Old Man Emu
Emu - Fact File
Emus are the third largest bird in the world.
They cannot fly but they can run really fast, up to nearly 60 kms
in short bursts.
Where they live. - Australia
Emus live on the gibber plains (gibber means small stones ), in the sandy desert country and in woodlands. Some countries such as America are experimenting with Emu farming so some live there too.
What they eat.
Emus eat bush fruits such as ruby salt bush and bush cucumber, leaves, grasses and small insects. When an Emu eats bush fruits it does not digest the seeds but 'poops' them out. Then the bush fruits can grow a new plant with ready made fertilizer. Emus need a lot of water, so wherever they live there must be a reliable source of water in their vicinity.
The placement of stock troughs and dams means that Emus can live in many parts of outback Australia.
Emu reproduction.
A female Emu can lay up to 20 eggs in one breeding season. After she has laid them the male Emu has the role of incubating the eggs and the female wanders off. The male Emu also looks after the baby chicks when they hatch. The babies take around 52 days to hatch. They can walk within hours of hatching and can run soon after. They are about 10 inches tall when hatchlings.
Emus live upto 30-35 years and can grow up to 1.5-2 meters. They are naturally curious birds, not normally vicious but they have a very sharp claw on their toe which can be used to disembowel when attacked.
Emus are farmed for their meat, leather, feathers and Emu oil. The Emu oil has a high penetration quality which makes it good as a topical medicinal ointment. Emu leather is used in wallets and belts and other cosmetic accessories.
Emus are the third largest bird in the world.
They cannot fly but they can run really fast, up to nearly 60 kms
in short bursts.
Where they live. - Australia
Emus live on the gibber plains (gibber means small stones ), in the sandy desert country and in woodlands. Some countries such as America are experimenting with Emu farming so some live there too.
What they eat.
Emus eat bush fruits such as ruby salt bush and bush cucumber, leaves, grasses and small insects. When an Emu eats bush fruits it does not digest the seeds but 'poops' them out. Then the bush fruits can grow a new plant with ready made fertilizer. Emus need a lot of water, so wherever they live there must be a reliable source of water in their vicinity.
The placement of stock troughs and dams means that Emus can live in many parts of outback Australia.
Emu reproduction.
A female Emu can lay up to 20 eggs in one breeding season. After she has laid them the male Emu has the role of incubating the eggs and the female wanders off. The male Emu also looks after the baby chicks when they hatch. The babies take around 52 days to hatch. They can walk within hours of hatching and can run soon after. They are about 10 inches tall when hatchlings.
Emus live upto 30-35 years and can grow up to 1.5-2 meters. They are naturally curious birds, not normally vicious but they have a very sharp claw on their toe which can be used to disembowel when attacked.
Emus are farmed for their meat, leather, feathers and Emu oil. The Emu oil has a high penetration quality which makes it good as a topical medicinal ointment. Emu leather is used in wallets and belts and other cosmetic accessories.
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Kangaroos
There are over 60 different species of kangaroo and their close relatives. All kangaroos belong to the super-family Macropodidae (or macropods, meaning 'great-footed').
Wallabies, wallaroos, pademelons, tree-kangaroos and forest wallabies are all members of the same family. However when we normally talk about Kangaroos in Australia we think of the larger ones like the Big Red, the Eastern and Western Grey and the Euros/Wallaroos. The taxonomic classification for these 6 big species is(Macroprodinae - Macropus)
Where I live in Quorn (South Australian Outback) we most often see the Euros. They are smaller than the Big Red and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, but are very muscular. There fur is more hairy and course not as soft as the others. We are also blessed to have the endangered Yellow footed Rock Wallabies around Quorn
Wallabies, wallaroos, pademelons, tree-kangaroos and forest wallabies are all members of the same family. However when we normally talk about Kangaroos in Australia we think of the larger ones like the Big Red, the Eastern and Western Grey and the Euros/Wallaroos. The taxonomic classification for these 6 big species is(Macroprodinae - Macropus)
Where I live in Quorn (South Australian Outback) we most often see the Euros. They are smaller than the Big Red and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, but are very muscular. There fur is more hairy and course not as soft as the others. We are also blessed to have the endangered Yellow footed Rock Wallabies around Quorn
Links -> for Aussie
Animals
Animals
Euro - Flinders Ranges
Yellow footed Rock Wallaby - Quorn
Kangaroo - Fact File
Where they live: The big kangaroos only live in Australia. They can be found all over the country but each area has a different type of Kangaroo that mainly inhabits that area, though there is some overlap of areas where you will find the different species co-habiting.
