ABC Autobiography
By: Grant Owens  
 
 
 
 

ABC Autobiography
 
By: Grant Owens
Alligator Amazement

 
Reptiles that can be up to 17- 20 ft long, alligators are very
interesting creatures. I remember when I saw my first
alligator. I was walking around in the Greenville Zoo when
I saw a little exhibit. I walked inside and I saw them. I got
wide eyed. They were huge, scaly, and all ultra-predator. It
looked like they had crawled from a Jurassic Park movie!
The alligators were warming up in the sunlight. Their jaws
were filled with sharp fangs. Some were swimming in their
pool. They looked hungry. But they always looked like
that. It was awe inspiring.
Beetle Breach
 

 I find beetles very interesting, but when they’re in my
bed! It was the middle of winter, and I was just getting in
bed. But I felt something in the bed too, so I looked. About
ten small beetles were crawling around the sheets. I was so
surprised, I fell out of bed.
 We called the exterminator. It turned out that we had over
500 beetles! The exterminator got rid of them all. I was glad
that I could finally sleep in peace. The beetles were gone.
 
Crocodile Craze

 
 Crocodiles are cool creatures to me. I used to be crazy
about them. I filled my room with pictures of them. I
enjoyed hearing about them. And I watched Animal Planet
6/7. It was crazy.
 
 The way they hunted was amazing. Their jaws were
made for killing. They are amazing. I still like them, but I’m
not crazy about them anymore. That was going overboard.
 
Delicious Dish

 
 I love ice cream. And I mean…….
 
 
I LOVE ICE CREAM!!!!!
 
I once ended up stealing a whole carton of vanilla! That didn’t go so well.
No matter how many other sweets are in the world, ice cream will always
be the best.
 
 It’s creamy, savory, and tasty. The flavor is amazing. My favorite flavor
is vanilla. I also like rain bow sprinkles and strawberry syrup on top. It
drives me nuts!
Explosions!

 
 I love things that go boom. Their purpose is terrible, but who can
resist something being blown up? Not me, that’s for sure. It is sort of
funny to watch something blow up all of a sudden. Like a guy who is
walking down a path and all of a sudden, the guy gets hit by a falling
piano (animated, of course)!
 
 The way explosions expand is awesome. All the colors, spreading
out in the cloud is great to watch. The bright light and huge sound,
followed by a rumbling noise as the cloud goes high in the sky. It
presents a powerful feeling. But personally, my favorite part is the
distinctive mushroom cloud.
Fish Fiasco
 
Fish are my second favorite subject. The diversity of the
many fish species is amazing. There are so many shapes
and sizes! It’s like there’s a species for every color in the
world! I love them so much that when I was six, I ended up
releasing my pet goldfish into are pool!
 
They can be carnivorous, herbivorous, or omnivorous.
They can be very large, or very small. Their speed can vary,
depending on the fish. They can be as bright as a rainbow,
or as dull as a gray rug. But they are all fish.
Gecko the Great

 
 If there was a prize for best reptile in the world, I would
vote gecko. I adore them so much. They are my favorite
reptiles in the world! If I could be anything in the world
living today, I would be a gecko.
 
 They have glassy eyes. Geckos can use their tongues to
wash dirt and debris out of its eyes. It mainly eats insects
and invertebrates. They can live in deserts and jungles. It
can also, unbelievably, stick to walls and ceilings!
Hermit Crabs
 

 
 I used to have two pet hermit crabs. One was about 2 in, while
the other one was about 8 in. One day, I found the big one eating
the small one. I took the remaining crab back to the pet store.
 
 Hermit crabs need to find bigger shell while they grow. They
eat algae, dead animals, small fish, and even their own kind if
hungry enough. They compete with each other for shells. They’re
highly territorial. Most live in highly tropical regions.
 
Itching Insects
 I love insects, but not when they bite me! I once was
on Daufuskie Island, preparing to go to sleep. But little
visitors were just waking up. The next morning, I found
several little bite marks on my neck! I was shocked.
 
 It was a bed bug. They are insects with a taste for
blood. They only come out at night. Their abdomens
(last body segment) expand to accommodate as much
blood as they can swallow. They leave little bite marks
from where they left off.
Jelly, Jelly, Oh Jellyfish

 
 I love jellyfish, but not when they sting me! They sometimes
they wash up on beaches. It’s a booby trap for the unwary. Some
are death just waiting to happen. Others are like splinters. But
all their stings are painful.
 
 They are well adapted to find prey. There are many different
shapes and sizes. They come in many different colors. Most are
carnivores. Most also have nematocyst (stinging cells).
 
Krill Catch

 
 Krill are microscopic (most) animals that look like
shrimp. But there are quadrillions of them! They’re very
tasty, actually. But you have to have about a million of them.
You can make a salad oil from them. They’re very nutritious.
 
