Life Cycles of Animals — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A butterfly lays its eggs on a leaf.
Butterflies start their life cycle by laying tiny eggs on leaves so the caterpillars have food to eat the moment they hatch.
2. The caterpillar wraps itself in a cocoon.
Before changing into a butterfly, the caterpillar wraps itself in a cocoon where its body slowly transforms.
3. A baby frog is called a tadpole.
Baby frogs hatch from eggs in the water and are called tadpoles before they grow legs and lose their tails.
4. A tadpole grows legs to become a frog.
To leave the water and hop on land, a tadpole must grow legs, which slowly appear as it gets bigger.
5. Chicks use a beak to crack the shell.
When a chick is ready to be born, it taps with its beak to break and crack the shell of its egg.
6. A caterpillar is the larva stage.
The caterpillar is the larva, the second stage of a butterfly's life when it eats and grows quickly.
7. The last stage of a life cycle is the adult.
After the egg, larva, and pupa stages, the animal becomes a fully grown adult, the last stage of the cycle.
8. Every animal life cycle starts with an egg.
Almost every animal life cycle begins with an egg, whether it is a butterfly, a frog, or a chicken.
9. A frog can live on land and in water.
Frogs are special because they can swim in water as tadpoles and also hop on land as adults.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
egg
→ first stage
first stage
caterpillar
→ butterfly
butterfly
tadpole
→ frog
frog
chick
→ chicken
chicken
An egg is the first stage of life. A caterpillar grows up to become a butterfly. A tadpole turns into a frog. A chick grows into a chicken.