The ostrich is the largest bird in the world.the planet, it is well known to a huge number of people. The scientific name is Struthio camelus, from Latin the second part of the name is translated as "camel". These animals are similar to each other with bulging eyes and long eyelashes, as well as impressive body size. This beautiful giant bird called Australian ostrich (photo can be found in the article) is divided into several subspecies:
- Asian ostriches.
- Ordinary or North African.
- Somali.
- Syrian.
- African
What is the name of the Australian ostrich?
Emu is the largest fast flightless birdwhich looks like an ostrich. Due to the fact that Australia is far from other continents, this fact favorably affected the preservation of certain species of animals, to which the Australian ostrich emu belongs, the photo of which we present in this article. In the past, this bird was related to the ostrich-shaped species, but in 1980 the classification was revised and added to a number of cazuar-like. It is to them and refers emu. There are three types of emus that inhabit Australia:
- woodwardi;
- novaehollandiae;
- rothschildi
EMU exterior features
Невзирая на большие габариты, австралийские Ostriches are much smaller than African ones. In height, they can reach 150-180 cm, weighing from 35 to 55 kg. They have a dense body and a small head on an oblong neck. They have large rounded eyes with fluffy eyelashes. Their pink beak ends with a bent tip. Since they have no teeth to grind food, it is quite normal for them to swallow small pebbles, sand. In addition, to them in the stomach often come across life-threatening materials - pieces of metal, glass. The wings are not fully developed (because they do not fly) and reach 25 cm in length. These birds have incredibly strong legs that can break a person’s bone. Velvet brown feathers mask an emu and are able to regulate their body temperature.
Individuals of both sexes have the same color.Like ostriches, emus may not drink water for a long time, but if they find a source, they will drink a lot and with great pleasure. In addition, they swim well and are happy to spend time in the reservoir, but since they rarely see water, they bathe in sand and dust, risking to ruin their feathers with mud. Dust bath - this is universal fun, which is initiated by the dominant individuals and is held regularly. Such procedures help to get rid of various parasites, thereby disinfecting the bare places of the body. Dust to some extent protects feathers from water, replacing the subcutaneous fat that ostriches produce in small quantities.
Is an emu Australian dangerous?
Adults are dangerous even for large predators,one kick with a hard claw is enough to seriously injure or even take the life of a lion, for example. In a direct attack, an emu can also cripple a dog or break a man’s hand with a single blow. There were cases when males, guarding their immediate territory, attacked people and very seriously maimed them. In peaceful life, they are almost always silent and quiet, and the males during the mating season make a sound that is a bit like a quiet whistle.
Habitat
Emus live in Australia and off the coast of the islandTasmania. As a rule, they inhabit dry biotopes - shrubs and savannas, can also live on the margins of deserts, but never go deep. The emu is characterized by a sedentary lifestyle, in the western parts seasonal migrations are common: in the summer they go north and in winter they go south. Adult birds have virtually no enemies, they quietly roam in open areas and only occasionally, in the event of a threat to life, throw themselves into a run at a speed of 50 km / h. Vision are excellent, because a moving object can be seen from a distance, for a couple of hundred meters. They do not like rapprochement with big animals and people, so on excursion farms they try not to allow visitors to this bird. Emus are kept, as a rule, singly, but sometimes in pairs of 3-5 individuals.
What eat ostriches and how to breed?
They eat, as a rule, rhizomes, seeds and fruitsplants, fruits and small animals and insects (grasshoppers, ants, lizards). Even in starvation time, they do not feed on grass and dry branches, preferring grain crops. For this they were regularly exterminated by the first settlers in the past. Marriage period falls from December to January. At this time, the males are especially dangerous and disperse all opponents from their lands. Emus are monogamous, so any male mates with only one female. As for the female, after mating it is released from parental obligations, it can converge with new partners. The role of the male in the continuation of the genus is great, he himself builds nests from branches and grass, and the female only lays 7-8 eggs weighing 800-900 grams.
In appearance eggs differ in color:there are dark blue, and even almost black, as well as greenish-blue shades. The care of the offspring is taken directly by the male. He incubates the clutch for up to two months and does not leave the nest for a second. He does not feed, does not defecate, drinks only dew from the grass and is constantly on guard. In two months of incubation, the male loses a lot of weight and survives only thanks to the fat that he was able to accumulate in advance. When the chicks hatched, the male carefully protects them. Despite the large size of the emu, his life is extremely restless. The main danger threatens the chicks, 50% do not live to reach the young. They are hunted by dingo dogs, foxes and wild boars.
How to properly care for an emu?
In Russia, ostriches have long ceased to beexotic, breeding them is not difficult. In general, it is the same process as with other farm animals. The Australian emu is quite unpretentious, and it is quite simple to keep it if everything is done correctly. When the stall content of an adult individual needs 10-15 square meters. m for walking. Since the emu is not able to fly, the fence should be 150-180 cm, if you decide to resort to the grid, then its cells should not be small, so that the bird does not stick its head there. And it is not necessary to leave sharp tops of the hedge, as the pet quickly injures itself. The basis of the diet of ostriches, which are kept in the compound, is mixed fodder with the addition of cereal shanks, a large amount of grass, hay, vegetables, waste meat, and root vegetables.
If you want to do breedingAustralian Emu, care and maintenance should be the most acceptable for the life of the bird. This acquisition or lease of land, construction of premises, walking, purchase of feed, depending on the scale of the intended farm.
Interesting Emu Facts
Let's summarize everything we learned about this amazing bird:
- reach a human height of 170 cm and a weight of 55 kg;
- can not fly, because they have no keel;
- run fast, speed reaches 50 km / h;
- steps up to three meters;
- eyes are the same size as the brain;
- the emu does not bury its head in the sand, but runs in the event of a threat;
- perfectly get used to t from -5 degrees to +45;
- in general, males and females are no different;
- bird eggs are dark blue or green;
- Only the male hatches chicks, the female only lays eggs.
Emu in ordinary life
In Australia, emus are quite common, sodanger does not threaten them. It is not typical for them to bury their heads in the sand, and these individuals are completely stupid. They represent the last species of large non-flying birds that exist today, except for the African ostrich. They live in the wild, in captivity they are kept to get meat, eggs, and skin. They are kept in zoos and ostrich farms. In terms of their meaning and appearance, they are amazing and unusual creatures.
