Road Runner essays

Road Runner essays The Road Runner, whose scientific name is Geococcyx Californianus, is only found in the deserts. It is also called the Chaparral Cock. The Road Runner is a large, black-and- white ground bird. It has strong feet, a long white tipped tail, and an over sized bill. The road runners length is twenty- twenty-four inches, and its height is ten- twelve inches. The tail of the Road Runner is long and is carried in an upward angle. The Road Runner has long stout legs. It also has a series of six- eight low, dovelike coos. The Road Runner can walk or run up to seventeen miles per hour. Due to its quickness a Road Runner is one of the few animals that prey on rattlesnakes. It also feeds on insects, scorpions, lizards, snakes, rodents, and other birds. Ten percent of the Road Runners diet on the winter is made up of plants, due to the scarcity of desert animals at that time of year. The Road Runner is suited to its desert environment, due to its adaptations for the desert life. Some adaptations include its carnivorous habits that offer it a large supply of very moist food. Also that it reabsorbs water from its feces before excretion. Another adaptation that the Road Runner has is, that it reduces its activity fifty percent during the heat of the midday. The Road Runner, also has the advantage of its quickness, for snatching food in the desert. Road Runners breeding period occurs in the spring. The Road Runners build a nest using small sticks. The female then lays two- twelve white eggs over a period of three days. The first to hatch often crowds out the late arriving runts, which are sometimes eaten by their parents. Usually only three of four are finally fledged from the nest. They stay with their parents for about two more weeks, before entering the desert on their own. The Road Runners life span is about seven or eight years. ...