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Roadrunner
[ A roadrunner ] You can tell just by their names that roadrunners seldom fly. They are weak flyers because of their short wings. Instead, they prefer to run on the ground in search of food. Roadrunners can run long distances at 20km/h and sprint short distances at 40km/h. Roadrunners live in the Sonoran, Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts. They are large birds and are almost 60cm (2ft) long. They have dark feathers and there are light blue stripes behind the eyes. Roadrunners have a crest on their head 5cm (2 inch) long. When they are curious or excited, the head feathers on the crest stand up. Roadrunners have a special way to save energy. They become torpid on cold nights. That means it does not move or feel anything at all, and it is like hibernating for one night. When they wake up in the morning, they bask in the sun to warm up. In this way they do not have to use up a lot of energy to keep warm at night. A roadrunner's cup-shaped nest is made of twigs bound together with snakeskin or dried cattle or antelope droppings. These are usually built in low trees or in clumps of cacti. They also line the nest with soft leaves and grass. A female roadrunner lays about 2-6 eggs at a time.
[ The roadrunner is watching out for enemies ]
[ A road runner building a cup-shaped nest in low trees or in clumps of cacti ] DID YOU KNOW? Roadrunners have 2 gross ways to kill a lizard: 1. pound them on rocks 2. crush them with their feet (!!!!)
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