Carmen Bredeson - Baby Animals of Lakes and Ponds

Born to be wild!

Baby animals grow up in all kinds of different habitats. Meet cute baby animals and their families as you explore their biomes in Nature's Baby Animals.

"Young readers will delight in learning about baby animals in this easy-to-read text."

"By reading this book, children will learn some important facts about lakes and ponds and the animal families that live in them."

About the Author

Author Carmen Bredeson, a former high school English teacher, has a master's degree in instructional technology. She has written more than seventy books for young people.

mute (myoot)Not able to make any sound.

prey (pray)An animal that is food for another animal.

rodent (ROH dent)A type of animal with two large front teeth, such as rats, mice, and squirrels.

tadpole (TAD pohl)A frog in the first part of its life.

Ponds are LITTLE pools of fresh water. Lakes are BIG pools of fresh water. Many animals live in and around these waters. Baby animals have special ways to live and stay safe in ponds and lakes.

The capybara is the biggest rodent in the world. A baby capybara [kah pee BAR uh] does not have a lot of hair. It rolls in the mud to cover its body. Then the capybara does not get a sunburn.

Mallard ducklings can swim right after they are born. They stay close to their mother in the water. Mallard ducks eat insects, fish, frogs, and plants. They put their heads deep in the water to find food.

Hippos can stay under water for a LONG time!

A baby hippo is born under the water. It comes up for its first breath of air. Sometimes the baby crawls on its mothers back. They take a little ride. Hippos spend most of their lives in the water.

A baby frog is called a tadpole. Tadpoles look like little fish. They live in the water. Soon the tadpoles grow legs. Their tails get smaller and smaller. The tadpoles turn into frogs and hop, hop, hop onto land.

This turtle is a red-eared slider.

This baby turtle is about one inch long. It has red marks near its ears. Red-eared sliders live in the water. They crawl onto rocks to sit in the sun. When danger is near, they SLIDE into the water. Splash!

A baby mute swan is called a cygnet [SIG net]. Its parents are very big and strong. They protect their little cygnets from enemies. Mute swans make only a few hissing noises. Most of the time they are very quiet.

Baby otters like to play. They slide down a mud bank and SPLASH into the water. Otters swim very well. They can stay under the water for eight minutes! Their thick fur keeps them warm.

A baby heron [HEH run] is born in a nest. The nest is at the top of a tree. The chick learns to fly when it is two months old. Herons stand very still in the water. A fish or frog swims by. The heron catches the