/vuonthuhanoi/2009/vn
Greater Rhea
15.12.2009

RHEAS – Rheidae
Greater Rhea
Rhae americana

• Distribution

All over South-America

• Habitat

The Rhea lives in the grassland of South-America from Brazil to Argentina.

• Behaviour

The Rhea lives in a group and although they really look like an Ostrich this species is much smaller. An adult male weighs around 30 kg and stands 110 cm. Also different from the Ostrich is that the Rhea has three toes instead of the two toes the Ostrich hasRheas are herbivores and they eat all kind of fruits, vegetables, cereals and in captivity bread and rice as well.
The Rhea reaches its sexual maturity at an age of two years. They lay 5 to 7 eggs which weigh around 500 to 600 g. They can incubate for 35 to 36 days.
The Rheas in Hanoi Zoo came from All wetter Zoo, Germany, in March 1994. When they arrived in Vietnam they were about one year old. The female laid her first eggs in June 1995. These eggs were incubated for 36 days at the National Husbandry Institute. Captive breeding of these animals contribute to the conservation of the number of those animal species.
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