Mrs. Gray's Second Grade Class mrsgray

January

State Symbols of Ohio Reports

“Ohio’s Cardinals” By 1 The cardinal is such an interesting bird that seven states, including Ohio have chosen it as their state bird. They like to live in open areas, not woods. They moved into Ohio in the late 1800s. A cardinal is a medium sized song bird. They are unique because both males and females sing. Usually only males sing. When the female sings from its nest it means to bring her some food. The “{song” that they sing are Whatecheer-cheer-cheer” and who-it, who-it, who-it.” After learning how cool cardinals are, I would have chosen them for my state bird too.	“The State Bird of Ohio” By 2 The cardinal is the state bird of Ohio. It became the state bird in 1933. It is also the state bird in six other states. Cardinals eat seeds and have strong bills. The male cardinal is bright red. Males sing to defend their nest. The cardinal is a very beautiful bird.
“Tomato Juice” By 3 Louis Perrin invented tomato juice in 1917. He was trying to make orange juice but he ran out of of oranges. He invented tomato juice instead. Alexander Livingston began growing tomatoes in Ohio in 1870. Ohio became the second largest state growing tomatoes by 1965. Tomato juice was a very popular drink. The Ohio General Assembly made tomato juice Ohio’s official state drink. The tomato is an important part of Ohio’s history and still is today.

