Musing on emus

What big bird looks like a model for "The Muppets," lays fat, dark green eggs and runs as fast as a car in low gear?

It's an emu!

At one time emus (pronounced E-mews) were found only in the plains and open forests of Australia, but now hundreds of them live in the United States. Sometimes they are on farms along with ordinary animals like cows and ducks. But sometimes they are grown on exclusive farms or ranches for "exotic" animals.

The emu is the "cock of the walk" because it towers over chickens or geese on a farm. It is the largest bird in existence, except for the ostrich. The emu is so tall he can look right into the eyes of most ninth-grade basketball players, and he can run even faster. He stands between 5 and 6 feet high, weighs about 150 pounds and can run about 30 miles per hour.

How can emus run so fast? They have long legs that, even though they appear spindly, are extremely powerful. Perhaps their three short toes on each foot add to their speed or balance.

It's a good thing that the emu can move so fast on the ground, because he can't fly. His wings are not fully developed. However, he has something else that develops early. That is his appetite. Once an emu starts eating, he often doesn't want to stop. You might say emus "pig out." Sometimes they eat so much that they get too heavy for their flimsy legs. Then their legs can "splay" or spread apart, and they can't walk. They can even die. Their owners have to watch their diets and make sure they have an open space to run to get their exercise.

For more fun reading and other activities, try these Web sites:    • Starting Your Emu Farm    • Ostrich and Emu

The emu likes to sleep late. He doesn't care if the cows or chickens get up with the sun; he likes to snooze until about 9 a.m. Then he's ready for his breakfast of cold cereal, made mostly of alfalfa and corn. He also eats fruit and seeds, roots, leaves and maybe an insect or two.

When an emu gets to be about two years of age, it begins to resemble Grandma's feather duster, and the females and males start to mate. The male has a sweet temperament and a throaty bass voice. The female is more assertive and makes certain her booming mezzo-soprano tones are heard. An inflatable air sac in her neck produces her loud sound.

Sometimes the females will hiss and peck and kick the males. But do the males fight back? No, they just take it good-naturedly.