Sea turtles are coldblooded reptiles that live in oceans. Even though sea turtles live in the ocean, they are related to land turtles. Sea turtles breathe through lungs and have a 3 or 4 chambered heart. A sea turtles shell can protect it from their enemies. Humans are the main predators of turtles, but fish, frogs, snakes, minks, otters and birds such as crows eat their eggs.
Sea turtles don't have teeth, though do have hard jaws which can leave a small bite mark. Sea turtles have paddle-like flippers. Their flippers are great for getting them through the water. They also breathe air, so a sea turtle must come to the water surface when it needs to breathe, which can leave them able to see from boats. There are seven species of sea turtles. Six of them (the hawksbill, green, flat back, loggerhead, Kemp's riley, and olive riley have shells made up of hard scuttles, while the aptly-named leatherback turtle has a shell that is as hard as leather. All sea turtles and all turtles lay eggs. Sea turtles hatch from eggs on shore and then spend several years out at sea. It may take 5 to 35 years for them to become a grown turtle, depending on the species. At this point, males and females migrate to breeding grounds, which are often near nesting areas. Males and females mate offshore, and females travel to nesting areas to lay their eggs. Ashleigh
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Geckos are cool-looking little lizards that live in hot places. Like all reptiles they can’t regulate their body temp so they rely on the sun to keep them warm. They live mostly in deserts rainforests and jungles. Geckos can be as small as 1 inch or as large as 1 foot long. Their tails are fat.
Geckos store food in their tails. If you grab a gecko by the tail, the tail will come off so the gecko can escape. There are over 1,000 kinds of geckos divided into two species. One species has that can’t blink. The other type has eyelids and can blink just like you. Scientists can tell by a gecko’s pupils if it is diurnal or nocturnal. Diurnal geckos, which are awake during the day, have round pupils. Nocturnal geckos have vertical pupils, like a cat’s. Geckos have millions of tiny, bristly hairs on their feet. These hairs let them to stick to surfaces like a wall or ceiling. They’re a little like Velcro. Geckos have excellent eyesight. Geckos are insectivores. That means they eat bugs! They love worms, mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers. If you shine a flashlight in a gecko’s ear, the light will come out the other ear. Cool, don’t you think? Geckos make chirping sounds to communicate. Ashleigh Chameleons have eyes that can swivel. They can look at two different things at once. The panther chameleon changes its color to yellow or red when it’s angry. When a chameleon is cold, it will become darker in color.
Dark colors attract heat better than light ones. Chameleons have a lightning-fast tongue. It flashes out to 26 times the length of its body to snatch insects. The tongue moves so fast that it is a blur. Sick chameleons look pale in color. Chameleons live in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. The largest ones grow to 2 feet long. The smallest one is smaller than a finger. A chameleons skin can have spots of orange, yellow, red, blue or green. Chameleons also have bumpy scales on their bodies. Most chameleons lay eggs in a hole in the ground. Some incubate the eggs in their bodies and have live babies. Ashleigh Unlike many other songbirds that live in North America, both male and female cardinals can sing. Usually other birds that are males are capable of singing. When a female cardinal sings from its nest, it means she’s telling the male she needs more food for their baby or for themselves. During the spring, male Northern Cardinal sometimes attack a window. It’s actually attacking his reflection in the glass because he will angrily defend his breeding territory from intruding males.
Cardinals eat insects grain, seeds and fruits. Cardinals sometimes join flocks of other birds. Cardinals raise as many as three groups, or clutches, of eggs each summer. During the mating season, which begins in March, the males are so hot-blooded, that although they breed near birds of other species, they will never allow one of their own kinds to nestle in their territory. A male cardinal can be seen following another from bush to bush. In the Southern Districts cardinals have been known to raise three broods in a single season. Cardinals are good parents. Young cardinals follow their parents on the ground for several days after leaving the nest. They tend to remain with their parents until they are able to find food on their own. While the male is caring for his family his red color will change to a shade of brown. A cardinals eggs may number from three to six quickly. Cardinal nests can be found in some bushes, or trees, often near a fence, the middle of a field. They can sometimes be found close to houses or in gardens. Ashleigh Snails eat living plants and crumbled up plants. They also chew on fruits and young plant barks. The snail has two pairs of tentacles on its head. One pair is longer than the other pair. The eyes are on the longer pair.
