Body coverings

BODY COVERINGS

•           How do we stay warm when it’s a cold day?

•           Just as we put scarves, hats, and gloves on to stay warm, animals have their own protection.

•           What do animals have on their body to protect them?

Different types of body coverings

•           These are just a few types of body coverings animals have.

Did you ever question why some animals have different body coverings than others?

Animal body coverings are important as they keep the animal warm and dry, protect them from physical danger and help them hide from their enemies.

•           Animals must be able to survive in a range of environmental conditions, including wind, rain, snow, sun, cold, and heat.

•           An animal's first line of defense is a good protective covering.

Scales:

•           Fish are covered with a layer of flexible, overlapping scales.

•           Bodies of reptiles (e.g., snake, crocodile, and lizard) too are covered with scales.

•           Most reptiles have horny scales that prevent water loss from their bodies.

•           Snakes also shed their skin periodically, which is replaced by a new one.

Figure 8: Snakes are covered with scales

Shell:

•           Animals such as snail, tortoise, and turtle are protected by a shell.

•           When these animals sense danger, they withdraw their head and feet into the shell.

•           Turtle shells can be very strong.

•           A turtle's shell can support a weight 200 times greater than the weight of the turtle.

Feathers:

•           Bird’s body is covered with feathers.

•           Feathers help in flight.

•           They also protect birds from rain and cold.

Fur or Wool:

•           Animals such as sheep, bear, and human beings are called mammals.

•           Sheep and bear have special body coverings (wool and fur respectively), that protect them from rain and cold.