Cassowary: Australia's Velociraptor

Sometimes it seems that Australia is an evolutionary death factory. Pretty much anything can kill you. Even the birds. Meet the cassowary. This is a bright blue, ancient looking avian with an semi-armored crest on its head, which almost reminds you of some kind of dinosaur. An adult bird can reach almost 2 meters in height (6.5 ft) and weight 58.5 kilograms (130 pounds). Obviously, because of their large stature, they are a flightless bird. It is one of largest in the world (only the ostrich and emu are bigger), and they are generally pretty shy. Generally...

They are somewhat analogous to the velociraptor. Their notoriety stems mostly from their large, dagger-like middle toe, which can be up to 15 cm (6 inches) long. Ornithologist Thomas E. Gilliard notes that, "the inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are many records of natives being killed by this bird."

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