Animal Life Cycles Year 2 Science

LifecyclesA lifecycle is how an animal changes from

infancy/egg to adult. Think about the changes that will happen to

you (a human) in your life cycle.

MetamorphosisMetamorphosis means to changeDuring some animal life cycles there is a

major change between each stage

FrogWhat is a frog?

A frog is an amphibian. Which means they live in water and on land. They are cold blooded so their body temperature is controlled by the temperature of the surroundings. They absorb water through their skin and don’t drink water. They have strong back legs for jumping and webbed feet for swimming.

Where do frogs live?Frogs live almost anywhere except Antarctica. They are mostly found in tropical regions. They live in and near water like streams and ponds. They live on land and mate in water. Some frogs live in trees.

Back to Metamorphosis

Frog lifecycleEgg – The eggs are laid in water. They take 3 to 25 days to hatch. The

length of time required for hatching is dependent on the temperature of the water. The eggs are covered in a jelly like substance.

Tadpole – Tadpoles look like fish. They have a tail and external gills to breathe. Tadpoles eat plants and decaying animals.

Polliwog – Is the stage when the tadpole grows legs and the tail begins to shrink .

Frog – The adult finds a mate and the female lays her eggs in the water in clusters.

The full life cycle takes between 12 and 16 weeks.

ButterflyWhat is a butterfly?

A butterfly is an insect. Butterflies have 6 jointed legs, 4 wings, a pair of antennae, compound eyes and 3 body parts. A head, a thorax and an abdomen.

Butterflies have 4 wings and are good fliers.

Back to Metamorphosis

Butterfly lifecycleEgg – The eggs are laid on the underside of leaves.

Caterpillar – The caterpillar emerges from the egg. It eats the egg casing first. It then eats plants. As it grows it sheds its skin.

Chrysalis – When the caterpillar has grown enough it will attach itself to a plant and makes a hard shell called a chrysalis.

Butterfly- A butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. The adult will look for a mate and the female will lay eggs on the leaves.

DragonflyWhat is a dragonfly?

The dragonfly is an insect that can hover in mid air. A dragon fly has 3 body parts, compound eyes, 6 legs and 3 body parts. A dragonfly eats other insects which it catches while flying.

Where do dragonflies live?Most dragonflies are found near water.

Back to Metamorphosis

Dragonfly lifecycleEgg – The eggs are laid in water, near water or on water plants. The eggs

hatch in 1 to 4 weeks.

Nymph – a nymph emerges from the egg and lives in water. A nymph is a flat dark creature with legs. They feed on other insects and small fish. They climb out of the water and their skin splits. Most of the lifecycle is spent as a nymph.

Adult Dragonfly – An adult dragonfly emerges from the split skin. The dragonfly hunts for food and looks for a mate. The female lays eggs on or near the water. The dragonfly lives for approximately 2 months.

The whole dragonfly lifecycle is complete in 1 year.

Lifecycle quizQuestion 1-Metamorphosis means to :

A. grow

B. lay eggs

C. change

Lifecycle quizQuestion 2 – Your life cycle would be

A. baby, child, adultB. child, baby, adultC. child, egg, adult

Lifecycle quizQuestion 3- A polliwog has

A. No legs or tail

B. legs and a shrinking tail

C. No legs and but has a tail

Lifecycle quizQuestion 4 – A chrysalis is part of the

lifecycle of ;

A. ButterflyB. DragonflyC. Frog

Lifecycle quizQuestion 5 – A dragonfly is a flying

insect for most of its life cycle?

A. Yes

B. No

Congratulations!

Lifecycle quiz

Great Job!!!You are now an

expert on animal life

cycles. All images used in this presentation were courtesy of Microsoft Office.

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Lifecycle quiz