Texas is home to several species of woodpecker. They are found across much of the United States and Texas in habitats with trees. Some species or types of woodpeckers will live in habitats with tall cacti too. Texas woodpeckers range in size from the small sparrow-sized Downy Woodpecker to the larger crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker. While they are different sizes, they all have the same adaptations. They are all colored black and white often with red and yellow patterns too. Woodpeckers are named for the behavior they use to find food.
There are over 20 species or types of salamander in Texas. In fact, the United States has the highest diversity of salamander species in the world. Salamanders are found in other parts of the world too and can range in size from the 2 cm long minute salamanders that live in Mexico to the 1.8m long Chinese giant salamander. The salamander order includes newts, waterdogs and eel-like creatures called sirens and amphiumas.
Pollination is the act of transferring pollen grains from one flower to another so the plant can produce fruit. This is an important step in a plant’s life cycle. Flowers rely on something called a vector to transfer pollen. Plants can be pollinated by non-living factors such as wind and water, but most plants are pollinated by animals. These are all examples of vectors.
The squirrel family, Scuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. In Texas there are eight species or types of squirrel including flying squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels. The word squirrel comes from a Greek word, skiouros which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy tail on certain species. Squirrels are rodents like rats, mice and beavers. All rodents have ever-growing incisors, which means their front teeth never stop growing. Their front teeth are orange because they are covered with a hard coating called enamel. Rodents must wear down their teeth so they don’t keep growing into their brain. As they grind their teeth against hard things such as tree bark, the soft tooth underneath wears down, and the enamel sharpens like a chisel. This is a trait found in all rodents.
Texas is home to several species of woodpecker. They are found across much of the United States and Texas in habitats with trees. Some species or types of woodpeckers will live in habitats with tall cacti too. Texas woodpeckers range in size from the small sparrow-sized Downy Woodpecker to the larger crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker. While they are different sizes, they all have the same adaptations. They are all colored black and white often with red and yellow patterns too. Woodpeckers are named for the behavior they use to find food. 
There are over 20 species or types of salamander in Texas. In fact, the United States has the highest diversity of salamander species in the world. Salamanders are found in other parts of the world too and can range in size from the 2 cm long minute salamanders that live in Mexico to the 1.8m long Chinese giant salamander. The salamander order includes newts, waterdogs and eel-like creatures called sirens and amphiumas. 
Pollination is the act of transferring pollen grains from one flower to another so the plant can produce fruit. This is an important step in a plant’s life cycle. Flowers rely on something called a vector to transfer pollen. Plants can be pollinated by non-living factors such as wind and water, but most plants are pollinated by animals. These are all examples of vectors. 
The squirrel family, Scuridae includes squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. In Texas there are eight species or types of squirrel including flying squirrels, ground squirrels and tree squirrels. The word squirrel comes from a Greek word, skiouros which means shadow-tailed, referring to the bushy tail on certain species. Squirrels are rodents like rats, mice and beavers. All rodents have ever-growing incisors, which means their front teeth never stop growing. Their front teeth are orange because they are covered with a hard coating called enamel. Rodents must wear down their teeth so they don’t keep growing into their brain. As they grind their teeth against hard things such as tree bark, the soft tooth underneath wears down, and the enamel sharpens like a chisel. This is a trait found in all rodents.