Question of the Week
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April 7, 2003
Question of the week:
How does the emu escape predatory cats that run
much faster than they do?
Submitted by: Sarah Gibson
Answer: An emu with 9-foot long
strides has a top running speed of 35 miles per hour. However, some
of its predators are cats, which can run at close to double that speed.
An emu can't escape a pursuing cat by outrunning it or by air since they
are flightless, but emus can escape by outmaneuvering the cat. An emu being
pursued will wait just before the cat reaches it, and raise one of its
little stubby wings towards the sky and point the other towards the ground.
This motion enables the emu to swivel around almost 180 degrees at top
speed. The cat can't turn this quickly and its momentum will keep
it going for 30 or so yards, by which time the emu is far away. Therefore,
the emu can exhaust its predator before the predator can catch up with
it.
Submitted by: Celeste Ruth