The shorter pair is used for smelling and feeling its way around. The tentacles are very important to snails. Snails have different shaped shells. It can be a single shell that is rounded, it can be a coned shaped, or it can be flat. Some people keep snails in aquariums with other kinds of fish. Though they must make sure that they control the number of snails. Snails do not like hot and dry conditions. They like it moist or humid and not too bright. Snails can live up to 5 to 10 years. Some have been known to live up to 15 years. You would probably find snails on leaves or rocks. Though I have never seen one. Ashleigh Most butterflies feed on nectar from a lot of flowers. Most butterflies have taste receptors on their feet. A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of five parts, an egg, a larva, a caterpillar, and a pupa and then into an adult butterfly.
Butterflies attach their eggs to leaves with special glue. Butterflies have four wings. Butterflies often have brightly colored wings with pretty patterns made up of tiny scales. There are between 15000 and 20000 different species of butterfly. Birdwing butterflies have large wings and fly in a similar way birds do. Every year monarch butterflies will travel a long distance sometimes over 4000 km, while the females will lay eggs. Some butterfly eggs hatch in a few days, others in a few months. The average is 8 days. Butterflies live all over the world, except in Antarctica and the most harshest deserts. Many butterflies live in tropical climates like Hawaii and Mexico. Their wings allow them to fly but only when their body temperature is above 86 degrees. The fastest butterflies can fly up to 30 miles an hour. Butterflies have three body parts, like all other insects, the head, the thorax which is the chest, and the abdomen which is the bottom. Butterflies are colorful for many reasons. The colors help them attract a mate. The color also helps them blend in among the flowers. Ashleigh Tigers live in hot, steamy jungles in Asia, though some live in Russia where it is cold and snowy. In fact, tiger cubs actually like to roll and play in the snow. In hot climates like Asia, they swim in rivers to cool off from chasing prey. There are two types of tiger, there is the snow tiger which lives in Russia, and the regular orange tiger that lives in Asia. Males weigh up to 400 pounds total. Tigers get their prey by sneaking quietly through the grass or trees and then pouncing on to it. Their orange and black stripes make them hard to see. Some snow tigers have been seen nearly all white because of bad genetic problems. White tigers started originating in India. White tigers tend to be larger than the other tigers that live in Asia. Tiger moms have between 2 and 7 babies. Tigers are carnivorous that eat wild pigs, deer, baby elephants, and rhinos. Tigers can eat up to 88 pounds of meat in one meal. They hunt once or twice a week, they cover any leftovers with dirt, and come back later to snack on the meat again. Ashleigh Bees make honey to feed their young. They also make it to have something to eat during the winter. Killer bees have been known to chase people for over a 1/4 mile once they get excited and aggressive. Certain species of bees die after stinging because their stingers, which are attached to their abdomen, have little barbs or hooks on them. When this type of bee tries to fly away after stinging something, part of the abdomen is ripped away.
There are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world. Bees live in colonies that contain the queen bee, the worker bee and the drone. The worker bee and the queen bee are both female, but only the queen bee can reproduce. All drones are male. Worker bees clean the hive, collecting pollen and nectar to feed the colony and they take care of the offspring. The drone’s only job is to mate with the queen. The queen’s only job is to lay eggs. Bees store their venom in a sac attached to their stinger and only female bees sting. That is because the stinger, called an ovipositor is part of the female bee’s reproductive design. A queen bee uses her ovipositor to lay eggs as well as sting. Sterile females, also called worker bees, don’t lay eggs. They just use their ovipositors to sting. Bees see all colors except the color red. That and their sense of smell help them find the flowers they need to collect pollen. Not only is pollen a food source for bees, but also some of the pollen is dropped in flight, resulting in cross pollination. Ashleigh Deer are part of the Cervical family that include moose, reindeer, elk and other species. A male deer is usually called a ‘buck’. A large male deer is often called a stag. A female deer is usually called a ‘doe’.
A young deer is usually called a ‘fawn’. A group of deer is known as a ‘herd’. Deer can jump high and swim well. Most deer are born with white spots but lose them within a year. Deer take their first steps within half an hour of their birth. Young deer will usually stay with their mother for around a year. Like any other animal, deer need food as soon as their born. Only Male deer have antlers. I like deer. I like them because their cute. Though I would not like to get near a baby deer. Because the mom will be close by. Ashleigh Penguins are flightless birds. A penguin spends half its lifetime under the water and the rest on land roaming about. No penguins can be found living anywhere in the North Pole. Penguins are found in the Arctic, but not at the South Pole.
