If I could be any animal . . .

Conservationists magazinesContents


If I had to be a Missouri animal, I would choose to be a fox. I would be a fox because they are swift and graceful. They are also quick and intelligent and have a small line of predators. I would also choose to be a fox because of their beauty. The only real danger would be hunters, cars and bigger meat-eating animals.

Kristin Predmore, Norwood School, Norwood

 

I would be a bobcat. Nobody seems to realize how awesome cats are. For instance, they can survive very harsh weather. They are pretty, agile and, in ancient Egypt, they were like gods.

Michelle N., age 9, Springfield

 

I would like to be a red-tailed hawk because I could fly away from everybody and look around and have fun.

Emily Messick, Savannah

 

The Missouri animal I would most like to be is the nighthawk. The nighthawk mother blends in really well. When she leaves her nest, her eggs can't be seen. That's because the nighthawk has her nest in the rocks. I love rocks.

Laura Boehm, 5th grade,
St. John's Lutheran School,
St. Louis

 

I would like to be a butterfly because they are pretty, colorful and fast. They are also cute, soft and nice. One reason I would not want to be a butterfly is because they are easily eaten by predators.

Jena Moffet, Ridgeview Elementary, Liberty

 

If I could be any animal in the state of Missouri, I would be a box turtle. I am kind of shy and quiet like a box turtle. I could take my house anywhere I went. I would eat all kinds of things, like worms, lettuce and insects. Sometimes I would get lucky and maybe a dog would let me eat some of his food, too. In the winter I would dig a hole in the ground and cover myself up. I would stay there all winter long. I would dig myself out in the spring.

Robin Wagner, age 8, Doniphan

 

I would like to be a walking stick because I would like to look like a twig and hide from other animals. I would also like to eat leaves.

Casey Kohler, St. Martin de Porres School, Hazelwood

 

Iwould like to be an eagle. I could fly and nobody could shoot me or have my feathers. I could soar over trees, lakes and green fields. I could sit high on the rocks overlooking a lake where I would find food. I am from Georgia and we don't see many eagles there. I am visiting my grandma here in Theodosia. We went swimming in Bull Shoals Lake where we saw eagles soaring over the water.

Joni Smith, age 11

 

If I could be anything, I would be a shrew. The shrew is a very hearty eater even though it is small in size. The shrew is about 1 1/2 inches long. The shrew builds tunnels almost 1 foot deep. The shrew also has a very bad temper. The shrew is small, but if a rabbit comes near the shrew might even try to eat it for lunch.

Justin Dognan, Ridgeview Elementary, Liberty

Last fall, Professor Nutkins asked kids to send him letters describing what kinds of animals they would be if they could choose to be any animal found in Missouri.

The mail poured in, and soon, Professor Nutkins was buried under a pile of letters. One afternoon, as the sun was streaming in his office window, Professor Nutkins was reading his mail and began to nod off. Soon he was sleeping, his head swimming with pictures of bobcats, coyotes, catfish, moles, butterflies, turtles, snakes, eagles, fawns, hawks, foxes . . . And he had a strange dream.

He dreamed that if he could be any animal, he would be a wild creature made up of all kinds of specialized parts from many different animals. Every animal has unique body parts to help it adapt and survive in the wild. Professor Nutkins dreamed he had some from each .