Animal Offspring #2

Fun Facts About Animal Offspring #2

• A baby duck (called a duckling) can walk, swim, and feed themselves within hours of hatching. This crucial survival skill is thanks to a behavior called imprinting where they immediately bond with their mother, following her everywhere for protection.
• A baby deer (called a fawn) is born with white spots on their fur for camouflage, mimicking dappled sunlight on the forest floor to hide them from predators while their mother forages.
• A baby cat (called a kitten) is born blind and deaf, but their sense of smell is so strong that they can find their mother's nipples for milk within minutes of birth.
• A baby pig (called a piglet) is remarkably intelligent from birth, quickly learning to recognize their own names and their mother's voice within a couple of weeks.
• A baby snake (called a snakelet) either hatches from an egg or is born live fully independent. Some species in the latter group are able to hunt small prey like insects immediately and need no parental care at all.
• A baby wild boar (called a boarlet) is born with distinctive coats featuring light-colored stripes against a darker background that provide camouflage in the forest undergrowth. This helps them hide from predators until they grow older and lose the stripes.
• A baby pigeon or dove (called a squeaker) emits loud, high-pitched sounds while begging for food from their parents. The cries are persistent and demanding for weeks until they are old enough to become independent.
• A baby spider (called a spiderling) will often "balloon" shortly after hatching by releasing silk threads to catch the wind. They are able to travel hundreds of miles, thereby dispersing to new areas in a daring aerial adventure.