Select the one animal that has all of the placental mammal traits listed above.
Brown pelicans live along the west coast of North America. They dive underwater to catch fish in their beaks. Brown pelicans keep their eggs warm by standing on the shells with their large, webbed feet. Hippopotamuses have small hairs near their mouths and ears, but most of their skin is hairless. Their skin makes a reddish-brown substance that acts like sunscreen! Hippopotamuses give birth to live offspring.
Placental mammals are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify placental mammals:
They give birth to live offspring.
They have fur or hair. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Placental mammals have the following traits:
They give birth to live offspring.
They have fur or hair.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A brown pelican has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A brown pelican does not have all of the traits of a placental mammal. A brown pelican is a bird.
A hippopotamus has the following traits:
It gives birth to live offspring.
A hippopotamus has the traits of a placental mammal. A hippopotamus is a placental mammal.