🏡 Backyard and town animal reports, grades 5–6
18 sheets, one animal each, so every child in a group gets a different one. Pick another set or one animal.
My report: the ruby-throated hummingbird
Archilochus colubris · Grades 5–6
| Length | 3 to 3.5 in (7.5 to 9 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 0.11 to 0.12 oz (3 to 3.5 g) |
| Top speed | 60 mph (97 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 5 to 9 years |
Read about it
Hummingbirds use energy very fast, so they visit many flowers a day and eat tiny insects too. At night they can slow their bodies right down into a deep rest called torpor to save energy. Each fall, ruby-throated hummingbirds fly south to Central America, and many cross the Gulf of Mexico without stopping.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, fws.gov/media/ruby-throated-hummingbird-10, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Northeast Temperate Network, nps.gov/articles/netn-species-spotlight-ruby-throated-hummingbird.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, fws.gov/story/2024-08/august-2024-bird-month-ruby-throated-hummingbird, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the honey bee
Apis mellifera · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 0.12 to 0.5 years |
Read about it
As honey bees move from flower to flower, pollen sticks to their fuzzy bodies and rubs off on the next flower, which helps the plant make fruit and seeds. Farmers bring hives to orchards for exactly this reason. Honey is made from nectar that the bees dry out by fanning their wings. A bee only stings to protect its hive, so the best thing to do near a bee is stay calm and move away slowly.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- USDA, Pollinator Facts (National Pollinator Week factsheet), usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pollinator-week-factsheet-final.pdf, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the monarch butterfly
Danaus plexippus · Grades 5–6
| Length | 2.8 to 3.9 in (7 to 10 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 0.018 oz (0.5 g) |
| Top speed | 9.9 to 30 mph (16 to 48 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 0.04 to 0.1 years |
Read about it
Every fall, monarchs from eastern North America fly to the mountain forests of central Mexico, where huge numbers cling together on the trees for the winter. No single butterfly makes the whole round trip: it takes several generations to fly back north in spring. You can help monarchs by planting milkweed and flowers in a garden.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, species profile, fws.gov/species/monarch-danaus-plexippus, checked 2026-10-30
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Monarch Butterfly Festival page, fws.gov/event/monarch-butterfly-festival, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the white-tailed deer
Odocoileus virginianus · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm) |
| Weight | 90 to 300 lb (41 to 136 kg) |
| Top speed | 30 mph (48 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 10 years |
Read about it
White-tailed deer live in woods, fields and even the edges of towns, and they are busiest at dawn and dusk. They are ruminants, which means they swallow their food quickly and chew it again later in a safe, hidden spot. Their eyes sit on the sides of their head, so they can see almost all the way around, and they run fast and swim well. Careful wildlife rules have helped deer numbers recover in places where they were once rare.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Jewel Cave, nps.gov/jeca/learn/nature/white-tailed-deer-odocoileus-virginianus.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Prince William Forest Park, home.nps.gov/prwi/learn/nature/deer.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Chattahoochee River, home.nps.gov/chat/blogs/the-park-after-dark-white-tailed-deer.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the red fox
Vulpes vulpes · Grades 5–6
| Length | 3.6 ft (1.1 m) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 15 to 20 in (38 to 51 cm) |
| Weight | 9 to 11 lb (4.1 to 5 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 3 to 4 years |
Read about it
Red foxes are the largest of the true foxes, and they live across more of the world than any other wild member of the dog family. They are very adaptable: they eat fruit, berries, insects, mice and rabbits, and some live happily in cities, where they find food in parks and gardens. A fox pair raises their kits in a den, and both parents bring food. Foxes use their long, bushy tails for balance when they leap and turn, and they wrap them around themselves in cold weather.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/red-fox.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Pipestone, nps.gov/pipe/learn/nature/mammals.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service (The Clever Red Fox), nps.gov/articles/fox.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/vuvu, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the raccoon
Procyon lotor · Grades 5–6
| Length | 24 in to 3.1 ft (60 to 95 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 9 to 12 in (23 to 31 cm) |
| Weight | 15 to 40 lb (6.8 to 18 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 1.8 to 3.1 years |
Read about it
