Race essay

In Illinois, a group of schoolchildren sifts through the prairie soil of their state. Using picks and shovels, they
hope to find bones of giant mastodons-shaggy members of the elephant family that roamed much of the
United States more than ten thousand years ago. Mastodon teeth, each one weighing up to 5 pounds (2.3
kilograms), have already been uncovered where the children dig.
2. Though mastodons are extinct, the land they inhabited still has a wide range of wildlife. Almost two
thousand different kinds of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds live in the United States. Many
thousands more species of insects, marine life, and plants are also found there.
Animals of the Land
3. With its wide range of landscapes, the United States has a huge variety of animals. In forests, mammals
range from tiny chipmunks to ferocious grizzly bears. Far to the north, in Alaska’s Arctic Circle, polar bears
hunt for fish in cold waters. The largest bears in the world, adult male polar bears can grow more than 8
feet (2.4 m) long and weigh more than 1,500 pounds (680 kg).
4. In the Rocky Mountains, bighorn sheep make their way over rugged terrain. Other mountain dwellers
include white-tailed deer, coyotes, and wild cats called lynx.
5. The Great Plains was once home to huge herds of bison. For Native Americans of the plains, the bison was
nature’s greatest resource. The Indians ate bison meat and turned the animals’ tails into brushes. Bison
hides became clothes, and the bones became knives, tools, and dice. During the nineteenth century, white
settlers almost killed off the mighty beast. Today, bison can again be found on the plains, though they all
live on preserves or ranches.
6. The desert can be a harsh home for wildlife, but some hardy animals have found a way to survive in the
hot, arid landscape. Well-known desert dwellers are the rattlesnake and the Gila monster, a large lizard.
Most desert creatures sleep during the hot day and then come out at night to find food.
Water Wonders
7. The waters off the U.S coasts teem with marine life. The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world and
the largest animal ever to live on Earth. A blue whale can weigh up to 150 tons (136 metric tons) and
stretch 80 feet (25 m) long. That’s as long as two school buses placed end to end! Sea lions live along the
Pacific coast, while the smaller harbor seal lives in both oceans.
8. Starfish and shellfish are common along beaches. Lobster live in cooler ocean waters and are a popular
dinner in New England. Fish such as bass, trout, and salmon live in the rivers and lakes of the United States.
Salmon are famous for their yearly journeys up rushing rivers to spawn, or produce baby salmon.
In the Air up There
9. High above the forests, plains, and mountains of the United States soar hundreds of kinds of birds. They
range from the tiny hummingbird, barely bigger than a person’s finger, to the California condor, which has a
wingspan that can reach 9 feet (2.7m). Some of the more common American birds are the robin, owl,
chickadee, and starling. The world’s fastest bird, the peregrine falcon, can also be found in parts of the
United States. When diving for prey, a peregrine can hit speeds of 200 miles per hour (320 kph).
10. The most common waterfowl in the United States are ducks and geese. Related to these webbed water
birds are the larger swans and cranes. The trumpeter swan, found mostly in Alaska and the northern Rocky
Mountain States, has a wing-span of up to 7 feet (2m).

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