Burrowers - animals that burrow, a kidcyber weblinks page

Some animals spend their whole life underground.

Their bodies have changed (adapted) to suit their life spent in the dark tunnels they make through the soil. Animals that live underground don't need to see well, and their bodies need to be able to fit in the tunnels.

Earthworm

Examples of these animals are:

Some animals shelter underground in burrows they make for that purpose. Some nocturnal animals shelter in burrows during the day, leaving to hunt in the cool of the night. Desert animals shelter in the cool underground during the heat of the day. Burrows may be used every day or every few days, or used to make nests for sheltering the young.

Common wombat

Some examples of these animals are:

Some animals live underground for part of their life cycle, and live above the ground for the rest of their life cycle.

Examples:

An adult cicada comes out from its old skin, having changed from a nymph living underground to a flying insect

There are several species of frog in the Australian desert that stay underground for years in the dry, and when it rains, they emerge and lay eggs in the puddles. The tadpoles hatch and develop very quickly before everything dries up again. When the desert is once again dry, they burrow to stay cool and moist underground.

Examples:

Burrowers, a kidcyber weblinks page available www.kidcyber.com.au
Updated October 2008 ©kidcyber

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