[The kiwi] lays an egg that can weigh up to a quarter of its body mass. Proportionally, this is by far the largest of any bird in the world. Imagine a chicken laying a one-pound egg, or, more graphically, a human giving birth to a fully formed four-year-old. … It’s probably about precocity. The giant egg means that kiwi chicks hatch pretty much ready to run, with a belly full of yolk that they can live off of for their first two and a half weeks of life.
Sam Dean ⬩ Why Is the Kiwi’s Egg So Big?
added December 14, 2023 ⬩ random excerpt