The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-largest living bird by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. Emus can travel great distances, and when necessary can sprint at 48 km/h (30 mph); they forage for a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without eating. They drink infrequently but take in copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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CoprophageCoprophage animals are those that consume feces. Domesticated and wild mammals are sometimes coprophagic, and in some species, this forms an essent...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Flightless birdFlightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostri...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolyandryPolygyny is a mating system in which one female lives and mates with multiple males but each male only mates with a single female.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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starts withAdult emus have a covering of shaggy gray-brown feathers, apart from the heads and necks, which are mostly naked and bluish-black. The plumage varies in color due to environmental factors, giving the bird a natural camouflage. Feathers of emus in more arid areas with red soils have a rufous tint while birds residing in damp conditions are generally darker in hue. The juvenile plumage develops at about three months and is blackish finely barred with brown, with the head and neck being especially dark. The facial feathers gradually thin to expose the bluish skin. The wings of emus are greatly reduced in size, but they have long and powerful legs. There are three forward-facing toes on each foot, but no hind toe. When walking, the emu takes strides of about 100 cm (3.3 ft), but at full gallop, a stride can be as long as 275 cm (9 ft). It has sharp claws on its toes which are its major defensive attribute, and are used in combat to inflict wounds on opponents by kicking. Emus have good eyesight and hearing, which allows them to detect threats at some distance. The eyes of an emu are protected by translucent, secondary eyelids that move horizontally from the inside edge of the eye to the outside edge. They function as visors to protect the eyes from the dust that is prevalent in windy arid regions. Emus also have a tracheal pouch, which becomes more prominent during the mating season. At more than 30 cm (12 in) in length, it is quite spacious; it has a thin wall, and an opening 8 cm (3 in) long.
Australia is the only place emus are found and they inhabit almost the entire continent. There are fewer of them toward the center of the country and along the eastern coast. Historically they also lived on King and Kangaroo Islands, and on Tasmania, but on all three islands, the species is now extinct. Emus inhabit a range of habitats including grassland, dry forest, wooded savannah, and semi-desert, but not the tropical forests in northeastern Australia.
An emu is generally a solitary bird but will exhibit social behaviors when it is advantageous, such as sharing a nest and searching for food. Large groups will migrate together to the next source of food. During periods of incubation, emus are not nomadic. The home range of an individual measures 5 to 10 square km but is a dynamic area, as emus are always moving in search of food and water. This species is strictly diurnal. They wake very often during periods of sleep, due to threats from predators and the need to drink water. They exhibit playful curiosity with animals of their own and other species, particularly noted in captive environments. An example is biting or pecking another animal than running away, simply to get a response. They will swim when water is available, and are adept at this. These birds are able to communicate by means of an inflatable neck sack, creating sounds that carry 2 km. Their name is from their signature call, which sounds like "e-moo".
Emus are omnivorous and eat seeds, flowers, fruits, and tender roots. During the summer they eat many insects, especially caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers, and also small vertebrates.
Emus are polyandrous, which means that one female has multiple partners. A pair remains together for around five months, engaging in courtship, nest building, and the laying of eggs. The female is dominant during pair formation but when incubation begins, she becomes aggressive to all other emus, her mate included. She wanders off and leaves all the incubation to him. The mating season is from December to January, starting with the pair doing a courtship dance. Then the male builds a nest of twigs, leaves, and grass on the ground, in the shelter of vegetation. From April to May, 5 to 15 dark green eggs are laid. The male incubates them for about 8 weeks. Chicks are precocial and can walk within 24 hours. They are protected by their cryptic stripped down. They are able to leave the nest 2 to 7 days after hatching, running, and swimming very soon after that. The male looks after the young for 5 months, sometimes for as long as 18 months. They become mature by 2-3 years old.
Today the emu remains abundant and widespread. Following the arrival of settlers from Europe, emus were widely hunted for oil and meat, and their eggs were collected for food. As a result, they became extinct on several islands, including Tasmania.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total emu population size is estimated at 630,000 to 725,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) and its numbers today remain stable.
An emu disperses over a wide area the seeds from many low-growing plants, due to their nomadic migratory habits. Some seeds feature a specialized coating that, once digested, increases the chance they will sprout.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...