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A2 The Heritage Voice Informational Writing Featuring Heritage Intermediate School 4th & 5th Grade Writers Mysterious Minks By: Allison Ambers Have you ever heard of a Mink? Well you’re about to today! Minks diet starts with crayfish, muskrats, small birds, waterfowl, small rodents, rabbits, shore crabs, fish, frogs, and last but not least [hopefully] snails! As you might be wondering, yes, minks are carnivores! All of those things have some substance of meat. Are you a carnivore? You might be wanting to know what Minks look like, well you’re in luck!! Minks fur is a rich brown and they might have a white spot under their chin. You may have already known this but males are larger than females. Minks are about two feet long with little dark brown bushy tails! Another one of the features is their brown, round ears. I hope you enjoyed my descriptive text about Minks! CAUTION: DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO FEEL Melancholy!!! This is about minks life span! Minks sometimes die from being shot or trapped, yes I know it’s sad! Also, Minks sometimes die from flea or tick infestations. Minks rarely survive THREE years in the wild; but Minks maximum life span is TEN years. By the way minks live in Indiana! Minks live close to rivers and streams , they also live near Marshes. Males often wander through fields. Minks are occasionally drawn by wooded or bushy areas. Minks have homes near edges. Do you live like a mink? Interesting facts Minks are distinct family members to a skunk! Another fact is when their angry minks hiss or screech. This fact is kind of exotic but there is a MINK FROG!! Minks are also related to weasels and are not easy to spot. Thank you for taking the time to read about how interesting minks are!! I hope you enjoyed reading my presentation about minks!! Bobcats Interesting Facts By: Riley Catalano Bobcats Description Do you wonder interesting facts about Bobcats? Bobcats are interesting types of animals. They are in the cat family! Bobcats weigh about 15 to 30 pounds. That small for a wildcat! The length is about 30 to 50. The tail is 4 to 5 inches in length. Bobcats are reddish-brown or tan above with a white belly. The legs are often black with streaks through the coat. Information from KidRex. What Bobcats Eat And How They Hunt Bobcats hunt rodents also rabbits biros and other small animals. Bobcats lie down and wait for the prey. They then pounce on their prey. Prey pursuit rarely more than 60 feet. The bobcat hunts animals of different sizes. Information from IN.gov. Where Bobcats Live Bobcats habitat is in Canada and Mexico. In northern and central Mexico the cat is found in dry lands and forests of pine and oak. They also live in deserts and forests. Bobcats have been seen in Northern Indiana and one was recently killed near Albion, Michigan. If it is chased by a dog it will climb up a tree. Information from KidRex. Behavior The bobcat is active mostly during twilight. It is on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight. It then moves again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. This behavior may vary seasonally. Thy are more active in colder days. Information from KidRex. Interesting Facts Bobcats are not endangered animals! That is good. The most common wildcat in North America is a Bobcat. Bobcats are carnivores. Information from KidRex. Bobcats Die From The average bobcats life is 7 years long and rarely lives 10 years. It can also die from weakness and sickness.The oldest wild bobcat on record was 16 years old. Now you know about Bobcats! Information from KidRex. The Badger By Chase Scholten The Badger is a mammal that is fierce and aggressive. It can live up to 24 years. The badger has 34 teeth and a white stripe down it’s back. They also have short legs and a pointed head that’s small for its body. Badgers are very hard to kill. They have very few enemies. Badgers only attack when their predators surprise them. When a badger is getting attacked by an animal, it can turn around and bite it’s predator because of it’s loose skin. Badgers also have very powerful jaws. The badger has very few enemies, but some animals still want to kill it. A badgers habitat includes larger animals that see the badger as prey. Some of these animals are hyaenas, lions, cape hunting dogs and even humans. Badger cubs get taken by foxes and sometimes large birds. Badgers eat many different things. Badgers are carnivores. The badger eats chipmunks, skunks, eggs, nesting birds, line ground squirrels, reptiles, rabbits, snails, insects and red foxes. Earthworms are 80% of a badgers diet. There long claws and sense of smell also help find their food Badgers can be found all over the world, but primarily in the Great Plains of North America.They like to have open space and like to be alone. The badgers habitat is open