Biology Unit 3 - Topic 15 - The Womb and how animals care for their young.

 

The Womb

The zygote of animals like rabbits, rats, cats, and humans grows in the mother´s womb. The womb is in the mother´s abdomen.  The zygote is nourished through the mother.  When its growth is complete, the offspring emerges from the womb. The young one depends upon the mother for its nutrition for some time after its birth.   The mother feeds the young with milk.

 

 

How Animals Care for Their Young

 

 

Do animals care for their young?

Animals care for their young in many ways.  Birds teach their young how to fly.  Wolves teach their young how to hunt.  Animals that take the longest to reach adulthood require the most care as youngsters.  However, only among mammals is there a true kind of education.

 

How long do parents usually care for their babies?

This varies widely. Parents will care for their young as long as it is necessary.  This can last anywhere from a few weeks to five years or more.

 

How do parents teach their young?

Usually by modeling actions as examples until the young imitates the parent.  Caring mothers will nurture and cradle their young to give them a sense of safety and security.  This will, in turn, be taught to the next generation.

 

How do reptiles behave?

Reptiles are among the least interactive of the animals. The mother will guide her babies to safety when they hatch, but will rarely interact with the otherwise.

 

Do both parents take care of their babies?

There is a great variety of parenting styles within species.  Some bird will take turns caring for their young, some will leave the nest building to the mother and food gathering to the father.   Some species have equally active roles in parenting.

Are there strange parents in the animal kingdom?

Some parents are not parents at all.  There is one species of bird that will leave their eggs in the nest of another bird to care for.

 

Do ants protect their babies?

Ants work together in colonies to protect their young. Ant larvae are soft and helpless so they must be fed by ant nursemaids and carried by ant workers.  When the ant colony is threatened, for example, by someone raising a stone and uncovering it, or inundates it while watering the plants, then the worker ants are in charge of evacuating the egg and larvae to save them.