Three foods of penguins are krill, fish, and squid. Some of the smaller penguins eat only krill. Some of the larger penguins eat fish and squid also. They find these foods in the waters around Antarctica. Baby penguins have to eat as soon as they hatch. When they do hatch, the mom or dad will go get food. The one that is not getting food will stay with the baby until the other gets back. When the other gets back she or he spits the food into the babies mouth. I would not like that! If I where a baby penguin I would not eat it. I would not even look at it. EWW! Ashleigh Tarantulas give some people the creeps because of their large, hairy bodies and legs. But these spiders are harmless to humans except for their painful bite. Though their venom is weaker than a typical bee's. These spiders have become popular pets. There are hundreds of tarantula species found in most of the world's tropical places. Tarantulas are slow movers. Insects are their main prey, but they also target bigger game, including frogs, toads, and mice. I know you know what the South American bird-eating spider eats. The south American bird-eating spider is big and scary just like the Tarantula except their fangs are bigger. Hatchling birds that have fallen out of their nests are going to be eaten. However, the diet contains insects, lizards, frogs, and other spiders.
Although the fangs are long and robust and can easily penetrate human skin, the bite is not deadly. The venom is quite toxic, however, and bites may cause pain. The female bird-eating spider spends most of her life in her burrow during spring or early summer. The male approaches the female’s burrow and tricks her out, hopefully without becoming dinner, to mate at the entrance. Ashleigh Swans eat leaves, seeds, roots corn, shrimp, grain and vegetables that have been harvested by farmers. Swans get the leaves, the shrimp, and the roots from the water. They get the grain, the seeds, the corn, and the vegetables on the ground. Swans also eat bugs like snails and beetles.
Many swans make very loud noises when they are flying. Though mute swans, are nearly always silent and rarely make any noise when flying. All swans also make loud hissing or grunting noises when they are angry. I would not like to get near them when they are angry. A male swan is called a cob. A female swan is called a pen. A baby swan is called a cygnet. Though I call them chicks. Swans begin breeding between the ages of 3-4. A swan will mate for life. Swan eggs take between 35 and 42 days to hatch. I like swans. Ashleigh A chicken that lives on a farm eats corn, vegetables leftovers and wheat. Chickens in the wild eat Insects like grasshoppers worms, seeds, and sometimes littered food. Ill or injured chickens should not be fed salty foods like salted sunflower seeds, salted meats, canned with salt corn, and salted crackers. If you do it will get even sicker.
Chickens live in Indian Asia, Africa, and Europe. With 25 billion chickens in the world, there are more of them then any other bird species. There are dozens of chicken breeds, such as the Dutch bantam, leghorn and Rhode Island red. Chickens are raised mostly for their eggs and meat, but chickens also make good pets. People have been raising chickens for more than 7,000 years. A healthy chicken lays about 265 eggs each year. That’s a lot of omelets! Chickens will be less nervous if you walk backwards when entering the coop. Most chickens live 5 to 8 years. Chickens cluck after they lay an egg. Mother hens talk to their chicks when they are still in the egg. A mother hen turns her eggs about 50 times a day. Ashleigh Doves are beautiful white birds that eat mostly seeds. They can also eat worms, grain, and wheat. All of the food they pick up is from the ground. Doves have claws that are good for grabbing worms.
I like doves. I like them because of their color. Some doves are a brownish-gray above and gray below. Some are also white. Doves are part of the pigeon family. Though doves don't fly with other pigeons. They fly with other doves. Every time I see a dove I smile. Doves are harmless to humans. Though they could peck you. Ashleigh I like woodpeckers. I like them because of their look. Woodpeckers live in North America. We also hear them in the woods where we live.
Woodpeckers of North America are omnivorous. They eat a wide portion of different plants fruit, nuts, and berries. Though namely they eat insects and bugs that live on or in dead or dying wood. Woodpeckers have super long sticky tongues that also help them get food. Tree holes are good places to raise baby woodpeckers. The chicks are safe from predators high up in a tree hole. Woodpeckers enemies are owls and hawks. The birds bill is big, sharp and tough, it also helps them. Woodpeckers have claws that help them climb trees. Woodpeckers nails are 1 or 2 inches long. Their claws also help to hold their food when there eating. And killing animals that they can eat. Ashleigh Crabs have 10 legs. The first pair are its claws. Crabs live in all the world's oceans in fresh water, and on land. There are over 4500 species of crabs. There are hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, horseshoe crabs crab lice and many more crabs.
