RE: Kickboxing Cassowary

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Quoting Dino Guy Ralph <dinoguy@sbcglobal.net>:

> See a kangaroo rake a tourist's face with its hands and his groin with its
> feet at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B66gFbN3sg .  (Sorry, but it isn't
> very bloody).  Of course the kangaroo isn't out to kill the man.  
> 
> Is this a useful analog for dromaeosaur behavior?

I can't see Youtube videos at work - but based on the footage I've seen of 
'roos doing this, they 
tend to support their weight back on their tail in order to kick forward with 
both feet. I doubt 
dromaeosaurs tails could have been used in this way. However grasping prey with 
the foreclaws 
while plunging or raking with the toe claws is certainly possible (perhaps even 
likely).

This fighting style in kangaroos is usually for intraspecific combat between 
males, so it's intended 
to be non-lethal for the most part. They wrestle with each other using the 
forelimbs, then one will 
kick out at the other when it feels like it might be losing. Male kangaroos 
have a thickened area of 
hide on their bellies to help protect them from such kicks. I beleive it's the 
forelimb wrestling 
however that is the true test of strength between them.

Although primarily for non-fatal intraspecific combat, 'roos can certainly kill 
dogs if cornered 
(although I suspect they'd try to out-run predators if at all possible). 
There's only one reliable 
account of a human being killed by a kangaroo though.

Apparently one of their favoured method of killing dogs is to lead them into 
water and drown them 
by holding them under!
http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroos-dogs.html

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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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