Life Cycles of Animals — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. What is the correct order for a butterfly?
A) Egg, larva, pupa, adult
B) Larva, egg, adult, pupa
C) Pupa, egg, larva, adult
D) Adult, egg, larva, pupa
A butterfly goes through a chrysalis stage. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly with wings.
2. What body part does a tadpole grow to walk on land?
A) Wings
B) Fins
C) Legs
D) Arms
A tadpole needs water because it breathes through gills, just like a fish. It cannot breathe air until it grows lungs.
3. How does a chick get out of its egg?
A) It rolls out
B) It pecks the shell
C) It melts the shell
D) It waits for mom
Right after a chicken hatches from its egg, it is a chick. The chick is small and covered in soft, fluffy feathers.
4. Which stage does a caterpillar rest and change?
A) Egg
B) Larva
C) Adult
D) Pupa
All life cycles repeat over and over. When an adult animal has babies, the same stages start from the beginning again.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Frogs and butterflies both start as eggs.
A butterfly uses its long, thin tongue to reach inside flowers and drink sweet nectar for energy.
2. A cocoon protects the pupa inside.
Frog eggs laid in a group are called spawn. The jelly around the eggs keeps them safe in the water.
3. A grown-up frog breathes with its lungs.
A hen sits on her eggs and uses her body heat to keep the chicks warm inside until they are ready to hatch.
4. Baby animals grow and change as they get older.
Caterpillars shed their skin as they grow because their old skin gets too tight. They grow a new, bigger skin each time.
5. A life cycle goes in a circle over and over.
When an adult lays eggs, the whole life cycle starts again. This is why it is called a cycle - it keeps going in a circle.