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emus are large birds from Australia that are often confused with similar birds ostriches. With an average height of 6.2 feet, traveling at 25 miles per hour, and with some very sharp claws, emus almost resemble predators. Which begs the question, what do emus eat?
Surprisingly, you won’t find many living things on the list of emus preferred meals. We’ll examine the emu’s diet and show you what they eat and why you should still keep your distance if you come across one in the wild.
What foods does emus eat?
Emus eat seeds, grass and insects for most of their diet. Emus are omnivores, but they tend to be more herbivorous than carnivorous. These large birds are very opportunistic because they live in Oceania, a somewhat inhospitable natural environment. They will consume a variety of foods they come across, even if it means plucking them from another animal’s feces.
Here is a list of the most common foods that emus will eat:
Emus have a strong preference for seeds, grasses and other foods that are plentiful and easy to find. It is easier and less dangerous for them to seek out and eat these meals. These birds also have a somewhat high protein requirement, between 15% and 20% of their diet. Therefore, they will choose insects and other protein-rich creatures as part of their diet.
Emus have a good sense of danger, so they will avoid eating creatures that can harm them, such as snakes, even if they are capable of killing them. They occasionally eat lizards, as well as small rodents that pose no significant threat to them.
How do emus forage?
Emus live in a harsh environment where they sometimes travel between 15 and 15 miles a day in search of food and water. They are often in search of their favorite food, but sometimes they have to pick undigested seeds from their own feces and the feces of other animals for energy.
They spend much of their time foraging, picking at the ground with their beaks and claws to find select bits of food and discovering insects from under rocks.
Interestingly, emus do not have teeth with which to grind their food. As a result, they will swallow small stones that get stuck in their gizzards. As they eat food, these pebbles grind up the meal so that it can be properly digested.
Their foraging habits have an unintended side effect of spreading seeds across Australia, sometimes at the expense of the environment, such as when they spread a form of cactus across the country.
How much should emus eat?
Emus spend much of their lives foraging, and they lose regularly significant parts of their body weight while searching for food supplies. When they discover a food supply in the wild, they will pack food and extra fat and start their search for food all over again.
When in captivity, emus do not need to eat much. On average, an adult emu weighs between 70 and 80 pounds, with males tipping the scale over 100 pounds. When consuming a diet of food grains, they will often eat only about 1.5 pounds of food per day.
When emus are kept in captivity, it is easy to provide enough food for their diet.
What does emus eat in winter?
Australia, the country with the most emus populations, has a wide variety of climatic zones due to its large size. The temperature and weather changes that occur throughout the year allow emus to lead a nomadic lifestyle as they forage for food.
In the winter, emus will travel to the warmer places in the country and their diet will become more plant-based due to the reduced ability to consume insects. They will focus on eating herbs, new grasses, flowers and seeds.
What are the predators of the emus?
Emus are very large birds, with only the ostrich higher than them. They can reach a height of between 59 and 75 inches. That makes them about as tall as most people, but a lot of that is their neck and legs. They use their size, speed and claws that grow 4 inches long to ward off predators. Needless to say, these birds can tear some animals to shreds.
Nevertheless, emus, especially the young and the very old, are targets for a few predators. The following animals pose the greatest danger to emus:
Of these predators, dingoes, wedge-tailed eagles and humans are the most dangerous and capable of killing an adult emu. The others may get lucky by killing a young emu or eating their eggs.
as with many animals in Australia, humans pose a threat to emus. Aside from hunting and farming, emus are often victims of vehicles.
Are emus dangerous to humans?
Emus are not overly aggressive and hostile towards humans, but there have been instances where emus have been people attacked and hurt. Often humans are only attacked by emus if they get too close or if they approach a nest parent. Emus react strongly to apparent threats that come close to their young.
Emus are the most likely to jump and use their long claws to scratch at potential threats, which can cause serious injuries to humans, although fatal encounters are rare and poorly documented.
In short, staying away from emus in the wild is a wise choice as they have the potential to be dangerous.
Emus are large birds that are often recognized for their dope appearance and the time humans conducted an armed campaign against them. Although they may look like apex predators, the truth is that they are peaceful omnivores that rarely eat anything other than plants and insects.
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