Rhea

Rhea, a flightless bird smaller than the ostrich. The two species of rhea are the only examples of ratites (running birds with a flat-rather than keel-shaped breastbone) in the New World. The greater rhea (R. americana) lives on the Pampa (fertile, grassy plain) that runs from Paraguay to Patagonia. It is an herbivorous bird that lives in flocks of about twenty or so and breeds polygamously. The females in the harem lay their eggs in a communal nest that is incubated by the lone male. The Puna rhea (R. pennata) is found in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. In parts of its range it is considered an endangered species because of excessive hunting for its meat and skin (mostly exported to Japan and the United States) and egg poaching. The rhea is also commonly known in Bolivia as the piyo, in Quechua-speaking regions as the surí, in the Guaraní language as ñandú guasú ("big spider," referring to the spread of the bird's feathers when they run), and the ema in Portuguese.

See alsoPampa .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rodolphe Meyer De Schauensee, The Species of Birds of South America (1966).

Additional Bibliography

Folch, A. "Rheidai/Rhea." In vol. 1 of Handbook of the Birds of the World, edited by Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliot, Jordi Sargatal, José Cabot et al. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, 1992.

                                      Sheila L. Hooker

Rhe·a / rēə/ 1. Greek Mythol. one of the Titans, wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, and Hades. Frightened of betrayal by their children, Cronus ate them; Rhea rescued Zeus from this fate by hiding him and giving Cronus a stone wrapped in blankets instead.2. Astron. a satellite of Saturn, the fourteenth closest to the planet, discovered by Cassini in 1672, and having a diameter of 951 miles (1,530 km).

Rhea in Greek mythology, one of the Titans, wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, and Hades. Frightened of betrayal by their children, Cronus ate them; Rhea rescued Zeus from this fate by hiding him and giving Cronus a stone wrapped in blankets instead.

rhe·a / ˈrēə/ • n. a large flightless bird of South American grasslands, resembling a small ostrich, with grayish-brown plumage. • Family Rheidae: two species, Rhea americana and Pterocnemia pennata.

Rhea (Saturn V) One of the major satellites of Saturn, with a radius of 764 km; mass 23.1 × 10²⁰ kg; mean density 1240 kg/m³; visual albedo 0.7. It was discovered in 1672 by G. D. Cassini.