The enzymes that act inside the small intestine are amylase, protease, and lipase. Amylase acts on starch and breaks it down into small carbohydrate molecules. Protease acts on proteins and breaks them down into amino acids. Lipase breaks down dietary fats into smaller molecules called fatty acids and glycerol.
Sandhill Cranes mate for life, choosing their partners based on dancing displays. Displaying birds stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air. Although each female usually lays two eggs, only one nestling typically survives to fledge.
The earliest Sandhill Crane fossil, estimated to be 2.5 million years old, was unearthed in the Macasphalt Shell Pit in Florida. Sandhill Crane chicks can leave the nest within 8 hours of hatching, and are even capable of swimming. The oldest Sandhill Crane on record was at least 36 years, 7 months old. Originally banded in Wyoming in 1973, it was found in New Mexico in 2010.