Select the one animal that has all of the marsupial traits listed above.
Echidnas are covered in fur and spines. Their spines help protect them from predators. When an echidna is scared, it curls up into a ball! Echidnas lay eggs and feed their offspring milk. Young gray kangaroos are called joeys. Female gray kangaroos carry their joeys in their pouches after they are born. Gray kangaroos get their name from their gray fur.
Marsupials are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify marsupials:
They have offspring that lives in the mother's pouch after birth.
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.
Marsupials have the following traits:
They have offspring that lives in the mother's pouch after birth.
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.
An echidna has the following traits:
It makes eggs with shells.
It has fur.
An echidna does not have all of the traits of a marsupial. An echidna is a monotreme.
A gray kangaroo has the following traits:
It has offspring that lives in the mother's pouch after birth.
It has fur.
A gray kangaroo has the traits of a marsupial. A gray kangaroo is a marsupial.