Warm UpFill in the blanks using the following words:

Inherit trait instincts___________ a body feature or way of acting that an animal inherits______________ a behavior an animal knows how to do without being taught_______________ to receive traits from parents

Animal Traits

Jellyfish, polar bears, and snakes don’t look

much alike, but they are all animals. Different animals have many different shapes and sizes. They also have many different body parts. These different body parts are important to the way an animal lives.

Animal FeaturesHow do animal get their features? Young animals

inherit their features from their parents. Inherit means “to receive from parents.” The body features an

animal inherits are called traits. Inherited traits a young animal receives from is parents are passed to it before birth. Some traits can come from the mother and some can come from the father.

TraitsTraits not only have to do with the way an animal looks but also include some things that animals do. Traits that animals inherit from their parents can be physical or behavioral. Physical traits include features such as wings, claws, and hooves, along with features such as eye color, hair color, and hair type. Behavioral traits include actions like nest-building, migrating, or swimming.

Days Activity: Draw a picture of a cat and a dog. Identify some traits that these animals inherit from their parents. Tell whether each trait is a physical or behavioral trait. *Remember to use at least 4 different colors.