The Fast Footed Emu Trivia Quiz

Answer: Australia

Emus live in most habitats across Australia, although there tends to be fewer of them in severe desert areas. The exact population of the bird is unknown; however, it is believed that there are between 600,000 and 750,000 of them living in the country.

Answer: To help with digestion.

Small stones and pebbles are required by emus to help digest the plants that they eat. After they eat the stones they stay in the gizzard and grind up food as this cannot be done in the mouth as the birds have no teeth. Scientists have also observed that emus also commonly eat charcoal although it is not known why.

Answer: Green

Emu eggs are typically a dark green colour. The eggs are large in size and are approximately 12 times bigger than a regular chicken egg. The number of eggs that are laid can be dependent on the weather; however, they tend to produce between five and twenty eggs.

Answer: Cream with brown stripes

Emu chicks are born with stripes to provide them with some camouflage when they are young. The stripes begin to fade when they are around three months old. They are fully grown at around 12 months old but may live with their father for up to two years.

Answer: No

Emu meat is considered to be a relatively lean and low in fat red meat. The best and easiest to use emu meat comes from the thigh and lower leg areas. Emus have been farmed in Australia since the early 1970's and emu farming became a commercially viable industry in around 1987.

Answer: Ivory

The leather that is collected from emus is often used to make small items such as shoes. Oil from the birds has shown some evidence of having anti-inflammatory benefits and is captured and sold for this purpose. The oil is also used in some cosmetic products. The eggs and feathers of emus are often collected and carved out and sold as decorative pieces.

Answer: Running in a zigzag pattern

Emus tend to run in a zigzag pattern when they are being attacked from above by predators such as eagles. When they are being attacked by land predators, they tend to rely on the strength of their legs to deliver their attacker swift kicks. Another natural defence of the emu is its ability to quickly turn 180 degrees while at top speed of around 50 km/h and continue running in another direction which can not be copied by predators such as cats.

Answer: No

Since white settlement in Australia there have been very few reports of emus attacking people and they are more likely to avoid humans. Many emus in captivity will approach humans and eat food out of the hands of people.

Answer: Hypnotising them

Australian aboriginals commonly ate the meat of emus as a part of their diet, used the oil for healing and made items from their leather. Dangling a ball of rags from a tree was one way of trapping an emu as it gauged their curiosity and lured the bird to them.

They also had a device known as an emu caller and the noise that came out of it also ignited the emu's curiosity. Other methods of capturing the emu included imitating their calls and trapping them in nets.

Answer: Ratite

Birds of the ratite family have been around since the age of the dinosaurs; however most of them are now extinct. The surviving ratite birds include the emu, ostrich, cassowary, kiwi and rhea. The defining features of birds of the ratite family are that they are large and flightless birds.