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How big do rheas get?
Answer: Rheas are large flightless birds. They only live in South America. They are related to ostriches, emus, and cassowaries. The most common type of rhea is the greater rhea. Greater rheas can weigh up to 90 pounds (40 kg) and be over 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.
The largest rhea on record was a lesser rhea that weighed 133 pounds (60 kg). A greater rhea can run as fast as 40 miles per hour (64 kph). Rheas can not fly, but they can jump.
Rheas are large, ostrich-like birds. They are the largest bird in South America. Male rheas can weigh up to 90 pounds and females up to 60 pounds. Rheas are six feet tall and have a wing span of 8 feet. They can run at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Their two-toed feet help them run quickly.
Rheas are the second largest bird in the world and the largest bird native to South America. They can reach a height of 5.6 feet (1.7 meters) and weigh 121 lbs. (55 kilograms), according to National Geographic.
Rhea mothers lay an average of 10 eggs over the course of one month and then incubate them for 35 days, says Dr. Mark Andrew Wright at Oklahoma State University. However, only two chicks survive to fledge, he says, because their parents only have time to care for two babies. The rest die of starvation.
The rhea is a cousin of the ostrich and emu, which are both native to Africa and Australia respectively. Like these other large birds, rheas do not fly but gallop along the ground with their powerful legs at speeds up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour). Their wings help them make tight turns while running away from predators such as foxes and pumas, according to National Geographic.