#cmsanimalscience

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The lizard pictured above is my pet bearded dragon Merlin. He is about 6 months old. In our animal science classroom we have a bearded dragon named Glitter. Bearded dragons are very intelligent reptiles that come from Australia. They are ectothermic which means they are cold-blooded. They eat insects, plants, and sometimes even small reptiles or rodents. Bearded dragons predators include dingoes, other large lizards, and birds of prey. They have rough tan or beige skin that helps them camouflage in their natural habitat, the arid woodlands or deserts of central Australia. Bearded dragons became popular household in the 90's and can now be found in almost any pet store around. They can grow up to about two feet or 24 inches in length. In captivity they live around 10 years while in the wild they have shorter life spans. There 8 types of bearded dragons. This includes Pogona Vitticeps, Pogona Barbata, Pogona Minor Mitchelli, Pogona Minor Minor, Pogona Nulabor, Pogona Henrylawsoni, Pogona Minor Minima, and Pogona Microlepidota. Glitter is a Pogona Vitticeps or Inland Bearded Dragon which is by far the most common type kept as pets. They are known for being smart and docile and for not attacking humans. In the wild when approached by a predator a bearded dragon puffs its spiky "beard" up and turns different colors. Overall bearded dragons are great lizards with cool features that makes it one of the most popular pets in the United States.

[cmsanimalscience]

Ferrets

- Joey K. 

Care

To care for a ferret, there are many key points to keeping it healthy and happy. A ferret will need a high back litter box. This will prevent unnecessary clean ups on the floor or walls. Paper pellets are recommended for the litter box instead of litter because the ferret may inhale the dust, and it will cause lung problems. Ferrets will also need fresh food and water at all times. The ferret is an active creature, so it will need 2-4 hours of exercise per day. They are very social animals so you will need to pay a lot of attention to the ferret or buy a friend so it wont get lonely. Ferrets can be easily injured. These pets are not recommended for young children because they bite and scratch. Ferrets sleep a large part of the day, usually around 18 hours. They are usually active at dawn and dusk, but they can adapt to their owners sleep schedule.

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Fancy Rat Facts

- Ana Karen T. 

Fancy rats are one off the 56 species that are known. Their teeth can grow about 4 ½-5 ½ inches long every year as they wear them down gnawing on everything around them.

Rats can fall about 50 feet and land uninjured.  

Rats are members of the order Rodentia kingodom, which also include mice, hamsters, beavers and porcupines.

The normal life span for a rat is about 2.5 to 3.5 years.

Specially bred rats have been kept as pets, since the late 19th century.

The name fancy rats comes from the idea of animal fancy or the phrase "to fancy" (to like, or appreciate).

There is a Hindu temple dedicated to the rat goddess, where she houses more than 20,000 rats.

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- Tristan R. 

Video of Mini Mocha having dinner. 

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About Peggy the Cockatiel

-         Mackenzie R.

Peggy is a cockatiel that enjoys being around humans. She has a spunky personality. She only bites when something upsets her, but they just feel like little nibbles. She has light gray wings with yellow streaks. Her head is bright yellow with very vibrant rosy red cheeks. To hold her, you just put your fingers up to her belly and say, “Step up” and she climbs up. She has a little play set that she LOVES because it has a bell and a swing. She also likes it because she gets a better view of the whole room.

I was kind-of scared of her at first because I knew birds could bite. I had seen other people try and take her out and she would squawk and nip. However, as soon as I put my fingers in the cage to get her out, she just climbed up and sat there. Once she was on my finger there was an instant connection.

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Ferrets

- Nicholas P. 

           One of my favorite animals are the ferrets. We have two ferrets, Shadow and Bandit. Ferrets belong to the genus Mustelidae, and are related to weasels and badgers. Did you know that the Egyptians first tamed ferrets around 1500 B.C.? Ferrets were used in ancient times to hunt for rabbits and other animals, like dogs. Ferrets are usually around 50 centimeters long, including a 13 cm. tail. Ferrets sleep from 14 – 18 hours a day, and are active around dusk and dawn. In the wild, ferrets, or weasels to be accurate, ate small prey like birds and mice. They would actually eat the whole animal – bones, feathers, and all. Most ferrets are black or brown, but some are albino, and are completely white. There is also a ferret defect where they have a white stripe on their nose, and turn deaf. This is known as Waardenburg Syndrome.

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- Sophia P. 

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Flash Writing  Terra

- Sophia P. 

‘Not again’ I think as an aggravating sound bares throughout the room. I close my eyes as I relinquish the last few moments of silence left in the day. I slowly slither out of my black, plastic hut only to observe a human’s face pressed up against the glass, his eyes curiously starring inside with his prying eyes. Irritation surfaces every time they peer in to watch my every move. I can feel my fury slowly building up as more students gather around me and wag their fingers at me. I don’t know what to do to get them to retreat back to their desks. I rancorously turn my body and raise my head to better observe the juvenile delinquents whose faces are against the glass. The poor kids didn’t have time to blink before I rapidly extended my body, hitting the side of the glass with unmatched momentum. The throbbing in my head pushes me back down. But when I look back up, the children scurry away in fear. Attacking the glass was definitely worth it.