Mammals are the animals that have fur or hair. Even mammals that swim under the water (like dolphins and whales) have hair. They are warm-blooded. Mammals¡¯ bodies are built to maintain just about the same temperature all the time. That¡¯s why mammals can live in a variety places. Most mammal babies live inside their mothers before they are born. All mammals make milk and feed it to their young.
Birds have feathers to protect their bodies. All birds have feather and only birds do. They also have wings. Most birds use their wings to fly. But some are flightless such as ostriches. Owls, hawks and eagles eat meat using their strong feet and booked beaks to catch and kill small mammals such as mice and rabbits. Some of them love to swim. Swans and ducks spend a lot of time in the water.
A fish uses its fins to swim and its gills to breathe. And the fact that they live only in the water make fish different all other animals. Fish are cold-blooded. Many people mistakenly group whales and dolphins into the fish family. Jellyfish and starfish are not fish at all. They don¡¯t have backbones.
Lizards, snakes, alligators and turtles are reptiles. A reptile has dry skin that is covered with scales. Its skin is rough and dry. Reptiles are cold-blooded like fish. Being cold-blooded means that their bodies react to the temperature of their surroundings. When they get too warm, they can go into water or shade to cool off.
Frogs and toads are amphibians. An amphibian has smooth and wet skin. Its skin helps it live both in water and on land. All amphibians begin their life in water with gills and tails. As they grow, they developed lungs and legs for their life on land.
Amphibians are cold-blooded, which means that they are the same temperature as the air or water around them.
Ants, bee, and butterflies are insects. An insect is an animal that has three body parts and six legs. Many insects also have two or four wings. Spiders are not insects. Because they have eight legs. Insects have hard bodies. And they are the animals without bones.
Birds lay eggs. First, mother bird lays her eggs in a nest. Next, the mother or father sits on the eggs to keep them warm. A chick grows inside the egg and hatches. The chick grows up to look like their parents.
Frogs lay eggs in water. Their young hatch from the eggs. Young fogs are called tadpoles. Tadpoles breathe with gills. In time, tadpoles grow legs and lungs. Their tails get shorter and shorter. And it changes into an adult frog.
Butterflies go four stages of life, but they only look like butterflies in the final stage. An adult female butterfly lays an egg. The egg hatches into a caterpillar or larva.
The caterpillar forms the chrysalis or pupa.
The chrysalis matures into a butterfly. * chrysalis-³ªºñÀÇ ¹øµ¥±â * cocoon- °íÄ¡ * pupa- ¹øµ¥±â
Young mammals start growing inside their mothers¡¯ bodies. The adult cat has kittens growing inside her. When they are big enough, the kitten will be born. Like other young mammals, the kittens drink milk from their mother. They will grow up and have features like their parents.
¨ç Land mammal: African elephants weigh up to 6,300kg and can eat as much as 271kg of food a day! ¨è Marine mammal: The blue whale is the world's biggest animal, even larger than any known dinosaur. ¨é Bird: The ostrich can grow to 280 cm tall and weigh as much as 150kg. ¨ê Fish: The whale shark, which is not a whale, reaches 1,402cm in length and weighs up to 15 tons. ¨ë Reptile: The saltwater crocodile can grow to 700cm long. ¨ì Insect: Giant walking sticks can grow to about 30cm length.
What is the smallest animal?
¨ç Land mammal: The bumblebee bat tips the scales at about 2 grams and measures between 30 and 40 millimeters as an adult. ¨è Marine mammal: Sea otters weigh between 15 and 40kg. ¨é Bird: The hummingbird, which grows to only 6cm long and weighs only 1,700g. ¨ê Fish: The Paedocypris progenetica, measures just over 0.8 cm long. ¨ë Reptile: The British Virgin Islands gecko is about 1.8 cm long when full grown. ¨ì Insect: Fairyflies are only about 1/5 of a millimeter long.
What is the fastest animal?
¨ç Land mammal: The cheetah can run as fast as 70 m.p.h. ¨è Marine mammal: Killer whales can reach speeds of 48 m.p.h. ¨é Bird: The peregrine falcon dives at speeds of up to 200 m.p.h. and can fly at a rate of 90 m.p.h., making it not only the fastest bird, but also the fastest animal. Ostriches can run as fast as 43 m.p.h. ¨ê Fish: The Indo-Pacific sailfish can swim at speeds of up to 68 m.p.h. ¨ë Reptile: The spiny-tailed iguana has been clocked in at 21 m.p.h. ¨ì Insect: Hawk moths can reach a speed of about 33 m.p.h.