The Two-toed ostrich has the largest feet of any land animal, which are about twice as large as those of a man. Ostriches’ average weight is 100kg (220lb), and both male and female ostriches have about the same size feet.
What Animal Has the Biggest Feet?
Perhaps it’s because ostrich feet are so enormous and powerful that they’re likened to the massive feet of ancient meat-eating dinosaurs that once roamed the earth millions of years ago.
One of the mysteries about ostriches is how they manage to move around with such huge feet. Toes are so important because it’s used for walking or running, and in this case, our own big toes show up as being more advanced than all other bird species that only have two digitals instead three fours! The larger outer toe (“big toe”) can measure 4 inches long (10 cm) while its smaller inner companion rarely grows longer than 1 inch (.25 meters).
Ostriches’ robust legs and two-toed feet can deliver lethal kicks, which have been observed running at speeds of more than 37 miles per hour (60 km/h) for over 30 minutes. One study published in 2011 revealed that ostriches are among nature’s most astonishing runners!
A lot people wonder if these bizarre features evolved due to advantage during mating season when males must compete fiercely over territory — but there seems little direct evidence supporting this idea until we factor in the other bizarre fact about ostriches: their eyes.
The next closest contender for the largest feet would be elephants, whose legs are 8 inches in diameter at the knee. Giraffes come up 3rd place, with their legs being 6 inches in diameter at the knee. These mammals look to be neck-and-neck based on sheer size alone but by examining cross-sectional comparisons it becomes clear that giraffe limbs taper downwards much more than elephant limbs do; this contributes to their greater height.