Defining Sex in Mature Emus

[Tame Emu Guy]

Everything you wrote makes sense to me, Nicophorus – especially the point about predators working in pairs.

However, we haven’t a hope of getting info on emus versus dingoes: most of the dingoes left in the wild are ‘way out,’ in the ‘cattle country’. Get a map, readers, and check out the eastern side of W.A., for instance. The reason there are no roads or towns marked out there is because there are no roads or towns out there. I strongly suspect that there aren’t many gentle-hearted amateur ornithologists out there. Germaine Greer uses the term ‘hypermasculinist.’


For what it’s worth, we have three datum on adult emus being in the presence of dogs.

The first is where Snooper lives. He’s a sook of a dog, but a powerful mid-sized animal. His owners live at a farmhouse like mine, and report that emus come to within fifty or eighty yards of Snooper, who isn’t tied up.

Second: I knew the tenants at ‘the old Sounness place.’
[ For Planet Rothschildi readers, Stinky Creek is between my place and that farmhouse.]

They told me that they were surprised that the wild emus regularly came close to the resident (big) dog, which was tied up.

Three: on two occasions, I have seen a dog in the presence of Greedy the Emu, here at the house-clearing. To my surprise, she was unperturbed (the dog was busy chasing the chickens) even when the dog passed by about forty feet away. Stood stock still.

And isn’t it fun to surf the old threads!!!

Supreme Emu

 

[Nicophorus]

Makes sense the wild emu would stay still. Most canids are endurance runners, the Emu has much better chances for survival if they stand their ground against a (single) dog.

I cant find ANY info on this subject though, just conjecture. Plenty of dingo/kangaroo studies, but nothing on Emu. I suppose those legs/claws are a big protection vs. one low profile dingo.

I'm drawn to those "ends of the earth" type places you live in by the way heh. I remember once on the road from Melbourne to Port Fairy (lived in AUS for a time), stopping by the sea and looking south, knowing nothing was in that direction but the sea and lonely Antarctica, had a very "end of the world/map" feel to it.

Which reminds me, I've seen wild emu (this time on the road from Melbourne to Adelaide). Nothing interesting, just birds in fields as one drives by. Think it was through wheat country in north west Victoria.

I wonder why Dingos are not more widespread, being descended from dogs brought in by humans, you'd think they'd be MORE apt to colonize near human habitation then our own wild coyotes in the US do.

Going to have to read through your thread one day with a cup of coffee

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

I served in airborne infantry in the late 70’s, Nicophorus, and flew a zillion hours back and forth across Oz. On maps, you’ll find immense chunks marked as ‘Crown Land.’ What are not marked are the military reserves within these, some of which are immense. I got to traipse across literally thousands of miles of them.

Dingoes were shot out. Full stop. There was still a dingo trap on the wall of the local pub when I got here five years ago. I’ve seen a photo of dingoes shot in the fifties within a few miles of this block.

Some time ago, while surfing on the Net, I found footage of two lions bringing down a full-grown ostrich. In the last frames, as the bird lies on the ground with one lion fastened on its neck from behind, it lashes out mightily at the lion attacking it from the front. I reckon the blow would go close to punching a hole all the way through a puny human.

S.E.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
Dogs can take out an emu at night when they are bedded down. Had a few attack one of mine.. if it hadn't been for him running to the house and me hearing the noise then he would have been another dead emu.
So it's very understandable that even a lone dingo would be able to kill an adult emu at night.

 

[moonjelly]

A dog killed both my adult emus. Took them down in the middle of the day.

 

[yinepu]

A dog killed both my adult emus. Took them down in the middle of the day.

That's one of the problems with "pet emu" as compared with "wild emu".. the wild ones would consider a dog charging at them as a threat and take appropriate action.. if one of our pet emu sees a dog running around they consider it to be "safe" to an extent.. which puts them at higher risk than their wild counterparts

 

[moonjelly]

That makes sense. This happened almost five years ago now. I'm so happy to have at least one of my emu eggs hatch. I miss having them so much.