Do ostriches urinate

Answer 1

Actually, I do believe so. (:

You should really do some research?

Well, That's all I know.

But, I'm pretty sure they do.

You know how it is? Haha.

-Emily.

Answer 2

Yes they do, however it's not like what you would expect from mammals like ourselves or your pet dog or hamster. The urinary system of the ostrich is unique in that it is neither like most birds' nor like all mammals'. Ostriches have a urinary system that lacks a bladder--the "bladder" only being a dilated pouch of the ureters called the copodeum that has functions similar to a mammalian bladder--and, like mammals (and unlike most birds), excretes urine (heavily diluted urea) or uric acid separately from the feces. Also, the concentrations of urine and uric acid differ upon availability of water: When water is plentiful, urine is excreted often in a highly diluted form, often in the form of "pee" like with all mammals. When water is scarce or unavailable, ostriches will excrete higher concentrations of urates and uric acid than urine, with urine also in a highly concentrated and viscous form. This is a highly useful adaptation for these large Flightless Birds to be able to store bodily water more readily to avoid dehydration. However, no official renal studies have been done to fully understand and examine renal function as well as urinal concentrations and composition in the ostrich except those conducted based on quantitative samples or collections from cloacal and voided urine.

By comparison, most avian species produce uric acid instead of urea, which is consistent among all mammalian species, including humans. Uric acid is a non-toxic, water-insoluble by-product of nitrogen metabolism in birds, and is excreted often as urate (sometimes as or along with uric acid) in a chalky-white and pasty substance. The formation of urates in birds instead of urea is likely due to water conservation and as a means to reduce weight for flight. Urea, on the other hand, is a highly toxic substance that often cannot be excreted from the body without being heavily diluted before expulsion. All are produced in the kidneys, however mammals require a bladder to store urine with (copodeums in ostriches, rheas and emus) and have a urethra to expel this liquid with, unlike birds (including ostriches) who have a cloaca instead.

Answer 3

Yes