Animal Research

In an informational writing assignment, students were asked to choose an animal to research. From snakes (oh my!) to iguanas, here are some interesting facts that they had to share.

Flamingos By: Spencer Prichard

Flamingos are unlike other animals because of their cool features. Here are some facts about flamingos. According to the internet, flamingos can sleep on one leg for a long time. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. Another fact is that flamingos can live from 40 to 60 years.

Flamingos are creatures that can fly. Did you know that? Most people do not know they can fly because of their body shape. Their teeth are a mush like form. Flamingos rarely can hurt you, but they can dive down and hit you a little.

As you have seen, flamingos are very unique. Flamingos come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Not all of them are pink in color. They really are unlike any other creature.

Cows By: Delbert Taylor

We see cows all the time in America. In fact, the first one came to Jamestown in 1611. Since then, people keep cows in their fields and on their farms.

They are large animals that like to eat. They love to eat grass. Cows are between 62 and 69 inches tall and can weigh between 1600 and 2400 pounds as adults.

Cows have unique features. They have 32 teeth and a large stomach. Their stomach holds around 50 gallons of food and they chew about 50 times per minute. Cows also see color and can smell 6 miles away. These are very cool animals to learn about.

Black Snake By: Ben Hembree

According to my research, black snakes are pretty big animals. Black snakes weigh between one and five pounds. They are also 3.5 to 7 feet long. They are one of the biggest snakes in central and eastern North America. This is what I found out about a black snake.

There are lots of fun facts about black snakes that I did not know. They are non-venomous, but when predators are near they rattle their tail to seem venomous. They lay eggs in June and August and the babies are about 10-16 inches long at birth. They also live 10-15 years.

Ever wondered what they eat or how they get their food? Well, black snakes are constrictors so they smother their prey. A black snake’s diet consists of small mammals, birds, frogs, and lizards. I think these facts make this animal very interesting.

Yellow Jackets By: Sophia Cederstrom

The yellow jacket is a very small but interesting animal. It is only ⅜ to ⅝ of an inch big and it only weighs 0.0014 ounces. It is tiny, but it can sting you. Yellow jackets look like hornets, but they have yellow and black markings. They can leave a mark when they sting and it will hurt.

These bees live in colonies and work together. Only the queens survive the winter though. They rule the nest and all the bees work for the queen. Yellow jackets are not too dangerous but they are everywhere in North America. So, the next time you are out and about, be aware of the bees.

Scorpions By: McKenzie Osborne

A scorpion is very unique creature and was first found in Scotland around 434 million years ago. Scorpions are pretty small. In fact they are between 4-12 cm long and only weigh 0.5 to 5 grams. They can live at least 2-6 years, but could possibly live longer.

According to my research, scorpions do not eat everyday like we do and could go without food for up to a year. Scorpions have an exoskeleton that absorbs long wavelengths of light which causes them to glow at night too.These are some interesting animals.

Iguanas By: Bentley Cobb

Hi! I am here to tell you about iguanas. Iguanas are very unique creatures. Here are a few facts about them that you might not know. Iguanas hate the cold weather because they are cold blooded. The green iguanas have three eyes and their average lifespan is 12-15 years.

Iguanas also fall out of trees sometimes when they are sleeping. Get this, iguanas can run only on their back two legs too! That’s crazy! When they are running on all fours they can run up to twenty-one miles an hour. During mating season, iguanas turn a burnt orange color. These animals are also great swimmers.

Iguanas originate from tropical locations in Central America which is located in South America. The first iguana ever discovered was about 115,000 years ago. That is a long time! The largest species of iguana is the green iguana which averages about 6.6 feet in length and weighs about 8.8 pounds.

Here is a really fun fact for you! The Guiness Book of World Records have declared a 40 year old iguana named Rhino, to be the oldest living rhinoceros iguana. To be exact, Rhino was 40 years old and 278 days old as of November 2022. He lives in the Australian Zoo. The iguana makes a great pet and is beautiful to se, but just be careful. Always remember, they can still bite!