grasslands, deserts and burrows. Did you know? • There are 11 species of badgers. • Badgers are mainly active at night. • Badgers are born blind and helpless. Awesome Opossums! By: Myla Barkby Do you like opossums? If so this article is just right for you. Even if you don’t this article could still be just right for you. You will find lots of information in this article, like what they eat, habitat what they look like, life span, and predators. Those are some facts you will find. Diet Opossums eat lots of things like, insects, fruits, nuts, seeds, and plants. Then we move on to the meats that they eat. They eat smaller animals like, frogs, salamanders, turtles, worms, eggs, and snakes. Opossums also eat invertebrates, they are omnivores and will eat nearly anything.So those are some things Opossums will eat. I wonder how they like their eggs?! Habitat Opossum can live many places. Here are the most common places that they live, the city is pretty common but not the most ideal. The woods, some wetland, and farmland. The opossums den is most likely near a stream or a river. You can also find them in other animals den. One of the reasons they might be in another animals is because they could be hiding from predators. Description If you do not know what a opossum looks like then make sure you read this paragraph! Let’s start with the head, the Opossum has a cone shape face and it’s ear’s are black and hair less also the tips of the ears are mostly pink, cream, or white. Their eyes are black. Now let’s talk back, their fur is white with gray tips. Their bottom is a little more gray. Their tails are hairless like their ear. Their feet are like little hands and their inner toe is like a thumb it helps the Opossum and grab food. The regular size of a opossum is a large house cat. So if you didn’t know what a Opossum looks like, now you do! Life Span/Predators Have you ever wondered how long a Opossum lives? Well wonder no more you are about to find out, the average Opossum lives up to 1 ½-2 years.[I Know they have a short life.] They used to live in the northern parts of the United States in the past half century now they have extended their range and now live in parts of Canada. Most of their predators inclub dogs, Coyotes, Foxes,Bob cats, Owls, and humans. Those are their predators. Interesting facts Here are some interesting facts. Opossum have 50 teeth, human adults only have 32 teeth, Opossums have 18 more teeth. 50 teeth is the most of any indiana mammal has! A Opossum is a marsupial. You can find more information about OPOSSUMS at DNR ANIMALS, Species guide, and kid rex! Green Salamander By: Myah Miller Can you think of an animal that hunts at night and can’t easily be found around here? Plus, it’s green? My animal is the green salamander, an animal that is rare in Indiana and nocturnal as well. There are tons of kinds of salamanders, but this one is very interesting. You will learn about how to identify them, who their predators are, what they eat,and the habitat of a green salamander. I hope you like it! Description The green salamander isn’t difficult to identify. It has a flat head and body. This adaptation helps them sneak through small cracks. Their bodies are patterned like lichen, which camouflages them. The belly is a dark gray. DNR animals states that adult green salamanders reach about 4-5 inches in total body length. As you can see, their description is pretty specific. Predators and lifespan But who are their predators? According to national zoo.edu, ring necked snakes and garter snakes are the most dangerous. Mating regularly takes place in May to late September, in which a female lays 510 eggs. A green salamander lives at least 3+ years. It dies from predators or old age. Diet Salamanders usually stick to insects when it comes to eating. Their regular diet consists of beetles, spiders, mites, and ants. They also eat mosquitoes, snails, slugs, and other invertebrates. The green salamander is an insectivore. Habitat Green salamanders are rare in Indiana. In fact, they were only found in two locations in southern central Indiana. They live in forested rocks and cliff faces. They may also inhabit trees. Green salamanders are nocturnal, which means they come out at nighttime! I got my information from national zoo.edu. Now, you know all about green salamanders! Interesting facts These are some interesting facts. It’s scientific name is Aneides aeneus ( which I have no idea how to pronounce ). Green salamanders are almost completely inactive in colder months. Their conservation status is at “ near threatened”, ( second highest on the chart ) which is almost up to “least concern”. The green salamander is included in the Plethodontidae family. Now, can you think of an animal that hunts at night and-- Well, you get the idea. Anagrams - a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another, such as cinema, formed from iceman. 