The Desert Cottontail and Roadrunner by Avian Rojas (Age: 13)

In the world, there are many animals. Some range from mammals to fish to birds. All animals have different ways of living based on where they live. They have to adapt to the environment to survive. It can take a long time to adapt to some environments. Some climates like dessert are the hardest to live in because of the extreme heat.

There are many animals that can live in the desert. One of those animals is the Desert Cottontail. They are rabbits that live in the desert. They can withstand the hot weather. Desert Cottontails are herbivores and only eat plants. Desert Cottontails have grey and brown fur. They also have a white cotton-looking tail. They have pretty big ears and brown eyes. They rarely need to drink because of the water from the plants they eat. They eat grass and rarely cactus. They are actually pretty fast they can reach speeds of 19 miles per hour. They wake up around the early morning and afternoon. They dig shallow holes under bushes and that's when they rest. Only some animals can live in the desert because of its harsh conditions.

There are many birds that have adapted to deserts. One of those is the Roadrunners. Roadrunners are birds that can't fly but instead run really fast. But they are not as fast as coyotes. Roadrunners are birds with white, black, and brown feathers. They have a black beak with brown eyes. And they also have long brown and black feathers for their tail. They also have feathers sticking upon their head. They are omnivores because they can eat cactus, fruits, insects, and lizards. Roadrunners prefer meat that plants. Roadrunners do not make good pets. Roadrunners like the big open place of the desert. The only reason they would be around humans is that they are looking for food. Both parents take care of the babies. they make their nest with sticks and leaves. A nest contains 2-6 white eggs. Although they are birds sadly they can't fly.

The Roadrunner and Desert Cottontail both have their similarities and differences. Both like eating plants. But the Roadrunner is an omnivore and the Desert Cottontail is a herbivore. They like to eat cacti and grass. The Roadrunner likes to eat insects and lizards. Like Desert Cottontails, the Roadrunners get their food from plants. When they eat plants like cacti they get some water while eating it. Roadrunners don't need water. Desert birds are so well adapted that they don't need a sip of water. Even though Roadrunners don't need water they would get their water from plants. Both animals have things in common.