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Emu. The emus form a distinct family, characterized by legs adapted for running. The total number of cassowary species described, based on minor differences in casque shape and color variations, formerly reached nine. [4] Now, however, only three species are recognized, and most authorities only acknowledge few subspecies or none at all.
The emu (/ ˈ iː m juː /; Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a species of flightless bird endemic to Australia, where it is the tallest native bird. It is the only extant member of the genus Dromaius and the third-tallest living bird after its African ratite relatives, the common ostrich and Somali ostrich. The emu's native ranges cover most of the ...
Common emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae. Mainland emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae; King Island emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae minor † Kangaroo Island emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae baudinianus † Tasmanian emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis † Pygmy cassowary, Casuarius lydekkeri † Dwarf cassowary, Casuarius bennetti
A large member of this species can be nearly 2.8 metres (9 ft 2 in) tall, weigh as much as 156 kilograms (344 lb), [18] and can outrun a horse. Of the living species, the Australian emu is next in height, reaching up to 1.9 metres (6 ft 3 in) tall and about 50 kilograms (110 lb). [18]
Two large emus on the loose in South Carolina ruffled the feathers of locals a week after dozens of monkeys escaped from a research facility in the Palmetto State.
Boles, Walter E. (2001): A new emu (Dromaiinae) from the Late Oligocene Etadunna Formation. Emu 101: 317–321. HTML abstract; Brands, Sheila (14 August 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Family Casuariidae". Project: The Taxonomicon permanent dead link ] Clements, James (2007).
Three cassowary species are extant. The most common, the southern cassowary, [7] is the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird, smaller only than the ostrich and emu. The other two species are represented by the northern cassowary and the dwarf cassowary; the northern cassowary is the most recently discovered and the most threatened. [7]
Skeletal mount (note damaged skull) Presently, most authorities consider the southern cassowary monotypic, but several subspecies have been described. [3] It has proven very difficult to confirm the validity of these due to individual variations, age-related variations, the relatively few available specimens (and the bright skin of the head and neck – the basis upon which several subspecies ...