endangered animals

THE DODO BIRD
by Katie

Introduction
Do you know what a Dodo bird is? Well it is an extinct bird. It went extinct in 1681, I bet you didn't know that. If you are smart you will know the answer to this question. What can't the Dodo bird do? If you don't know the answer read on if you do know the answer there is still plenty more to learn about the Dodo bird.

Physical appearance
To start off the Dodo bird has a massive and heavily built body weighing up to 50 pounds or 25 kilos. The Dodo bird is a little bigger than a swan or a full-grown turkey. The Dodo has small sharp eyes with a 9inch hooked bill. Then you might notice the ashy gray on the lower breast. Next you will see the enormous stomach. Then if you move west you will see the stubby wings which causes the Dodo bird not to fly. Then come the stumpy, short thick legs. Also the Dodo has blackish thighs. Last curled feathers form the tail.

Habitat
The place where the Dodo bird lived was on an island called Mauritius, which is 600 miles off the coast of Africa. Also the Dodo liked secluded places.

Food
Dodo bids like to eat pericarp off the pandanus, that was really tough. Then Dodos like to eat ripe fruit that falls to the ground. Also Dodos like to eat seeds that are from wild trees.

Enemies
The enemies are humans because the humans hunted the Dodo for meat, which wasn't very good. The rest of them are rats, pigs, monkeys and dogs because they all ate the eggs, which cause the Dodo to not to have any more eggs.

Reproduction/babies
To make the nest the male and female will collect dry grass or palm trees leaves and lay them down in a clean place. Once the nest is made the male will find a white pebble the size of a goose egg and place it beside the nest, scientist think it is to help grind the food in the stomach. The Dodo will only lay one egg at a time. The Dodos are very serious about their relationship. The egg is a little bigger than a goose egg. The male and female will take turns sitting and watching the egg during the 7 weeks after it has hatched. The Dodo will chase off enemies within range of 200m.

Behavior
The Dodo likes seclude places were nothing can see it. Also if the dodo tries to run it will fall and will not be able to get away.

How it Became Extinct
Some of the people in the world think that the Dodo went in to "permanent hiding", but other secludes places and isn't going to come out until people start thinking right. Also the Dodo bird didn't have a lot of enemies so when the humans came over the Dodo didn't know to protect itself.

Other Interesting facts
I think you will find these facts quite interesting. First the last dodo was killed in 1681. 1775 curator of the Ashmoean decided that the last stuffed Dodo, which was alive at one time, was to be BURNED because it was to old. Last but not least the Dodo was a pigeon then it reach Mauritius and lost the ability to fly and is now called the Dodo bird.

Conclusion
So did you enjoy this report? Did you find the answer to my question? Well the answer is in the interesting facts and in the physical appearance so go look………if you didn't find the answer it is the Dodo can't fly. So I hope the next time you are about to squash a bug think first because it could become extinct or endangered. Thanks for reading this report on the Dodo bird.

Dutch translation will follow later