🏜️ Desert animal reports, grades 1–2
9 sheets, one animal each, so every child in a group gets a different one. Pick another set or one animal.
My report: the red kangaroo
Osphranter rufus · Grades 1–2
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height | 5.9 ft (1.8 m) |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
Red kangaroos hop on their big back legs. A baby kangaroo is called a joey. It lives in its mother's pouch.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, How to Care for Wallabies, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/how-care-wallabies, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the meerkat
Suricata suricatta · Grades 1–2
| Length | 17 to 24 in (43 to 60 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 1.6 lb (725 g) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 10 years |
Read about it
Meerkats live in big family groups called mobs. One meerkat stands up tall to watch for danger. It barks if it sees a hawk.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Meerkat, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/meerkat, checked 2026-10-30
- Wikidata, from Suricata suricatta, wikidata.org/wiki/Q134015#P2067, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the fennec fox
Vulpes zerda · Grades 1–2
| Length | 21 to 28 in (54 to 71 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 | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 11 years |
Read about it
Fennec foxes are small foxes with huge ears! They live in the hot desert. In the daytime they sleep in a sandy burrow.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Fennec fox, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/fennec-fox, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the pronghorn
Antilocapra americana · Grades 1–2
| Length | 3.7 to 4.6 ft (1.1 to 1.4 m) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 35 in to 3.3 ft (89 cm to 1 m) |
| Weight | 90 to 125 lb (41 to 57 kg) |
| Top speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 7 to 10 years |
Read about it
Pronghorns are very fast runners. They live on wide, open grasslands. Their horns have a little prong.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, home.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/pronghorn.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- National Park Service, Badlands, nps.gov/articles/000/pronghorn.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the ostrich
Struthio camelus · Grades 1–2
| Length | not checked yet: look it up! |
|---|---|
| Height | 8.9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Weight | 198 to 300 lb (90 to 136 kg) |
| Top speed | 43 mph (69 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 30 to 40 years |
Read about it
The ostrich is the biggest bird in the world. It cannot fly, but it can run very fast. Each foot has just two toes.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Ostrich, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/ostrich, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the greater roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus · Grades 1–2
| Length | 23 in (58 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Top speed | 20 mph (32 km/h) |
| How long it lives | not checked yet: look it up! |
Read about it
The roadrunner is a bird that lives in the desert. It has long legs and runs very fast. It can fly, but it would rather run.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, White Sands National Park, nps.gov/whsa/learn/nature/roadrunner.htm, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the gila monster
Heloderma suspectum · Grades 1–2
| Length | 22 in (56 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | not checked yet: look it up! |
| Weight | 16 oz (450 g) |
| Top speed | 1.5 mph (2.4 km/h) |
| How long it lives | 20 years |
Read about it
The Gila monster is a slow, chunky lizard with bumpy orange and black skin. It lives in the desert. Most of the time it hides in a burrow.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Saguaro National Park, nps.gov/sagu/learn/nature/gila-monster.htm, checked 2026-10-30
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/gila-monster, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the mojave desert tortoise
Gopherus agassizii · Grades 1–2
| Length | 7.9 to 15 in (20 to 38 cm) |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | 3.9 to 5.9 in (10 to 15 cm) |
| Weight | 7.9 to 15 lb (3.6 to 6.8 kg) |
| Top speed | not checked yet: look it up! |
| How long it lives | 50 to 80 years |
Read about it
The desert tortoise has a high, round shell and strong front legs for digging. It digs a burrow to stay cool. It eats desert plants and flowers.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, species profile, fws.gov/species/desert-tortoise-gopherus-agassizii, checked 2026-10-30
My report: the coyote
Canis latrans · Grades 1–2
| 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 look like thin gray dogs with big ears. They yip and howl at night. Some live in deserts, and some even live in cities.
It lives in:
It eats:
The coolest thing I learned:
Where my facts came from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/coyote.htm, checked 2026-10-30