1. heir ______________________________ 2. host ____________________________ 3. 4. 5. Habitat The wolf spider enjoys being outside. It lives in the forests and fields. It also lives by the water. The wolf spider likes warm weather. A wolf spider has a different habitat then me. Lifespan The female wolf spider lives for several years. The male wolf spider lives for less than a year. Predators for a wolf spider are wasps, ants, birds, and small reptiles. The wolf spider does not live long. Description The wolf spider does not look like me. Because I’m not a spider. It looks like brown, gray, black, and it has large eyes. The wolf spider has a cool description. Interesting Facts The wolf spider has many interesting facts, like they carry their eggs on their legs or on their bottom. The wolf spider is not aggressive. The venom from the wolf spider may cause swelling, mild pain, and inching. Thank you for reading my draft. Do you like wolf spiders? Incredible Indiana bats!!! By: Lola K. Whitley An Indiana bat may look like any other bat, eat like any other bat, maybe even die in similar ways, but they are special bats that always are on the lookout for predators! Description An Indiana bat is special in looks as well as actions! It’s a medium sized dull gray bat that is 1.5 to 2 centimeters long. It weighs half an ounce as well. The information above came from www.in.gov. The information below came from wildlife.ohiodnr.gov. It’s back is dark brown but most of it as I said is dull gray. One of the things that tells them apart from it’s cousins is that it was toe hairs. It just sounds so cute! Habitat The Indiana bat is not wrong when it comes to knowing the safest place to live! Indiana bats live in caves, caves, caves, and sometimes caves! They never stay at night because they have to eat; so they sleep during the day. NEWS FLASH! The Indiana bat is classified as cave dwelling bats! Shocking, right? { I was being sarcastic} This information came from wildlife.ohiodnr.gov and is very trustable! They either migrate to Ohio or hibernate in rock crevices. When it comes to making the decision, most bats hibernate. They really are smart when it comes to homes! Lifespan\Predators These bats are pretty unlucky when it comes to predators and lifespan! WARNING! THIS PARAGRAPH IS EXTREMELY SAD! SAVE THE CHILENS! DON’T LET THEM SEE! { By chilens I mean children!} These cute creatures live 5-10 years but it’s very possible for them to live longer! This information came from www.in.gov. WARNING! THIS IS THE SAD PART! SAVE YOURSELVES CHILENS! YOU MIGHT WANT TO! The Indiana bat dies from white nose syndrome which is a fungus that is toxic to them and maybe other animals. They also die because people shoot them. It is in fact illegal to shoot the Indiana bat because it is and has been endangered since 1967. They also get a lot of disturbance from tourists who are exploring caves. One other reason for being endangered is people knocking down or smashing their homes. I HOPE THE CHILENS WEREN’T TOO SCARED BECAUSE I REALLY AM! This is why I put so many warnings. I hope you don’t have nightmares! Diet These bats don’t quite have a large palate. . . They only eat night flying bugs. This information came from this site wildlife.ohiodnr.gov! These bats also leave the house\I know it is a cave two hours after sunset and come back two hours before sunrise. These creatures have a taste for beetles, moths, and flies. Speaking of flies if they are lucky they can catch a caddis fly or two. For their safety they only eat at night. . . .But they sure do love night flying bugs! Interesting Facts Sometimes you need more information than just habitat, diet, description, and lifespan, so here. Baby Indiana bats are called pups. Babies are usually born only in May and June. After four to six weeks the baby bat is ready to fly. Their scientific name is Myotis Sodalis. This information came from wildlife.ohiodnr.gov! If the Indiana bat was 2 inches long it would be about this long! -----------------------------I hope this satisfied your needs! From dangers to diets this little creature is much too cute for anyone to handle! {seriously don’t keep them as pets}! This bat is by far my second or third favorite animal! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! I also hope you don’t have nightmares chilens! Diet The amazing wolf spider eats crazy things. It eats grasshoppers, ants, and other spiders. Sometimes it eats amphibians and reptiles, too. Wolf spiders attack their prey by jumping on them and biting them. The wolf spider has a weird diet. The Wolf Spider By: Logan Roberts May 2019 idea _______________________________ inch _______________________ loot _______________________ For the answers and more Anagrams, scan this code with a QR code reader on your tablet or phone.

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