Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets Animal Themes Birds Deserts

Roadrunners Animal Themes

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Roadrunners
Print Roadrunners Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print Roadrunners Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.36

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		best, half-unconscious, slams, survival, roadrunner, among, result, fully, encounter, fierce, likely, ability, manage, better, against, become
	content words:		United States

Other Languages
     Spanish: Los Correcaminos

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Roadrunners

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¹     When driving in the deserts of the United States and Mexico, we often encounter roadrunners running at high speed in front of our vehicles. With feathers of mixed black, brown, and white, roadrunners have a dash of blue and red behind each eye. They also have bushy head feathers, called head crests, that stand up when they are curious or excited. Roadrunners can grow up to two feet long, but their tails make up half of that length. Even though they can fly, their wings are too short to carry them for more than a few seconds. As a result, when they feel threatened, roadrunners have a better chance of survival by fleeing on foot than by flying. Indeed, with a pair of long, strong legs, roadrunners can run as fast as seventeen miles per hour!
 
²     These birds are well known for their ability to run fast. But roadrunners are equally famous for their skill in killing one of the world's most poisonous snakes – the rattlesnake. When a roadrunner comes across a rattlesnake, it quickly snatches the snake in its bill and tosses its prey into the air. After the snake lands, the roadrunner takes a hold of the half-unconscious snake and slams it on the ground or against a rock repeatedly until it is dead. Roadrunners also feed on insects, lizards, rodents, scorpions, and small birds.

Paragraphs 3 to 4:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

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Animal Themes

Animal Themes

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Birds

Birds

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Deserts

Deserts

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Animals

Amphibians         Birds         Deserts         Fish         Freshwater         Grasslands         Insects

Invertebrates         Mammals         Oceans         Polar Regions         Rain Forest         Reptiles

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