1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Bola bomb Here. There are about eighteen 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: thousand species of birds in the world. Of those EMUs, 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: the long limbed, long necked Australian natives are the world's 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: second largest by height. Here's the skinny on these gangly avians. 6 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: Emos are ratites, meaning they're large, flightless birds with a solid, 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: flat stern um. They're related to other ratites found in 8 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: southern hemispheric locations, the ostrich in Africa, which takes the 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: title of the largest bird in the world, the Rhea 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: in South America, the cassowary in Australia, and the Kiwi 11 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: in New Zealand. EMUs and ostriches have the most obvious 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: similarities with their long legs and necks. They're also both 13 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: very fast runners. Imus can run up to about thirty 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: miles or fifty kilometers per hour, but there are some 15 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: differences they're tos. For example, Imus have three toes. The 16 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: ostrich is the only bird with just two toes. Another 17 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: major difference is their wings. Ostriches have beautiful long wings 18 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: that aren't always visible because they're covering their bodies. For 19 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: the article, this episode is based on how stuff works. 20 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: Spoke with Eric Slovak, Assistant Curator of Birds for Smithsonian's 21 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: National Zoo in Washington, d C. He explained ostriches use 22 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: them when they're doing a courtship dance or when they're 23 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: running really fast. They can use their wings like a 24 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: boat's rudder to change direction quickly, and those wings are 25 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: a necessity living around African predators because they need to 26 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: be able to change direction on a dime with something 27 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: like a lion chasing it. Conversely, emo wings are very small, 28 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: probably just two to four inches that's five to times long. 29 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: Predators are less of an issue for imus. Their main predators, 30 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: dingoes are easily outrun by most emu's except juveniles. EMO 31 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: height averages about five points seven feet or one eight meters. 32 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: Males can wait anywhere from a hundred and ten to 33 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: d and twenty pounds that's about fifty to fifty five kilos, 34 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: and females typically weigh about ten pounds or four kilos 35 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: more than that. Their feathers are grayish brown, but lightened 36 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: during the season. Chicks have natural camouflage. Their feathers are 37 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: striped in black, brown and cream to blend into tall 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: grass and foliage. During breeding season, which is during the 39 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: Australian winter months June, July and August, both male and 40 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,839 Speaker 1: female EMUs make loud, low grunting sounds. Once the male 41 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: and female mate, and the female lays her eggs in 42 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: their nest low indentation on the ground lined with leaves, 43 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: grass and bark, the male takes over completely. Slovak said, 44 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: males sit on the eggs and do all the incubation. 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: When the eggs hatch, they are the sole parent. As 46 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: a dat myself, I loved that about EMUs. The incubation 47 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: period is fifty six days and Papa Emu doesn't eat, drink, 48 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: or even poop while he sits on nest. His entire 49 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: focus is on protecting the eggs. When the chicks hatch, 50 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: he's well ready to show down and he shows his 51 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: chicks where to get their food and water. Chicks are 52 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: ready to start eating, drinking, and adventuring about twenty four 53 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: to forty eight hours after they're born, but they usually 54 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: hang out with their dad for about four months before 55 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: striking out on their own. EMUs are only found in 56 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: the wild in Australia, though at some point they may 57 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: have lived in Tasmania or King Island. They are wanderers. 58 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: Flocks are called mobs, and they roam everywhere, from eucalyptus 59 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: forests to desert troubland to sandy plains. Thanks to their 60 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: ranging tendencies, relations between EMUs and farmers haven't always been cordial. 61 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: In fact, in two the Australian government launched the Emu 62 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: War against the entire species and attempt to control the 63 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: population by killing them with grenades and machine guns. The 64 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: failed war ended with only twelve emu's killed. The government 65 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: installed thousand kilometer fence that's about one thousand, six hundred 66 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: miles to separate the EMUs from the grain producing areas 67 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: in southwest Australia. In the wild, imus are omnivores, eating 68 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: all sorts of plants in season. They'll also eat insects 69 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: and small vertebrates like lizards. They eat large pebbles called 70 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: gaster liths to help their gizzard grind their food. But 71 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 1: can imus be eaten? The short answer is yes. Emu 72 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,919 Speaker 1: meat has been a popular food source in India and 73 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: Australia four thousands of years. In many places, imus are 74 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: farmed not only for meat, but for oil, leather, and feathers, 75 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: and the massive egg of the emu is a dark 76 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: emerald green and shell color. Weighs a little over a 77 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: pound or about half a kilo, and is the equivalent 78 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,239 Speaker 1: of some ten chicken eggs. If you've ever wondered whether 79 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: EMUs would make a good pet, the answer is it 80 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: depends on the person and the emu. While attacks on 81 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: humans are rare and fatality is even less common, these 82 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 1: are quite sizeable birds, fully capable of eviscerating even large 83 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: animals with their big, three clawed feet. While they're friendly 84 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: and inquisitive, imus should definitely be treated with respect and caution. 85 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: They need plenty of room to roam and graze, sturdy 86 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,679 Speaker 1: fencing at least five feet or one point five meters high, 87 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: commercial rat tite pellets, proper housing in the winter that 88 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: is warm and covered, and proper veterinary care, including at 89 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: least an annual checkup and vaccinations for things like West 90 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: Nile virus. Beyond that, Slovak said, all birds have their 91 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: unique personalities, and just like humans do. I can put 92 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: emu in a box and say this is all the 93 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: things about EMUs, but there are definitely personality traits that 94 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 1: come into play. There's no better example of this than 95 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: Darwin and Imo that lived at Smithsonian's National Zoo. Sadly, 96 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: Darwin fell ill and had to be humanely euthanized in 97 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: but he lived a long and very happy life while 98 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: at the National Zoo. Accord into Slovak, he said, Darwin 99 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: was not food motivated. He didn't care if you had 100 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: a treat or not. He just wanted to be your buddy. 101 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: Darwin loved people. When you came to the exhibit, he 102 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,559 Speaker 1: was curious and wanted to know what you were doing, 103 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: if you were mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool, or 104 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: changing the straw. He wanted to be with you. Today's 105 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article goofy looking EMUs are luggy, flightless, 106 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: and very friendly on how stuff works dot Com, written 107 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: by Patty res Musin. Brain Stuff is production of I 108 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff works dot Com 109 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: and is produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts for 110 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 111 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.