Dromaius novaehollandiae
Adaptation
Emus
are very adaptable to different environments. It has a
long neck, sharp beak, and small ears. The emus have two
sets of eyelids. One set keeps out the dust while the
other is used for blinking. Most of the bones of an emu
are hollow, which makes its body lighter.
The emu has long legs and short toes that help
for long distance walking, which it does every day to move with the rain
in order for it to find more food. These long legs allow the emu
to be very fast, which allows it to get away faster when it is in
danger. Emus are the only bird with gastrocnemius muscles in the
back of its lower legs. Even though emus are flightless birds, it
still has tiny wings that help stabilize them when they run. The
emu is a strong swimmer.
It
has black feathers that help emus deal with extreme changes in the
weather. These feathers allow emus to absorb heat and also to keep
the heat away. The feathers are double-layered, which helps emus
withstand the heat.
On hot days, emus use its lungs as coolers by
breathing quickly. It also has a nasal turbinate that condenses
air into water, so emus can reabsorb the water into the body.
Continue to Nutrition.
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