Image Source: I Took This Photo
A local farm has a charming array of inhabitants, my favorites of which are the emus - when the weather's nice, I like nothing better than to walk there and visit them. They're quite friendly, and I'm astonished by the noises they make - it's like a "glug, glug" and sounds very much like a drum.
So, understandably fascinated by these "big birds," I decided to look them up on the Internet, and found out some great information, courtesy of this incredibly comprehensive Emu profile article by the San Diego Zoo:
- Their lifespan in the wild is about 20 years, while they can live up to 35 years in captivity.
- At their tallest, they can stand about 6 feet!
- They can weight anywhere from about 65 to 120lbs.
- Although their feathers are less water-resistant than other bird species, they still like to swim!
- They can't fly, and the only bird species larger than them is the ostrich.
There's something undeniably prehistoric about them - I mean, check out this photo I took of one's feet!
Clearly, those feet were made for protecting!