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Discover how mammals are born and how they look similar to their parents as they grow.
Did you know that when you were born, you couldn't walk, talk, or even eat a sandwich? Just like you, many animals start out tiny and need a lot of help from their parents to grow!
Most animals, like birds and lizards, hatch from eggs. But mammals are special! Instead of hatching from a shell, most baby mammals grow inside their mother's body. When they are ready, they are born live. This means they come out into the world as moving, breathing babies right away. Whether it is a tiny kitten or a giant whale, they all start their journey outside the egg!
Quick Check
Do most mammals hatch from hard shells like birds do?
Answer
No, most mammals are born live after growing inside their mothers.
Baby mammals cannot find their own food at first. They are dependent on their parents. To help them grow, mother mammals produce milk. This milk is full of vitamins and energy that help the baby get stronger every day. While a baby bird might eat worms brought by its dad, a baby mammal starts its life drinking milk from its mom.
1. A puppy is born with its eyes closed. 2. It cannot walk or find food on its own. 3. It stays close to its mother to drink milk. 4. After about to weeks, its eyes open and it begins to explore!
Quick Check
What is the special food that mother mammals provide to help their babies grow?
Answer
Mother mammals provide milk for their babies.
Have you ever noticed that a kitten looks a lot like a cat, just smaller? Baby mammals usually share physical traits with their parents. This might include the shape of their ears, the color of their fur, or the way their nose looks. As they grow, their bodies get bigger, but they usually keep the same basic look. They don't change shapes like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly!
Imagine a baby zebra and its mother: 1. Both have black and white stripes. 2. Both have long legs and manes. 3. The baby is much smaller and has fuzzier hair. 4. Over time, the baby grows to be the same size as the adult.
As mammals grow, they learn to do things on their own. They stop drinking milk and start eating the same food as the adults. A baby lion might start at only pounds, but it can grow to be over pounds! Even though they get much larger, you can still tell they belong to the same family because of their shared features.
Think about a human and a blue whale: 1. A human baby grows about to inches in its first year. 2. A baby blue whale can grow inches every single day! 3. Even though the whale grows much faster, both are mammals that drink milk and look like their parents.
How are most mammals born?
What do baby mammals drink to get energy and grow?
A baby mammal usually looks completely different from its parents, like a fish looks like a bird.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, try to name three mammals and describe one way the baby looks like the adult.
Practice Activity
Look at a photo of a baby animal and an adult animal. List three things that are the same and one thing that is different (like size or fur texture)!