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Emus
Large, flightless birds of Australia: their appearance, habitat, facts, and myths.
415 Questions
Which does not lay eggs the emu the rhea or the kudu?
The kudu does not lay eggs. Kudus are mammals and give birth to live young, while emus and rheas are flightless birds that lay eggs. Mammals typically do not lay eggs, instead, they give birth to live offspring.
Being very curious birds, emus will chase after almost anything that moves.
Male and female emus pair up in the summer months of December and January. The male builds a nest in a shallow depression in the ground, lining it with bark, grass, twigs, and leaves.
During mid Autumn and early winter (April through to June), the female lays up to 8-10 large, thick-shelled dark green eggs, and sometimes the nests contain the eggs of several females. The male incubates the eggs, during which time he does not eat, drink, or pass any waste matter, surviving only on accumulated body fat. The male stays on the nest twenty-four hours a day, standing only every couple of hours to turn the eggs.
It takes between 56-60 days for the eggs to hatch. The chicks, which are distinctly striped and unique in appearance, stay with the father for 5-7 months.
Young emus reach sexual maturity between 2 and 3 years of age. The average lifespan of emus can be 10 to 20 years.
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Emus move on to wherever the food is. Whilst they eat almost anything edible, in the wild they will not eat mature leaves or plants, or dry grass. Rather than eat these foods, they will move on. Emus move in a random fashion, not be any particular migration pattern. They possess a sixth sense about where the food source will be plentiful. One theory is that they can "feel" the vibrations of a thunderstorm, and so move into that area where the rain will have replenished the food sources.
Do they kill emu to extract the oil?
Yes. Emus are killed in emu farming before any processing of the products can take place.
What is a group of emu eggs about to be hatched called?
A group of emu eggs that is being incubated by a male emu is called a "clutch".
Does a emu have an exoskeleton?
No. An organism with an exoskeleton has its skeletal structure on the outside of its body, which includes most insects (eg ants), crustaceans (eg crabs) etc. Animals with the skeleton inside their bodies have endoskeletons, which includes the emu.
Emus are large, Flightless Birds of Australia. They grow to between 1.6 metres and 2 metres high, on average. They weigh between 30 and 45 kilograms, with the female usually slightly heavier than the male. They have brown shaggy feathers which act as insulation against heat, whilst their head feathers are darker. They have brown eyes, a blue patch on their neck, and three toes on each foot.
Although emus are classed as birds, they are one of the very few birds that can't actually fly at all. They are related to a group of birds called ratites. Other ratites include the ostrich from Africa and the rhea from South America.
Yes, an emu is a vertebrate as are all other birds. They have an internal skeleton and a backbone which makes them vertebrates.
All mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish (true fish) are also vertebrates.
What is the Aboriginal name for emu?
The word "emu" is not an aboriginal word. It is believed to have come from the Arabic word for "large bird", and given by the Dutch and Portuguese sailors to both emus and cassowaries they sighted. The first European settlers and explorers then used the term exclusively for the emu as we know it. There are many different aboriginal dialects in Australia. Some of the aboriginal words for emu are listed below. * koolpurrie * burrimul * dinewan * koondoola * kalaya * baramul
Is emu hunting illegal in Australia?
Yes. Hunting of any native, wild animal in Australia is illegal.
However, emus are farmed, and these birds are farmed purely for the purpose of being slaughtered for their emu oil and meat.
How has the emu adapted to the Australian environment?
The emu has a number of adaptations which enhance its ability to survive in Australia's many and varied environments.
- Emus have three toes, unlike the ostrich, which has only two. Having three toes equips the emu more efficiently for running, and therefore for escape from possible predators.
- Emus have a unique defence capability: when running at top speed, the structure of their feet enables them to make sudden 180-degree turns which not even a small cat can do: by the time larger creatures in pursuit slow enough to make the turn, the emu is 50-60 metres ahead in the opposite direction.
- Emus have strong endurance, being able to run at a steady, loping pace for a long time - again, a useful adaptation for evading predators.
- When food is plentiful, emus can store extra fat, which they may then rely on as they move on to a new food source.
- Emus are nomadic, moving between food sources. They are therefore not restricted to living in just one area, dying out when drought creates severe food shortage.
- The nature and structure of emu feathers provides insulation for them during the heat of the day.
- Emus are effective swimmers. This is important in a land where floods can occur swiftly and withour warning.
- Emus have an inflatable neck sac, which enables them to make a loud drumming, or booming sound. These calls can be heard from a couple of kilometres away, allowing emus communication between each other over long distances.
No. Emus do not eat live wombats.
If an emu were to come across a wombat carcass, it may well take a few beakfuls, as they will eat almost anything.
Emus are native to Australia. Due to farming, they have been introduced to other countries such as India and the USA. There are also emu farms in Peru: whether any emus have escaped to the wild there is unknown.
Yes, emu meat has become a trendy, gourmet food item, due to its low fat content.
How long does it take to hard boil an emu egg?
I just bought an emu egg from an emu farm. The owner of the farm told me 1 hour and 45 minutes to hard boil the egg.
What is the classification of the emu?
The classification of the emu is:Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Casuariiformes
Family: Dromaiidae
Genus: Dromaius
Species: novaehollandiae
Emus are also members of the group of birds known as ratites. Ratites are flightless birds, and include the emu, cassowary, kiwi, ostrich and rhea.
No. The road runner is a completely different type of bird. It is found in North and Central America, unlike the emu, which is native to Australia. The road runner is also a member of the cuckoo family, whilst the emu is a ratite, the class of large, flightless birds.
After having tried every topical cream on the market for arthritis pain in my wrist, I tried emu oil and immediately got relief. I was amazed. Normally I had to wear a brace on my left hand in order to sleep because the pain was so bad. But, since applying emu oil (a tiny bit about every four hours) I have no pain (only a slight bit of stiffness) and can function pretty normally again. I feel like I got my life back!
Where are emus found in Australia?
Emus occur in all Australian states except Tasmania. They can be found almost anywhere in the country except within urban areas, although they can be found on the outskirts of these areas.
Emus range from coastal areas, where they are becoming increasingly rarer due to developments and roads, to the sub-Alpine regions. Therefore, they can take a range of temperatures from cool-temperate to hot-temperate.
They are most common in New South Wales, in open scrubland and grasslands. They are also found in areas where agriculture has overtaken the natural habitat, particularly if there is a ready water source. They may also be found on the edge of wetland areas, but not within the wetlands.
They are not found in open, sandy desert areas of Australia's central west, due to lack of shelter and the insufficient food source for such a large bird. They are notfound in rainforest regions or closed forest. Unlike many of Australia's native creatures, the emu does need a ready supply of water, so emus are not found in the desert.
Emus used to be found in Tasmania, but European settlement resulted in their extinction there. Two dwarf species of emu inhabited Kangaroo Island (off the South Australian coast) and King Island (in Bass Strait) but they also became extinct, mostly due to being hunted by whalers and sailors.
