Cover picture is by Mark GockeCover design by Tami Arnold

This book belongs to

______________________

Colorado Critterscomposed by Jody Davis

brought to you by:

Project of:

Copyright 2015Colorado Foundation for Agriculture

PO Box 10Livermore, CO 80536

www.growingyourfuture.com

The land connects us.

There are Colorado Critters all over the place.

Just seeing these animals puts a smile on your face.

Some of them are big and some are small.

Some are short and some are tall.1

But all of them wear a coat to protect them from the weather.

Some coats are scales, some coats are fur while others wear feathers.

2

Some animals are wild and some are the kind that we can tame and domesticate.

But both kinds are found throughout our state.

All our animals need ranchers and farmers to survive,

These people provide the habitat needs for our animals to stay alive.

They give them a home with food, water, shelter and space.

So animals can live in their own special place.

3

Not every alphabet letter begins an animal’s name,

But we’ll use a few names of animals both wild and tame.

4

A is for Alpaca whose fabric coat makes a sweater so soft and fine.

A is for Ants marching straight in a line.

B is for Buffalo who eat weeds, grass and grains.

B is for Badger, another animal that lives on the plains.

5

C is for Cattle who provide us with beef to eat.

C is for Chipmunks who scamper around beneath your feet.

D is for Deer so quiet and shy.

D is for Dove with its sad mournful cry.

6

E is for Elk found in the mountains and in hills so high.

E is for Eagle that soars way up in the sky.

F is for Fox who’s so cunning and smart.

F is for Frog whose voice tells us spring is about to start.

7

G is for Goat whose milk makes a very good cheese.

G is for Gophers who dig holes wherever they please.

H is for Horse, the animal who helps with the work of man.

H is for Hummingbird whose wings beat faster than a fan.

8

I is for Insects who are found everywhere. The harmful types we avoid, the helpful ones we give special care.

J is for Junco, a bird that enjoys the snow.

J is for Jackrabbit who runs, hops and really can go.

9

K is for Killdeer, a bird whose call chirps out his own name.

K is for Kittens who make playing as their favorite game.

L is for Lynx, a snow cat with really big feet.

L is for Ladybug whose helpful ways are hard to beat.

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M is for Mule with huge ears and a stubborn way.

M is for Moose who prefers marshes and bogs as his place to stay.

N is for Nuthatch, a small bird found in a pine tree.

N is for Naked-neck chicken who is quite a sight to see.

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O is for Owl who hoots in the night.

O is for Osprey, a fish bird that flies to a great height.

P is for Pronghorn, the fastest land animal we know.

P is for Pig, a farm animal that is fast to grow.

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Q is for Quail, a game bird that is small.

Q is for Quiet and Quick, the animal’s way of life you may recall.

R is for Raccoon looking like a bandit wearing a mask.

R is for Robin whose nest building skills are quite a task.

13

S is for Sheep whose wool is soft and warm as can be.

S is for Squirrel,bushy tailed, living high in a tree.

T is for Turkey who gobbles and struts all around.

T is for Trout swimming in fresh water streams, never making a sound.

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U is for Us – we enjoy all the critters we’ve found.

U is for the Usual living areas be it water, sky or ground.

V is for Vulture who cleans up nature’s waste.

V is for Vole, a rodent that scurries in haste.

15

W is for Weasel who is a loner and does not live in a pack.

W is for Woodpecker who has red on its head and red on its back.

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X, Y & Z are animal letters that are hard to find. So we’ll let you think and use your own mind. Think of the Colorado Critters that fit these letters, And finish the alphabet to make it even better.

17

Yak and Zonkey

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This is our story of Colorado Critters that we can see.

But without farmers and ranchers most of them would not be.

These rural people give us many things.

A place filled with animals and the joy that it brings.

The best friends of the animals are the farmers and ranchers who live on the land.

So put your palms together and give them a hand.

They provide the critters a home with all that need.

Plus they raise the food for the people this nation needs to feed.

19

Student Activity

Following are some domesticated animals that live on farms and ranches. Write them in alphabetical order on the lines below.cattle mules alpacas horses cats

goats chickens ducks turkeys llamas

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Student Activity

We get many things from our farms and ranches. From the words below choose the one that fits best in the blank in the sentences. Write it in the space.

flowers wool cattle dairy farms orchards lumber fish

From tree farms we get _____________________ to build houses. Some grow Christmas trees.

The fiber we get from sheep is called _________________.

Milk comes from _________________ cattle.

We plant ______________________ around our homes because they are colorful and they provide food for birds and butterflies.

_______________________ provide us with corn, cabbage, lettuce, onions, broccoli, melons, potatoes and many other vegetables.

Colorado _______________________ provide us with apples, pears and peaches.

Hamburgers, steaks and roasts come from ____________.

_______________ live in water and can be raised on farms.