An ostrich with stinky feet.

Ostrich foot odor

Compounds:

• Acetic acid.
• Dimethyl disulfide.
• Methanethiol.
• Geosmin.
• 2-methyl propanol.
• Ethyl acetate.
• Hexanal.
• Dimethyl trisulfide.

• Bacteria/fungi: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacteria cloacae, Corynebacteria, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Fusarium.

Exactly — ostriches are sweat-free creatures. So for your stinky footed ostrich, the odor wouldn’t come from sweat, but from: 1. Environmental buildup – dirt, plant matter, and animal droppings getting embedded in the rough skin folds of the toes. 2. Natural skin oils – which can trap odor-causing microbes. 3. Moisture from outside sources – puddles, wet grass, mud, or rotting vegetation they step in.

That means the rotten melon smell with teal wisps would be due to microbial action on organic matter stuck to the feet, rather than sweat decomposition.

Yes, it is correct that ostriches do not have sweat glands. Like most birds, ostriches rely on other methods for temperature regulation, primarily through their respiratory system. They dissipate heat by panting, which increases evaporation from their respiratory tract, and by exposing unfeathered areas of their body to the air.