In room 18 we have completed some animal reports. My one was about Horned Lizards. I hope you learn something new about them.
Here is my animal report...
Did you know that the Horned lizard is one of the smallest animals? Horned lizards have lots of other names like Horned frog, Horned toad, Phrynonsma Hernandesi and Crown of horns. There is are also 29 different types - they are all endangered and very rare because people hunt them. Some Horned lizards live 50 to 60 days, and others live to 8 years. They are in the reptiles family because they have cold blood.
Horned lizards can be red, grey or brown, which helps them look like the desert. Their eyes can shoot blood that confuses predators so that the Horned lizard can hide. They are spiky and have claws which they use to climb. They are very cool because they can control their body temperature. If they need to they can blow their bodies to twice their size.
Horned lizards live in lots of different countries including Mexico, Central America, Texas and Canada. In those places they live in low valleys, deserts, foothills, hot places, diverse habitats, forests, small borrows and the Pacific Ocean coast. Horned lizards like deserts because it is easier to hide from predators. The problem with deserts is that it doesn't rain a lot. The other problem with deserts is they are too hot.
Horned lizards eat ants like Harvest and Primly if they can find them. They also eat grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, moths, ticks, butterflies, caterpillars, crickets and Pill bugs. Horned lizards use the sun to help them hunt, so the hotter it is the more active they are. They hide and are very patient, then they use their tongue and grab them with it but they don't stalk. They are an omnivore and in the winter they hibernate.
Horned lizards lay eggs which they make chambers for. Some Horned lizards have live babies but only 2 types do that. It is sad for Horned lizards because the mum lays the eggs but then she leaves them. Horned lizards must bury the eggs quickly or they will be laid above ground and the predators will eat them. In April to June it is mating time and the boys fight for girls.
Since Horned lizards are cold blooded they bask in the sunlight every day on rocks. They sometimes make tunnels with 6 to 8 chambers in them and they put the eggs in some of them. In the fall they bury themselves in sand and then they hibernate for the winter. At night time Horned lizards bury themselves to keep warm and then they lie flat. Sometimes if a land predator comes, Horned lizards blow their bodies up to twice their size.
Horned lizards spikes are very useful because if a predator tries to eat them the Horned lizard gets stuck in their throat. Despite their spiky feature, Horned lizards still get attacked by hawks, roadrunners, snakes, other lizards, dogs, wolves, coyotes, magpies and ravens. Humans are a main predator because we hunt them and run them over with cars. Their least common predator is dogs. Their most common predator is snakes.
I think we should stop hunting Horned lizards because your kids kids might never hear of them. You can help by keeping your dog inside your house at night.
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Thanks for reading and please leave comment:)
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