How does a cassowary get its food?

How does a cassowary get its food?

They are one of only a few frugivores (fruit eaters) that can disperse large rainforest fruits, and the only one that can carry them over long distances. They swallow the fruit whole, digesting the pulp and passing the seeds unharmed in large piles of dung, distributing them over large areas throughout the rainforest.

How are young cassowaries cared for?

For each male that she finds, she will provide a clutch of eggs (usually 3 to 5) for him to nurture. The males incubate the eggs, and raise the chicks, caring for them until they are able to look after themselves. Somewhere between 8-18 months of age, fathers will banish the sub-adults from their home range.

What do cassowary eat in captivity?

In the wild: The majority of the double-wattled cassowary diet consists of fruit that has fallen from trees or fruit on low-hanging branches. They also eat fungi, seeds, insects, snails and small vertebrates. At the zoo: Fed primarily fruit and a ratite pellet diet.

What is the cassowary life cycle?

The average life span of a cassowary in the wild is unknown, but in captivity, they have been known to live to up to 60 years – the oldest known cassowary lived to over 61 at the Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria! ¹ The only human fatality in Australia occurred in 1926 when a 16 year-old boy was killed near Mossman.

How do cassowaries reproduce?

Cassowaries are solitary, except when they mate Cassowaries don’t form permanent bonds or mate for life, and the females may mate with several male cassowaries in a breeding season. In doing so, the female bird will produce several nests, laying clutches of three to five eggs by different fathers.

What are the adaptations of a cassowary?

Cassowaries have developed several physiological adaptations that enable this species to run as fast as 30 miles per hour through dense forests; for defense, this species has long, sharp claws on each of its three toes – some of which can grow up to 5 inches and are used to kick at predators, backed by their powerful …