Raccoons live in forests, near streams and in towns, and they are most active after dark. They eat almost anything, from berries and nuts to crayfish and insects, which is why they sometimes visit trash cans. Their hind feet can turn backward, which lets them climb down trees headfirst. Raccoons are smart and good at solving puzzles, like opening latches, but wild raccoons should never be fed or handled, so it is best to watch them from a distance.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service (raccoon quick facts), nps.gov/articles/racoon.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Pipestone, nps.gov/pipe/learn/nature/mammals.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/prlo, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the eastern gray squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis · Grades 5–6
| Length | 9 to 12 in (23 to 31 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 1 year to 6 years |
Read about it
Eastern gray squirrels have ankles that can turn all the way around, so they can scamper down a tree headfirst. They hide food in many small places and find most of it again by smell and memory. The nuts they miss sprout into new trees, which helps forests grow. Squirrels are good at fooling thieves: if another animal is watching, a squirrel may pretend to bury a nut.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Castle Clinton, nps.gov/cacl/learn/nature/index.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Lowell, nps.gov/lowe/learn/nature/squirrel.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the little brown bat
Myotis lucifugus · Grades 5–6
| Length | 9.1 to 11 in (23 to 28 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 0.5 oz (14 g) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 6.5 years |
Read about it
Bats are not blind: they see well, but they also use echoes to find tiny insects in the dark. A little brown bat eats a great many insects each night, which helps protect gardens and crops. In winter, when insects are gone, bats hibernate in caves. A disease called white-nose syndrome, caused by a fungus that grows on hibernating bats, has made their numbers fall in many places, so scientists are working on ways to treat it and people protect the caves where bats sleep.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Lassen Volcanic, nps.gov/lavo/learn/nature/bats.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Jewel Cave, nps.gov/jeca/learn/nature/bats.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus · Grades 5–6
| Length | 14 to 23 in (36 to 58 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 1.1 to 3.1 lb (500 g to 1.4 kg) |
| Top speed | 200 mph (322 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 20 years |
Read about it
Peregrine falcons live on every continent except Antarctica, and their name comes from a Latin word for wanderer. During a dive, little bumps inside the nostrils may help the falcon breathe in the rushing air, and a clear extra eyelid sweeps across each eye to keep it clean. Peregrines nearly disappeared from many places because of a pesticide called DDT. After it was banned and nest sites were protected, they came back, and today some raise chicks on city skyscrapers.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/fape, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Denali and Yukon-Charley Rivers, nps.gov/articles/peregrine-falcon.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the great horned owl
Bubo virginianus · Grades 5–6
| Length | 18 to 25 in (46 to 63 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 2.2 to 3.8 lb (998 g to 1.7 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 13 to 15 years |
Read about it
Great horned owls live across much of the Americas, from forests and deserts to city parks, and they hunt mostly at night. They eat many kinds of animals, from mice and rabbits to birds and even skunks. An owl cannot roll its tube-shaped eyes, but its neck is so bendy that it can turn its head most of the way around. After a meal, it coughs up a neat pellet of the fur and bones it could not digest.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Bryce Canyon, nps.gov/brca/learn/nature/owls.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Golden Spike, nps.gov/gosp/learn/nature/birds.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the american robin
Turdus migratorius · Grades 5–6
| Length | 10 in (25 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 2.7 to 3 oz (77 to 85 g) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 1 year to 2 years |
Read about it
The American robin is a kind of thrush. Early settlers named it after the robin of Europe because of its orange-red chest, but the two are different birds. Young robins have speckled chests that fade as they grow up. In winter, when worms are hard to find, robins switch to berries and fruit and gather in flocks.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Mount Rainier, nps.gov/mora/learn/nature/bluebirds-robins-thrushes.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-robin, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the mallard
Anas platyrhynchos · Grades 5–6
| Length | 20 to 26 in (50 to 65 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 2 to 3.1 lb (900 g to 1.4 kg) |
| Top speed | 51 mph (83 km/h) |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
Mallards are dabbling ducks: they feed at the surface and in shallow water instead of diving deep. The male is colorful, but the female is speckled brown, which hides her when she sits on the nest. A gland near the tail makes oil, and the duck spreads it over its feathers with its bill to keep them waterproof. Mallards are the wild ancestors of most farm ducks, and many wild mallards fly south in fall.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, fws.gov/species/mallard-anas-platyrhynchos, checked 2026-10-30
