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Emus
Large, flightless birds of Australia: their appearance, habitat, facts, and myths.
415 Questions
How does an emu adapt to its environment?
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 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 are related to a group of birds called ratites. Other ratites include the Southern cassowary of Australia and New Guinea, the kiwi from New Zealand, the ostrich from Africa and the rhea from South America.
It is believed that emus cannot walk backwards, as no evidence exists to the contrary. That is why, together with the kangaroo (which also cannot walk backwards), the emu is on the Australian coat-of-arms, symbolising progression forwards.
Whether or not emus can or cannot walk backwards has never been definitively proven, as the phenomenon of them walking backwards has been neither observed nor recorded. It is believed that the joints in their knees make it impossible for them to walk backwards.
An adult emu weighs between 30 and 45 kilograms (66 - 99 pounds), with the female usually slightly heavier than the male.
The emu is lighter than its closest living relative, the Southern Cassowary.
Actually, sort of. See, emus are birds, and most birds have an organ called a gizzard. The function of the gizzard is the help grind up food. Only the very muscular structure of the gizzard isn't able to do this unassisted, so birds consume gravel and sand to help.
Do you mean wild emus or pet emus? Encyclopedias list seeds and grass and insects among the foods that wild emus eat. My emus love all sorts of grains and fruit. They'll eat walnuts and grapes and apricots and figs.
There is very little that emus do not eat. They eat all fruits, especially fresh fruits, grains, fresh vegetation and even small mammals and reptiles if they look interesting enough for the emu to peck at.
Emus will not eat older, tougher vegetation and grasses.
Emus have a number of predators and enemies, but their size and speed means they are rarely killed. Man remains one of the biggest threats, together with his introduced wild dogs, mostly domestic dogs gone feral. These are the only creatures in Australia that can threaten an adult emu.
However, young emus are subject to predation by dingoes, feral cats, foxes, goannas and eagles, while lizards eat emu eggs.
Is an emu the biggest native bird in Australia?
Ostrich eggs are bigger than emu eggs. Ostrich eggs are about the size of a cantaloupe or rockmelon, whereas an emu egg can be compared more to the size of a grapefruit. An average emu egg equates to about 8 chicken eggs, while an ostrich egg equals between 18 and 24 chicken eggs.
Emus breed during winter. Their breeding cycle begins as the days start to become shorter - around April in Australia, which is the mid-Autumn. Winter is therefore the time that emus lay their eggs. Australian research has proven that emu breeding season is dependent upon the length of the day. The amount of daylight directly influences the production of reproductive hormones.
Emus can run at speeds of up to 50 km per hour. They also have the unusual ability of being able to do a quick 180-degree turn at almost top speed, a feat unmatched by other animals.
How long does a female Emu lay her eggs?
A female emu reaches maturity at around two years old. This is earlier than males, which are only sexually mature at 3-4 years old.
Emu eat grains, bugs, worms, some fruit, berries, vegetables, flowers, clovers and grasses. They may drink from one to four gallons of water every day, especially in hot weather. Adult emus on a good, balanced ration will eat around 1 to 1½ pounds of feed per day. Growing chicks and coming 2's may consume 2 pounds per day, averaged out over a year.
[ - King - ]
M.Sc Zoology [Hons]
How it might feel to ride emu?
The question is purely academic. You cannot ride an emu. Though they are tall (1.6m to 2m in height), they weigh only 30-45kg, which is less than the weight of an average teenager or adult. They are not strong enough to hold an average human's weight.
Where did the word emu com from?
Etymology refers to the origin of a word.
The word emu 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.
Emu oil products can be purchased at many chemists and most health food shops.
What is an Australian bird that looks like an ostrich?
The Laughing Kookaburra is an Australian native bird with a distinctive laughing call. It is the largest member of the kingfisher family, but it does not hunt for fish: rather, it captures lizards and snakes and occasionally small mammals.
The Laughing kookaburra is the only species of kookaburra with a very distinctive laughing call, that begins almost with a chuckle, before erupting into a raucous laugh. This is how the kookaburra defines its territory to other birds. The Blue-winged kookaburra also has a characteristic laughing call, though not as recognisable as that of the Laughing kookaburra.
Two other species of kookaburra are found in New Guinea and on the Aru islands of southeastern Indonesia, but these species do not "laugh".
What do people do with emu eggs?
Some people etch emu eggs. Because emu eggs are a deep green colour, with other shades of green revealed underneath, some people are skilled in the art of carving and etching them. This is a highly specialised skill, but the etching reveals new layers of colour: light, dark and in between.
To see some amazing carved emu eggs, click on the related link.
Emus are omnivores, and they will eat anything that is remotely edible, including some things which are not. They are very curious birds that will try almost anything, using their large beaks to peck at and pick up food. Commonly, they eat insects, caterpillars, grubs and other invertebrates; seeds, nuts, flowers, young leaves and other plant parts; lizards, other small animals and even animal droppings. They do not eat dry grasses or older leaves, even if that's all that is available to them. They are more likely to move on to other food sources. Emus will swallow quite large stones and charcoal to help them grind up and digest their food.
Are there wild emus in Florida?
Purportedly there was an Emu farm near Ft Hood, in central Texas that went out of business and turned there animals out on to Ft. Hood property. Personnel that work on base report sitings of them fairly frequently. No one knows how many there are there but many believe the population to be well established. Many suspect some spread in to surrounding areas either has happened or will eventually.
What is a group of eggs called?
Animals that lay eggs, that have little or no other development within the mother are known as Oviparous animals. Types of animals that lay eggs are birds, reptiles, insects, fish, monotremes and molluscs.
Do emus' parents stay with them when they're born?
The father emu incubates and raises the chicks. they chicks stay with the father for 5-7 months.
How many people are killed by emus yearly?
Probably zero. The most danger caused by an emu would be if one suddenly ran in front of your car, causing you to swerve and hit a tree.
