Size: Height; 1.75m. Weight; 50-55kg.

Habitat and Distribution: Occurs throughout Australia in all areas except rainforest and cleared areas.

Age: 10 years in the wild up to 30 years in captivity.

Groups and Breeding: These are nomadic animals, travelling large distances to find food and water. Before mating, the female makes a deep drumming sound in response to which the male will start to build a nest. The female will lay 5-25 eggs, each egg weighs around 1kg and is the equivalent of 10-15 chicken eggs. After this, the female leaves and may mate another two times in the breeding season.

The male incubates the eggs entirely on his own and defends them fiercely. He will sit on the eggs for 56 days, during which time he will not eat or drink or defecate. Once hatched, the chicks remain with the father for 5-7 months; he will defend them aggressively, even fending off the mother! After this time the young leave and the male can mate again.

Diet: Seeds, fruit, foliage, invertebrates and small mammals.

• Emus cannot fly, in fact their wings are tiny, measuring only 15-20cm in length.
• Emus have three toes. In males the middle toe is long (up to 12 cm) and sharp and is used in attack.
• Their feathers are double feathers with each shaft producing 2 feathers attached at the base.
• Emus can reach speeds of up to 50km/h and are very good swimmers.
• They are featured, along with the kangaroo, on the Australian coat of arms because they are said to be the only two animals in Australia that don’t go backwards.
• There have been prehistoric forms of Emus in Australia for 80 million years. Some scientists believe that Emus are direct descendents from dinosaurs.
• Emu oil is highly prized and there are farms in the USA devoted to its production. Uses include anti-inflammatories, emollients, moisturisers, treatment for burns and stings and muscle aches.
• Emu-based products can be used in the production of anti-venom for spiders and snakes and also for creating vaccines for a huge range of potentially fatal diseases, as they are naturally immune to many diseases.
• Emu eggs are dark green.