Cassowaries do not always run away, they have sharp claws and can defend themselves by kicking violently. Several people have been killed by them in this way. Unlike Emus, Ostriches and Rheas, Cassowaries are territorial all year round and live in pairs. The 3-6 large green eggs are laid in a forest between May and September. Cassowaries, like Emus and Rheas, have 3 toes to their feet.
Males are slightly smaller.
Emu feathers have an aftershaft as large as the main shaft effectively creating a two veined feather. Also the barbs are too loose and far apart to zip up. This means that like the cassowary the Emu's feathers act more like hair. Emus are a uniform brownish colour except for the head which has black hairs and blue skin beneath, which s often visible as the hairs become patchy. Now only one species of Emu exists, but when Europeans first arrived in Australia, one if not three other species existed in Tasmania and on islands along southern Australia.