Animal Life Cycles (Social Studies Primary 4)
Introduction to Life Cycle
1. A life cycle is defined as the complete succession of changes undergone by an
organism during its life. *** Define: Organism
2. A new cycle occurs when an identical set of changes is begun.
3. All organisms go through stages of development.
4. Birds go from the egg, to the chick, to the adult.
5. Amphibians go from the egg, to the larva, to the adult. *** Define: Amphibians
6. Plants go from the seed, to the seedling, to the flowering plant.
7. Insect go from the egg, to the larva, to the pupa, to the adult.
8. Scientists can even describe the life cycle of a star or a plastic bottle.
9. Even families can have a life cycle.
10. They can then have a child - the child becomes an adult - the new adult leaves
home, finds a partner, start a family and the life cycle begins again.
Animals that Grow Up (Simple Life Cycle):
1. Most animals including fish, mammals, reptiles and birds have very simple life cycles:
they are born (either alive from their mother or hatched from eggs)
they grow up
2. These animals have three stages -- before birth, young and adult.
3. The young are typically similar to the parent, just smaller.
4. The young slowly "grow" to become adults.
Amphibians:
1. Amphibians, like frogs and newts, have a slightly more complicated life cycle.
2. They undergo a metamorphosis (a big change):
they are born (either alive from their mother or hatched from eggs)
they spend their childhood under water, breathing with gills
they grow into adults and move to the land, breathing with lungs
Animals that Undergo a Complete Metamorphosis:
1. Insects have four stages in their life cycle:
egg: unborn stage.
larva: young stage -- this is when most of the feeding is done.
(they usually look like worms)
pupa: inactive (no feeding) stage between larva and adult stages.
(usually well camouflaged)
adult: final, breeding stage.
(they usually grow wings)
2. Animals that go through a complete metamorphosis are "Wow!" animals -- they go
to bed looking one way and wake up a completely different creature. Wow!
Animals that Undergo an Incomplete Metamorphosis:
1. About 10% of insects go through an incomplete metamorphosis.
2. They do not have a pupal form -- these include dragonflies, grasshoppers and
cockroaches.
3. These insects have three stages in their life cycle:
egg: unborn stage.
nymph: young stage -- this is when most of the feeding is done.
adult: final, breeding stage - including wings.
Frog Life Cycle
1. Frogs are amphibians, which mean that they can live in water or on land.
2. Amphibian means two-lives.
3. Frogs begin their lives in the water as eggs and then tadpoles and when they are
fully developed they live on land.
4. They go through several stages of life before they become frogs and during those
stages, they live only in water.
5. Frogs lay their eggs in calm or static water.
6. These eggs float on the surface of the water body.
7. Frog eggs floating in a pond: these clusters of floating eggs are called "egg masses".
8. Frogs lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time!
9. Some of them die while others hatch.
10. After some time, the baby frogs develop a tail and they look like fish.
11. They are called Tadpoles.
12. Shortly after hatching, the tadpole feeds on the yolk of the egg.
13. After a few days, the tadpole can swim around and eat algae.
14. It gradually develops teeth, which help it to chew food.
15. As tiny legs start developing on the tadpole's body, it begins to look more like an
adult frog instead of a fish.
16. They are called Froglets.
17. After a few weeks, the tail disappears completely.
18. The hands and feet become stronger and longer.
19. Adult frogs live in a colony of frogs.
20. They mate and return to the water to lay eggs.
21. Frogs eat insects, catching them with their long, sticky tongue.
22. They also eat small fish and worms.
More about Frogs
1. Frogs and toads are carnivores, which mean that they will eat meat.
2. Frogs eat insects such as flies, mosquitoes, moths and dragonflies.
3. Larger frogs will eat larger insects like grasshoppers and worms.
4. Some large frogs will even eat small snakes, mice, baby turtles, and even other
smaller frogs!
5. Most frogs will starve before they eat a dead insect or
animal.
6. Frog‟s tongues are attached to the front of their mouths
rather than at the back like humans.
7. When a frog catches an insect it throws its sticky tongue
out of its mouth and wraps it around its prey.
8. The frog‟s tongue then snaps back and throws the food down its throat.
9. Frogs have very good eyesight.
10. They bulge out the sides of their heads in order for the frog to see in nearly all
directions.
11. Frogs also have amazing sense of hearing.
12. Frogs have very powerful back legs and webbed feet that help them jump great
distances, as well as, swim.
13. Frogs even use their legs to dig, or burrow, underground for hibernating.
14. Certain frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length in a single leap.
15. Every different species of frog has his or her own look.
16. They come in many colors, patterns and sizes.
FROGS vs. TOADS
Many people don‟t know the difference between frogs and toads. They are quite
different animals, although they belong to the same animal group.
Frogs:
Need to live near water
Have smooth, moist skin that makes them look “slimy”.
Have a narrow body
Have higher, rounder, bulgier eyes
Have longer hind legs
Take long high jumps
Have many predators
Toads:
Do not need to live near water to survive
Have rough, dry, bumpy skin
Have a wider body
Have lower, football shaped eyes
Have shorter, less powerful hind legs
Will run or take small hops rather than jump
Do not have many predators.
Toad‟s skin lets out a bitter taste and smell that burns the eyes and nostrils of its
predators, much like a skunk does.
Interesting Facts
1. Did you know that a group of frogs is called an „army‟? (A group of toads is called a
„knot‟.)
2. Frogs don‟t drink water they absorb it through their skin.
3. Frog bones form a ring when the frog is hibernating, just like trees do.
4. Scientists can use these rings to figure out the age of a frog