Male crabs tend to often fight with each other over females or hiding holes. The Pea Crab is the smallest known species that is just a few millimeters wide. The largest species is the Japanese Spider Crab, with a leg span up to 13 feet. Crabs are omnivores meaning they eat both meat and plants. They feed mainly on algae, but they eat worms too. The most consumed species of crab in the world is the Japanese Blue Crab. Like Spiders, crabs have legs that bend at the joints. Swimming crabs use their front legs to paddle in water. Male crabs have blue colored claws. Females have red colored. Crabs have good eyes. They can see if there in their burrow or under a rock. I don't like crabs. I don't like them because of their claws. Though I do like them because of their little face. Ashleigh The kraken can eat anything... even sharks! It is said the sea monster eats humans, squids, fish, whales, pirates, and sailors. Krakens are the biggest, and meanest animal on earth. The kraken lives in the seas off of Norway, Iceland, and in the Scandinavian sea.
Krakens live in very deep water. What ever they see they eat. The kraken is mostly called a sea monster. I don't like Krakens. I don't like them because they are scary, and big. If I ever saw a kraken, I would probably faint. Krakens use their suckers for holding their food. The giant squid and the kraken are closely related except the kraken is bigger and a different color. No reptile, mammal, or amphibian can beat the size of the kraken. I think krakens are ugly. Some people don't believe in krakens. Krakens never come out of the deep water. They don't want to be caught on a fish hook. Though if a fish hook did get a kraken, it would probably eat the person that hooked it. Ashleigh Rabbits and bunnies are the same animal. There's no difference in breed or species. Female rabbits are called does. Male rabbits are called bucks. Young rabbits are called kits, or kittens.
Rabbits live in big groups. More than half of the world’s rabbits live in North America. Rabbits have long ears which can be as long as 4 inches. Rabbits have a lifespan of around 10 years. Rabbits are herbivores that eat plants. I like bunnies and rabbits. I like them because their so cute. Rabbits are born with their eyes closed and without fur. In the summer, rabbits eat grass, wild strawberries, garden vegetables and some flowers. In the winter, they survive on woody stems and even the bark of some trees. The porcupine is the prickliest of rodents. Its Latin name is quill pig. There are more than two dozen porcupine species. The coat of quills is to protect it from predators. Some quills, (from the African porcupine), are nearly a foot long.
Porcupines have soft hair, but on their back, sides, and tail it is usually sharp quills. These quills lie flat until a porcupine is threatened, then the quills point up. Porcupines cannot shoot them at predators. Quills have sharp tips that make them hard to remove once they are stuck in another animal's skin. Porcupines grow new quills to replace the ones they lose. Porcupines are found in North and South America. They are also good climbers and spend much of their time in trees. The North American porcupine is the only species that lives in the U.S. and Canada. It is also the largest of all porcupines. North American porcupines use their large front teeth to satisfy a healthy appetite for wood. Other porcupine species live in Africa, Europe, and Asia. These animals usually live on the ground in deserts, grasslands, and forests. There are 29 species of porcupines. Babies have soft quills at birth, which harden within a few days. Most young porcupines are ready to live on their own at about two months of age. Ashleigh Crows eat a lot of foods, including grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and many kinds of small animals such as earthworms and mice. They eat many insects, including some crop pests, and also eat aquatic animals such as fish, young turtles, crayfish mussels, and clams. Crows live mostly in North America. They also can often be found in forests, woodlands, and fields. I like crows.
I like them because of their color, their long talons, and their big beak. Crows start mating in late May or June. Crows mate for life. The only exceptions are if the male crow is killed or the birds can not keep the breeding line going. Crows are actually some of the most intelligent for hunting and are very adaptable to their surroundings. At birth, a baby crow is called a chick. Crows are wild birds, not pets. All female birds are called hens. Some crows can have 20 babies. Crows are hard to see in the night because their black. Crows nests are very big. It looks like a eagles nest, but a little bite smaller. |
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