Roadrunner
Roadrunner
Bird
A fast-running bird found in the deserts of the American Southwest.
💡 Fun Facts
- They can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour to chase down lizards and insects.
- They secrete excess salt from their bodies through special glands near their eyes to conserve water.
- They are known to hunt and eat venomous rattlesnakes.
Name Story
Geococcyx californianus
means “the Californian ground-cuckoo”
What does its name mean?
- Geococcyx — ground cuckooGreek geo 'earth/ground' + kokkyx 'cuckoo'
- californianus — of CaliforniaLatin
- roadrunner — for its habit of racing along tracks and roadsEnglish
Surprise — the roadrunner really is a kind of cuckoo, just one that lives on the ground and sprints after lizards and snakes on foot. Its scientific name says so plainly: 'ground cuckoo'.