Bolting Runners

By: Austen Jones

Table of ContentsIntroduction…………..1diet…………………………...2habitat……………………..3protection………………..4Look like……………………5growing……………………..6Interesting Facts……7Glossary…………………….8 Index………………………….9

Roadrunners are speedy runners on the ground. They are in the bird family. The roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.

What do they eat?

Roadrunners eat a lot of small animals. They insects, lizards, birds, rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions, frogs, and rodents. When ever they see food they strike at it.

Did you know?Another name for a roadrunner is snake killer.

Did you know?A roadrunner is faster than a rattlesnake to attack.

Where do they live?

They live in Mexico, California, Arizona, Colorado, and Oklahoma. They live in very dry places. Roadrunners live in cactus, plants, even diminutive trees in the desert.

How do they protect themselves?

They bolt away from their predators. They race and hide from their predators. If roadrunners sense any kind of danger it will fly. They fly high to get away from their predators. Their typical day is spent finding food and looking out for their predators.

Did you know?

Roadrunners run up to 20

miles an hour at top

speed.

What do they look like?

They look like a woodpecker. Roadrunners have a crest on their head. A crest is made of feathers and looks like a mohawk. They are brown, black, and white. Roadrunners have two toes in the front and in the back. Roadrunners have wings to fly but they don’t fly much.

Growing

Roadrunners lay 2 to 12 eggs at one time. Then in a few weeks they turn in to chicks. Then for a week or two they stay by the nest. Then female builds the actual nest in a cactus. They build their nests in bushes, trees, and cacti. After a few years they are grown ups and they grow to be 20 to 24 inches long. Then they lay their own chicks.

Glossarypredators: an animal that eats anther animal

rodents: an animal that has long front teeth

chicks: baby birds

crest : the feathers on a birds head

Roadrunners are coolOutstanding bolting runnersAmazing birdsDelightful flyersRoadrunners are smallUnpleasant with snakes Nibbling on insects and snakesNervously watching their predatorsExamining their preyRoadrunners are wise animalsSmart escapers