“Spotted Salamanders” By 7 Salamanders make their homes close to ponds. Salamanders have two rows of yellow and orange spots on their backs. They measure about 7 inches, but they can reach up to 9 inches long. During the day they hide under rocks and logs. They come out at night to hunt. They eat worms, spiders, insects, and slugs. When in danger they secrete a sticky toxin from their backs and tails. Salamanders are cool.	“Black Racer Snake” By 8 Here are some interesting facts about the black racer snake. Black racer snakes can be about 5 feet long. They like to live in grassy places. When they shake their tail it sounds like a rattlesnake. They are very fast and bite hard. Black racer snakes kike to eat small mammals and insects. That is what I learned about black racer snakes.
“The Buckeye Tree” By 9 The buckeye is the state tree of Ohio. Its name came from pioneers. The buckeye tree was found in the spring of 1788. The buckeye tree was the first tree to be cut down by Captain Davis to start the settlement of Ohio on April 7, 1788. The Buckeye Tree’s leaves are made up of five leaflets that are long and broad. The tree produces flowers called panicles in the spring. They are yellow to yellow-green with stamens longer than the petals. Then the buckeye tree starts to grow a fruit called a seed capsule somewhat spiny with up to five nuts inside. The nuts are where the tree got its name. They are not edible. The Indians used the buckeyes for good luck and for relieving pain. They also are said to look like the eye of a deer.	“The Ladybug” By 10 Ladybugs are really beautiful. You have to treat them nicely. They have really strong wings. They are really cute too. They can fly. Everyone knows they have spots. The ladybug is the state of Ohio’s insect.
“The Ohio State Frog” By 11 The Ohio state frog is the American Bullfrog. This bullfrog lives in swamps, lakes, and ponds. I find bullfrogs along the edge of my pond. Their back is olive green and they have brownish sides. The belly is white with yellow or grey spots. The upper lip is bright green and males have a yellow throat. The bullfrog communicates with a sound that sounds like the roar of a bull. This is how it got its name. The American Bullfrog is fun to catch.	“Spotted Salamanders” By 12 There are many cool things about the spotted salamander. He has two rows of yellow and orange spots along his black back. They can grow as long as 7 to 9 inches. Their homes are close to ponds and vernal pools. But despite their thriving population the dark amphibians are hard to find. Adults spend most of their day hiding underground or beneath rocks and logs. All of these things make the spotted salamander the coolest state amphibian.
“The Racer Snake” By 13 Here in Northeastern Ohio we have many animals and reptiles. In 1995 the racer snake stood out at a whopping 36-60 inches as becoming the state reptile. They are found mostly in pastures, fields, and in woods. It has smooth scales, giving it a silky look. In the spring time they lay 10-12 eggs. They feed on small rodents and insects. The farmers will allow the snakes to stay on their farm to protect their crops. They are super fast at 8-010 mph! But don’t worry, they are nonvenomous snakes.	Ohio Buckeye Tree” By 14 Did you know the buckeye tree is the state tree of Ohio? There is actually two buckeye trees, yellow and red. The buckeye tree was named by the Native Americans. They named the tree buckeye because the nut looked like a male deer’s eye. The Ohio buckeye tree nut has a spiky shell. It’s good luck to carry a buckeye in your left pocket. The buckeye is the mascot of the Ohio State University. The buckeye tree has been linked to the state of Ohio for years and years.
“The White Tailed Deer” By 15 The white tailed deer are the official Ohio state animal. The male deer are called bucks. They have a set of antlers. The female deer are called does and the young deer are called fawns. The white tailed deer are herbivores. Their stomachs allow them to digest leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and fungi. The white tailed deer can run up to 40 mph, jump 9 foot fences, and can swim 13 mph. Both Native Americans and settlers relied on the white-tailed deer for buckskin and food. The white-tailed deer is important to Ohio.	“Spotted Salamanders” By 16 The spotted salamander is the state amphibian of Ohio. The spotted salamander lives in a lot of different places from Ohio to a few other states. They’re black with two rows of yellow spots. His belly is gray and pink. They live in hardword forest areas. It excretes a toxic milky liquid from poison glands. Salamanders eat all kinds of bugs. They are nocturnal. In conclusion the spotted salamander is pretty cool.
“The Buckeye Tree” By 17 The Buckeye tree gets the name buckeye from the Native Americans. They thought the seeds looked the same as a buck deer’s eye. Native Americans also used to peel and mash the seed nuts into a nutritional meal. Early settlers used the buckeye wood to make utensils because it was lightweight and easy to carve. The buckeye nut is protected with a spiny outer shell. The seeds and bark are slightly poisonous but it can be eliminated by heating. The buckeye tree became the Ohio state tree on October 2, 1953.	“The White Tailed Deer” By 18 The white tailed deer is our state animal. The female deer is called a doe and the male deer is called a buck. The white tailed deer is a herbivore. That means they only eat plants. The young deer are preyed on by bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes. Their size is 6 to 7.75 feet and they weigh up to 300 pounds. They can sprint up to 30 miles per hour. They can .leap 10 feet high and as far as 30 feet in a single bound. They are beautiful animals.
The Ladybug” By 19 The ladybug is a proud and friendly symbol of the Ohio people. In 1975 the ladybug was chosen as Ohio’s official insect. The ladybug is also called the ladybird beetle. They help farmers and gardeners by eating small pests off their plants. There are many different types of ladybugs in the 88 counties in Ohio. The one considered Ohio’s insect is the Convergent Ladybug beetle. The ladybug is able to live in most conditions while retaining her beauty and being a great benefit to nature.	“The Cardinal” By 20 The cardinal is the state bird of Ohio. The male cardinal has a red crest. Cardinals are songbirds. They like to eat insects, seeds, grain, fruit, and sap. A cardinal is a religious sign to people of the Catholic faith. Cardinals like to hang in pairs. They do not migrate South. Cardinals are interesting birds.
“The White Tailed Deer of Ohio” By 21 White tailed deer are reddish brown and have a white tail. Male white tailed deer grow antlers. They can live in a variety of areas – forests, prairies, and woodlands. They eat large amounts of food including hay, grass, clover, and other foods found in a farmyard. White tailed deer are commonly called “the whitetail.” They are Ohio’s only large game animal. The white tailed deer is Ohio state’s animal.	“Ohio State Insect: Ladybug” By 22 There are many interesting facts about ladybugs, which is the Ohio state insect. Ohio chose the ladybug in 1975 because it is a good insect. You can’t see their eggs because they are so small. The ladybug eats bad bugs. The bad bugs eat plants. Ladybugs can fly fifteen miles per hour. If other bugs eat them they taste bad. Did you know that ladybugs are really beetles? Ohio chose the ladybug as the state insect because it a good bug because it eats bad bugs.
“The Cardinal” By 23 The cardinal is Ohio’s state bird. It became Ohio’s bird in 1933. Cardinals eat weed seeds, grain, sap, and fruit. Male birds are bright red and aggressive to protect their territory. Females are quiet so they can protect their nest and eggs. Cardinals are prominent songbirds. They prefer a mixed habitat.