Category Science

Mammals in the Sea

Most kinds of mammals live on land. But seals, whales, and a few other mammals live in the sea. They can stay underwater for a long time, but these mammals breathe air through their lungs. They rise above the water to breathe.

Whales look so much like fish that many people think they are fish. But they are mammals. They have hair, they are warm-blooded, and their babies drink mother’s milk. Dolphins and porpoises are small whales.

Seals, sea lions, and walruses are mammals that spend much of their time in the water and some time on land. When they come onto land, they waddle about on their fins.

Another group of sea mammals includes dugongs and manatees, which are sometimes called sea cows. These animals look a bit like walruses without tusks. Instead of hind flippers, each of these animals has a wide, flattened tail.

Picture Credit : Google

Flying Mammals

Here they come! And seeing those black shapes flutter against the darkening sky could give you goose-bumps.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Their two leathery wings are supported by arm bones and spread-out finger bones. When bats are resting, their wings fold up like umbrellas.

Most bats live in caves, usually in large groups called colonies. But sometimes they live in barns, trees, or attics, where they hang upside down by their toes!

Bats are nocturnal animals. They sleep during the day and come out to eat at night. Some people think bats are blind, but they really have good eyesight. They have to find their food in the dark. They do this by squeaking as they fly. The squeaks bounce off objects, and the bats hear the echoes.

Most bats eat moths and other insects. Some bats eat only fruit. The famous vampire bat of South America drinks blood. It bites the skin of a sleeping animal with its teeth and then laps up the blood.

Picture Credit : Google

Mammal Homes

The winter wind howls. Snow falls in thick flakes. Rain soaks the ground. Hungry animals prowl. Some mammals don’t need a house of any kind. Whales don’t. Neither do many mammals with hoofs, such as elk and moose.

Some mammals look for shelter only at night or when they are giving birth. Most monkeys, for example, sleep in trees. The elephant looks for a hidden spot in which to have her baby.

But some mammals make houses to keep out the sun, wind, snow – or other animals. A beaver’s house of branches and twigs is often built in a pond. The top of the house freezes in winter, keeping out the cold and the other animals. But the bottom of the house doesn’t freeze. The beaver can go in and out to get the food it has stored there. Every animal’s house is just right for the animal that lives in it.

Picture Credit : Google

Babies in Pouches

A newborn kangaroo is smaller than a grown-up person’s thumb. A newborn koala is even smaller. A newborn opossum is smaller yet – no bigger than a bee.

How do such tiny creatures stay safe? After they are born, they spend months in a pouch on the mother’s body. They don’t even peek out. They just drink milk and grow.

            Then, for a while, they spend part of the day outside the pouch. But they jump back in again when something scares them.

Even after they leave the pouch, the babies stay close to the mother. An opossum rides on its mother’s back when she looks for food. A koala baby rides piggyback as its mother moves through the treetops eating eucalyptus leaves.

A kangaroo baby is called a joey. It outgrows its pouch at about 8 months old. Then it hops along beside its mother.

All these young are tiny and weak at first, but they grow into big, strong animals. A full-grown opossum is about as big as a cat. A full-grown koala is a bit larger. An adult kangaroo is nearly as tall as an adult person.

Picture Credit : Google

Mammal Food

The newborn lion cub is hungry. It pushes its way past all its brothers and sisters. Latching onto its mother’s nipple, it drinks her warm, sweet milk.

As the lion cub grows, its jaws become strong. Its baby teeth fall out, and stronger, sharper teeth grow in. The lion cub learns to bite and tear and gnaw and chew. Now it needs more than milk when it is hungry. It needs meat.

Some young animals just follow their mother around and eat whatever she eats. But others need to be taught how to eat grown-up food.

The lion cub follows its mother when she hunts. She lets it play with the animal she has killed. The cub tastes the meat. The young lion finds it likes this kind of food.

Every baby mammal drinks milk for awhile after it is born. But mammals learn to eat the kind of food their parents eat.

Baby antelopes, horses, cows, elephants, and giraffes grow up to eat plants. Lion cubs, wolf pups, and baby walruses grow up to eat other animals. Bears row up to eat both plants and animals. But they all started out drinking mother’s milk.

Picture Credit : Google

Animals Can Be Your Friend

When you think of pets, what do you think of? Many people think of dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, or fish. Other people think of snakes, insects, monkeys, pigs, or even llamas. Still others think of tarantulas or iguanas.

All around the world, people love animals as pets. In Japan, children train pet mice to dance, and some people keep pet jellyfish. Mongooses are common pets in India. Large sea birds called cormorants are popular pets in China.

What kind of pet is right for you? Kittens and puppies are fun to play with. Birds and fish are fun to watch. Cats, fish, and snakes are quiet pets.

Dogs and birds can be quite noisy, but they can be trained to do tricks. If you want an unusual pet, how about a hedgehog, a tropical fish, or a mouse?

Getting a new pet is fun and exciting. But remember—your pet probably will be with you as long as it lives. So will your responsibility to your pet! Make sure that you and your pet are a perfect match.

Picture Credit : Google