EMU encyclopedia topics | Reference.com

EMU - 3 reference results

emu or emeu, common name for a large, flightless bird of Australia, related to the cassowary and the ostrich. It is 5 to 6 ft (150-180 cm) tall and a very swift runner. The head and neck are feathered. The six or seven dark green eggs, laid in a sandy pit, are sometimes incubated by the male and require 56 days to hatch. The emu is easily tamed. There is only one living species, Dromaius novaehollandiae. Emus are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Struthioniformes, family Dromaiidae.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

Emus at Amazon.com
Big Savings on Emus Qualified orders over $25 ship free
Amazon.com/Shoes

Emu at Endless.com
Shop for Shoes with Free Shipping Free Return Shipping for a year!
Sponsored Results Endless.com

emu

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Ratite of Australia. After the ostrich, the emu is the second-largest living bird. They stand more than 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and often weigh more than 100 lbs (45 kg). The common emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae, family Dromaiidae), the only survivor of several forms exterminated by settlers, has a stout body and long legs. Both sexes are brownish, with a dark-gray head and neck. Emus can run up to 30 mph (50 kph); if cornered, they kick with their large feet. They mate for life and forage in small flocks for fruits and insects but sometimes damage crops. Seealso cassowary.

Learn more about emu with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.