Most Dangerous Animal in America

What is the most dangerous animal lurking around in America? Some would say the fierce grizzly bear or prowling mountain lions. They have been known to kill people, but the numbers are far from staggering. During the 20th century, 128 people died from bear attacks and only 14 people died from the mountain lions. The answer to this question is deer. While you may think these animals are cute roaming around in the woods, they have been a serious problem around cities and residential areas. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, it is estimated that 130 people die yearly from vehicle collisions with deer. There are one and a half million deer/vehicle accidents per year. This results in nearly 30,000 injuries and over one billion dollars in health insurance claims. Deer also carry ticks which are transmitters of the deadly Lyme disease. Lyme disease infects around 13,000 people on yearly basis. Based on a study from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005, the states with the highest number of accidents caused by deer are Pennyslvania, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia. By being attentive on the roads, the number of deer-related accidents can be decreased. The following are a few good tips to follow to reduce your risk of becoming a deer-collision victim.

• Always keep an eye open for deer especially near wooded areas. Most of the time, signs are posted where deer crossings are most likely.

• Deer are most prone to be out and moving around during the early evening.

• Use high beams to spot deer on the side of the road when it is hard to see.

• If you see one deer, it is likely that more are around because they often move in packs.

By following these simple steps, you are more likely to avoid deer-related accidents.

Exercises

Complete the sentences based on the articles.

2. The fastest water mammal is ….

3. The largest animal on land is ….

4. The oldest animals are ….

5. The most venomous animal is ….

6. Archelon, a … animal lived in … America 74 million years ago.

7. Archelon had a … of around 100 years.

8. Arctodus simus, the largest … ever to walk on Earth.

9. Arctodus simus was a …, meaning that it ate only meat.

10. Arctodus may have become … because its prey died out.

11. … show that moved quickly along the floors of ancient forests.

12. Arthropleura's diet was …. It hunted for small animals and ate rotting leaves as well.

13. When Arthropleura lived on Earth, the oxygen … of the atmosphere was high, and there were no large … living on land.

14. The closest living relatives of Beelzebufo are … of South America.

15. Beelzebufo probably lived on dry land, in arid ….

16. Brontornis burmeisteri is the third … ever to have lived on Earth.

17. It probably hid in wait for … and then pounced on it after chasing for a short while.

18. They also may have been among the first vertebrates to reproduce by ….

19. At the time of the dinosaurs …, nearly 50 % of all animal species also became ….

20. One reason insects are so diverse and tremendously successful is that their basic structure is ….

Match the word with its meaning.

1. fertilization	a) the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates
2. species	b) the remains or impression of a prehistoric plant or animal embedded in rock and preserved in petrified form
3. relative	c) home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
4. fossils	d) a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding
5. carnivore	e) the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth
6. invertebrate	f) the action or process of applying a fertilizer to soil or land or the process involving the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote
7. nutrition	g) an animal that feeds on other animals
8. environment	h) an animal lacking a backbone
9. behavior	i) a species related to another by common origin or a person connected by blood or marriage
10. habitat	j) the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, esp. toward others

Find the missing word.

1. Very little is known of the true nature of these turtles because so few fossils have discovered.	______
2. The largest sea turtle ever lived on Earth, weighed more than two tons.	______
3. The Beelzebufo ampinga frog is thought to spend most of its time on dry land.	______
4. In its own environment and time it was largest land predator.	______
5. This lowered the level of oxygen in the atmosphere, causing giant arthropods, become extinct.	______
6. Arctodus simus being an obligate carnivore did not rely any vegetation for nutrition.	______
7. It thought that the Archelon had a lifespan of around 100 years.	______
8. This predatory bird fed ancient relatives of the armadillo, which were as large as small cars.	______
9. Many official world records held by humans could easily beaten by some wild animals.	______
10. The Beelzebufo frog can be compared modern day horned toads.	______
11. The largest bear ever to walk on Earth weighed up 2500 pounds.	______
12. It hunted for small animals and ate rotting leaves well.	______
13. They also may have been among the first vertebrates reproduce by internal fertilization.	______
14. Arctodus may become extinct because its prey died out.	______
15. Insects make about three fifths of all of all known plant and animal species on Earth.	______