1949 The first appearance of the Roadrunner in a cartoon called Fast and Furry-ous. 10 things you might not know about roadrunners:
A road runner is a type of Cuckoo which belongs to the genus Geococcyx. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and Central America, usually in the desert. There are two species: the greater roadrunner and the lesser roadrunner. The two species’ habitats do not overlap.
They are also called chaparral Birds or chaparral cocks.
They are pretty fast but not as fast as the cartoons make out. A roadrunner can run at speeds of up to 32 km/h (20 mph). In the cartoons, the Roadrunner is shown as faster than a coyote but in real life, a coyote is twice as fast as a roadrunner with a top sprinting speed of 64 km/h (40 mph).
Needless to say, in real life, a roadrunner does not say "beep, beep". This sound was inspired by a background artist named Paul Julian imitating a car horn. He voiced the character until he died but was never credited. In real life, the roadrunner’s call is a slow and descending dove-like "coo" or a rapid clattering sound with its beak.
Roadrunners would rather run than fly. They can fly if they have to, but their wings are weak and their muscular legs weigh them down. To get airborne, they usually need a running start, or they might glide down to the ground from tree branches or canyon rims.
They mate for life. A male will first chase the female on foot, and may bring her gifts of food, such as a lizard. The male wags its tail and leaps into the air to get attention. Once the partnership is established they will build a nest in a low tree. Most pairs raise the young together, taking turns sitting on the nest and finding food.
Talking of food, what do they eat? Pretty much anything – they are opportunistic omnivores. Their diet can include insects, small reptiles (including Rattlesnakes), small mammals, Spiders (including tarantulas), Scorpions, centipedes, Snails, small birds, eggs, and fruits and seeds.
Living mostly in deserts, they have found a way to cope with the extreme variations in temperature between night and day. At night, when it’s cold, they enter a state of torpor, allowing their body temperature to drop to conserve their energy. In the morning they sunbathe with their feathers spread out to catch the sun and warm themselves up.
The Hopi and other Pueblo tribes believed roadrunners were sacred and capable of warding off evil spirits. The birds have X shaped footprints, which was believed to be confusing to evil spirits because it’s hard to tell from the footprints which way the bird was going. Hence stylised roadrunner tracks feature in ancient art. The feathers are used to decorate cradles as a protection for babies.
The roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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