 Krill are at the bottom of the aquatic food chain. They eat
small plants. Most krill are a reddish color. The average
number of krill eaten (by whales) is over two billion a day.
That’s a lot of crustacean.
Lizards

 
 I’m a lizard fan. They run and crawl. Their
movements are a feat of magic. Some can even run on
water! Their body designs are spectacular sights.
 
 Most eat invertebrates. Some eat small mammals.
Some still are cannibals. And some even eat buffalo or
goats! But all are adapted to live in harsh conditions.
Marsh Crab

 
 
 Marsh crabs are 6 in. long and mostly terrestrial. They are
carnivorous. They also scavenge dead bodies. They can survive
on land for up to 6 days. They also live in salt or fresh water,
mostly fresh.
 
 They have book lungs. Their eyes are mounted on stalks.
They are crustacean arthropods. They eat algae and meat.
Their jaws are meant for slicing and grinding. They can’t swim.
Nautilus

 
 A nautilus is an octopod, a member of the mollusk family. It has
multiple tentacles and a beak. Its shell is divided into several sections
and each section is filled with gas to keep the nautilus buoyant. It is a
carnivore and eats small fish and shrimp. It can retract into its shell to
protect it from predators.
 
 Its body only takes up one chamber. It can’t change its color or shape.
It can’t squirt ink, either. It can only swim backwards. The nautilus lays
its eggs on shallow coral reefs.
Octopus
 
 I love octopi. They are very smart and unique
animals. They can change their color and shape. Their
beak-like mouths are meant for crushing the hard shells
of crabs. They’re also very intelligent and adaptive
animals.
 
 It can squeeze through a 9 ft long hamster tube. Its
favorite prey is crustaceans. They can squirt ink. They do
this to distract predators. I find them very interesting.
Pizza Panic

 
 I like pizza. The cheese mixes with the sauce. The
crust is so crunchy. Personally, I’m more of a plain
cheese. Papa John’s is my favorite pizza place. They
always do it just right.
 
 My family also likes pizza. 25% likes everything on
top. 25% likes pepperoni on top. And 50% likes just
plain cheese. My favorite is actually cheese sticks.
Quails

 
 Quails are mostly flightless birds that live in various
environments. There are usually multiple females and one
dominate male. They’re mostly vegetarians. The males have
a single tuft on their head. The males are also brighter than
the females.
 
 They travel in groups. They occasionally eat small
invertebrates. They mostly live fields. They also lay their
eggs on the ground. This is sort of a wild poultry.
 
Red is My Favorite
 Red is my favorite color. It’s so vivid and bright. Red
also makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. It
reminds me of strawberries and watermelons. Red is
certainly my favorite.
 
 It’s such a strong color. It is a great background.
Red also makes great details. Red means ripe when it’s
on fruit. I love red.
Sharks And Snakes

 
 They’re both perfect hunting machines. One on land,
and one in the sea. Both are dangerous and deadly, and
both are carnivorous. They show no mercy towards prey.
The land hunters, snakes, and the ocean terrors, sharks.
 
 Sharks are fast and strong. They’ll eat any meat they
can get. Snakes are smart and deadly. They can kill using
venom or constriction. Both are ultra predators.
 
Tick Terror
 Ticks are parasitic arachnids that feed on blood.
They attach themselves to other animal in order to
feed. They can be from 1 cm to 1 ft! They expand when
feeding to accommodate more blood. They sometime
attach to humans.
 
 There are about 15,000 different species around
world. They feed on mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Ticks can spread some diseases. A certain species can
drink 1 kilometer of blood. They are pests known all
over.
 Utah raptor

 
 Utah raptors were enormous raptors that roamed
Utah during the Jurassic. They could grow up to 39 ft
long! Their name means “Utah Thief”. They had a claw
that grew to 20 in long! They also hunted in packs!
 
 Utah’s own mega predator, Utah raptors weren’t
attacked by anything. They fed on dinosaurs called
Iguanodon. They lived in arid, dry areas. They are said
to have had feathers. These were voracious predators.
Vice Grip

 
 My big brother is tough and loves to fish. Once,
he got something huge on the line. He grabbed
the line and didn’t let go. He reeled in a 10 ft long
white tip reef shark. He didn’t even budge.
 
 He might as well be a statue. It won’t matter
how hard you try to move him. He won’t move.
He’ll bring in the fish. It’s that simple.
Windy Water

 
 
The boat is rocking and the surface is full of waves.
But I love the bumping and jolting. It’s fun and
exciting. Thought the others are scared, I’m not. It
was awesome.
 
I love speed. The wind in my face feels so refreshing.
The wet splashes. I love it!! I will on any fishing trip.