What they eat: Kangaroos are herbivores. this means they only eat plants. They will eat grass, leaves and young shoots from trees. They also like some bush tucker plants that people can also eat.
Kangaroo reproduction: When kangaroos are born they are only the size of a jelly-bean. They have to climb up the mothers fur to find the pouch. They cannot see and have no hair at this stage. A kangaroo normally stays in the pouch for approx 42 weeks, though this time varies a little from one species to another. Baby kangaroos live on the mothers milk while in the pouch. Kangaroos normally have only one baby at a time.
Kangaroos are protected but when their numbers are too high specially licensed hunters called "Roo-shooters" have permission to cull a certian amount from an area. The kangaroo meat is not wasted but sold in supermarkets and resturants for people to eat. The Aboriginals loved to eat kangaroo but it could take quite some time to hunt one down. Sometimes they just followed the kangaroo until it was too tired to go on.
Kangaroo meat is very healthy as it is low in fat.
For more information on kangaroo species found in South Australia click here
Where they live: The big kangaroos only live in Australia. They can be found all over the country but each area has a different type of Kangaroo that mainly inhabits that area, though there is some overlap of areas where you will find the different species co-habiting.
What they eat: Kangaroos are herbivores. this means they only eat plants. They will eat grass, leaves and young shoots from trees. They also like some bush tucker plants that people can also eat.
Kangaroo reproduction: When kangaroos are born they are only the size of a jelly-bean. They have to climb up the mothers fur to find the pouch. They cannot see and have no hair at this stage. A kangaroo normally stays in the pouch for approx 42 weeks, though this time varies a little from one species to another. Baby kangaroos live on the mothers milk while in the pouch. Kangaroos normally have only one baby at a time.
Kangaroos are protected but when their numbers are too high specially licensed hunters called "Roo-shooters" have permission to cull a certian amount from an area. The kangaroo meat is not wasted but sold in supermarkets and resturants for people to eat. The Aboriginals loved to eat kangaroo but it could take quite some time to hunt one down. Sometimes they just followed the kangaroo until it was too tired to go on.
Kangaroo meat is very healthy as it is low in fat.
For more information on kangaroo species found in South Australia click here
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Outback Kitchen Colour in Quorn Hawker
Art Gallery Soup recipe Bush Tucker Prayer Kangaroos Port Augusta Australian Birds Photos
Yowah Opal Town
Outback Kitchen Colour in Quorn Hawker
Art Gallery Soup recipe Bush Tucker Prayer Kangaroos Port Augusta Australian Birds Photos
Yowah Opal Town
| What is it? - picture ----> |
It comes after the rains, and can be found in puddles in the outback and even on top of Ayers Rock (Uluru). It only lives a little while and it can shed its shell to grow. It has gills and lays it's eggs in the sand. The eggs can stay in the hot clay pans for years waiting for the next outback rains. It is a shield shrimp. (triops australiensis) They live on rotting plant and animal material in the water. They don't like to be in the hot sun so they often hide under rocks or plant material |
When is an Owl not an Owl?
When it is a 'Tawny frog-mouth (Owl). You see even though many of us Aussie's call it an owl, it isn't.
It is actually related to the Kingfishers and Kookaburras (according to some taxonomies). Don't worry if you got this wrong too. We thought they were owls. But then my daddy brought one home for us to look after.
You see the poor thing was being attacked by a Kite and so daddy brought it home. Mum wasn't sure what it really eats, and when Dad brought home prime rib eye steak, Mum thought she had better see what the internet had to say. That's when we discovered it's not an owl.
When it is a 'Tawny frog-mouth (Owl). You see even though many of us Aussie's call it an owl, it isn't.
It is actually related to the Kingfishers and Kookaburras (according to some taxonomies). Don't worry if you got this wrong too. We thought they were owls. But then my daddy brought one home for us to look after.
You see the poor thing was being attacked by a Kite and so daddy brought it home. Mum wasn't sure what it really eats, and when Dad brought home prime rib eye steak, Mum thought she had better see what the internet had to say. That's when we discovered it's not an owl.
Triops - australiensis Shield Shrimp
Laughing like a Kookaburra! Want to find out more about Australia's happiest bird CLICK HERE
Photographs of Australian Bids CLICK HERE
Photographs of Australian Bids CLICK HERE
Experience the Australian Bush in Quorn. Come taste the Outback this April. Find out more HERE