LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Roadrunner: Birds
built 267 days ago
The roadrunner lives in dry, scrubby deserts of the southwest USA, where the days are hot but the nights are very cold. To conserve body heat at night, the bird slows down its bodily functions, lowers it temperature and becomes lethargic. But when dawn breaks it must warm up quickly and get on the move again. To do this, it has a built-in heat exchanger, a patch of dark skin on the back between its wings that helps to absorb the warmth of the weak morning sun. The bird roughs up its feathers to expose the patch, and then waits for its body to reach normal temperature."
Source:
A familiar and amusing bird, the roadrunner lives in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. It flies very little: it was named for its habit of dashing along desert roads in search of cover or in pursuit of lizards, insects, or snakes. Its speed has been timed at greater than 15 miles (24 kilometers) per hour. The roadrunner presents a comical appearance as it sprints along with neck and head outstretched, shaggy crest raised, short wings outspread, and long tail jerking up and down.
Source:
The desert-dwelling roadrunner uses salt glands in front of its eyes to excrete excess salt from its blood. Such glands are common in ocean-going birds that can drink seawater. The roadrunner is able to get along without drinking water if it eats food with high enough water content, but it will drink readily if water is available.
Source:
The roadrunner feeds almost exclusively on other animals, including insects, scorpions, lizards, snakes, rodents and other birds. Up to 10 % of its winter diet may consist of plant material due to the scarcity of desert animals at that time of the year.
Source:
The Wile E. Coyote was always after that roadrunner. Never did he figure out the futility of it, never did he learn from his mistakes, never did he realize how foolish it was to remain so committed to capturing that bird.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Birds