- USGS, usgs.gov/news/dabbling-duck-flight-speeds-high-tech-update-21st-century, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the common garter snake
Thamnophis sirtalis · Grades 5–6
| Length | 18 to 30 in (46 to 76 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 4 to 10 years |
Read about it
Garter snakes are among the most common snakes in North America, and the mothers give birth to live babies instead of laying eggs. As reptiles, they warm up by lying in the sun. In winter they rest in underground dens, sometimes with many other garter snakes to stay warm. In a few places in Canada, big crowds of them come out of their dens together in spring.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Jewel Cave, nps.gov/jeca/learn/nature/common-garter-snake.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Klamath Network, nps.gov/articles/000/common-garter-snake.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the american toad
Anaxyrus americanus · Grades 5–6
| Length | 2 to 4.4 in (5.1 to 11 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 1 year to 2 years |
Read about it
American toads hide by day under rocks and logs, or dig backward into soft soil, and come out at dusk. Glands behind the eyes make a bad-tasting liquid that keeps many animals from eating them, so it is best to just watch a toad and wash your hands if you touch one. A toad is a helpful garden guest because it eats so many slugs and insects. Toads need ponds to lay eggs, so a garden pond or a pile of logs gives them a home.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, nps.gov/chat/learn/nature/american-toad.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Minute Man National Historical Park, nps.gov/mima/learn/nature/reptiles-and-amphibians.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the seven-spotted ladybug
Coccinella septempunctata · Grades 5–6
| Length | 0.39 in (1 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 1 year |
Read about it
Ladybugs grow up in four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The larva looks like a tiny spiky alligator and already eats aphids all day. In fall, ladybugs gather in groups to rest through the winter under bark, leaves and logs, and they wake in spring. The seven-spotted ladybug came to North America from Europe, and now some native ladybugs are harder to find, so scientists ask families to photograph the ladybugs they see and share the pictures to help track them.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Ladybug article, nps.gov/articles/000/ladybug.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the common eastern firefly
Photinus pyralis · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 0.06 to 0.08 years |
Read about it
A firefly makes light with a chemical called luciferin, plus oxygen and a helper called an enzyme. Almost all the energy turns into light and very little into heat, which is far better than a light bulb. Baby fireflies, called larvae, live in damp soil and leaf litter, and many of them glow too, which is why people call them glowworms. Fireflies are fewer in some places because meadows are lost and bright lights confuse their flash signals, so turning off outdoor lights at night and leaving a patch of long grass can help.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Congaree National Park, home.nps.gov/cong/learn/nature/synchronous-fireflies-at-congaree.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the common green darner
Anax junius · Grades 5–6
| Length | 3 in (7.6 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | 37 mph (60 km/h) |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
Green darners are among the few dragonflies that make long migrations. In fall many fly south to warmer places, and their young fly back north in spring. Scientists have followed them with tiny radio tags to learn where they go. Darners need clean ponds and wetlands, where their nymphs can grow up safely.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, nps.gov/miss/learn/nature/greendarner.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Species Spotlight: Dragonflies, nps.gov/articles/species-spotlight-dragonflies.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the coyote
Canis latrans · Grades 5–6
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 16 to 20 in (41 to 51 cm) |
| Weight | 25 to 35 lb (11 to 16 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 6 years |
Read about it
Coyotes are very good at adapting, which is why they now live across nearly all of North America. Their big ears and sharp noses help them find food, and a coyote can hear a mouse moving under the snow. Coyotes sometimes hunt side by side with badgers, an unusual team-up between two kinds of animals. Near towns, coyotes are shy of people, so it is best to watch from far away and never feed them.
Habitat and range: where on Earth, and what the place is like:
Diet: what it eats, and what might eat it:
Adaptations: two ways its body or habits help it survive:
Is it in danger? Why or why not?:
Compare it with another animal you know:
Bibliography: write each source below as site, page title, date checked:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/coyote.htm, checked 2026-10-30