Weights, measurements and food of the Emu in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia.

Abstract

During studies of the Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia some weights and measurements were recorded. The average weight of 58 adult Emus was found to be 79.4 lb; females averaged 12.2 lb heavier than males and appeared generally shorter in leg length than males (average difference, tibio-tarsus 27.7 mm, and tarso-metatarsus 23.3 mm). Of the the plant families recorded in the diet, Gramincae, Compositae, Liliaceae and Epacridaceae appeared most frequently.