Year 1 Science: Mammals: fur, hair and milk
Part of the Year 1 Science animal groups chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Mammals: fur, hair and milk
A mammal has fur or hair on its body. A mother mammal feeds her babies on milk. Mammals breathe air with lungs. You are a mammal! So are dogs, cats, horses and humans.
Some mammals live in water, such as whales and dolphins. A whale has very little hair. It breathes air through a blowhole on its head and feeds its babies on milk. So a whale is a mammal, not a fish. A bat is a mammal too. It has fur, and its wings are made of skin, not feathers.
Key ideas
- Mammals have fur or hair.
- Mammals feed their babies on milk.
- Mammals breathe air with lungs.
- Whales, dolphins and bats are mammals.
Key words. The five groups are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. A clue is a feature we can see, like fins or feathers.
Method. Look for the clues, then match the animal to one group.
- Look at its body. Mammals have fur or hair.It has fur.
- Think about its babies. Mammals feed their babies on milk.A mother dog feeds her puppies milk.
- Look at its legs. A dog has four legs.It has four legs.
- Match the clues to a group. Compare the clues with the five groups.This dog = mammal
- Write the answer. Mammal
Check. The clues fit the mammal group. ✓
Watch out. A whale and a dolphin live in water, but they are mammals. Check how they breathe and feed their babies.
Method. Check the clues for a whale, the same as for a fish.
- Look at where it lives. A whale lives in the sea, like a fish.It lives in water.
- Look at how it breathes. A whale breathes air through a blowhole, with lungs. A fish breathes with gills.Air, with lungs
- Look at its babies. A whale feeds its babies on milk, so it is a mammal.Milk, so mammal
- Decide. Whales are mammals, not fish.No, a whale is not a fish. It is a mammal.
Check. A whale breathes air and feeds its babies on milk. ✓
Watch out. A whale lives in water, but it is a mammal.
Method. Count the wings one at a time.
- Look at the picture. Find every one, including the ones at the back.Find the two wings: one on each side of the body.
- Count each one once. Say one number for each one, in order.1, 2
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 2 again. ✓
Watch out. Touch each one as you count it, so you do not miss one or count one twice.
Watch out
Watch out: a whale and a dolphin live in the sea, like a fish, but they are mammals. Look at how they breathe and how they have babies, not only at where they live.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “Who fed you milk when you were a baby?” Talk about the mammals at home, and why we say that people are mammals too. Only stroke a pet if its owner says it is friendly.
Exercise 4E Mammals
Key words. The five groups are fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. A clue is a feature we can see, like fins or feathers.
Method. Look for the clues, then match the animal to one group.
- Look at its body. Mammals have fur or hair.It has fur.
- Think about its babies. Mammals feed their babies on milk.A mother dog feeds her puppies milk.
- Look at its legs. A dog has four legs.It has four legs.
- Match the clues to a group. Compare the clues with the five groups.This dog = mammal
- Write the answer. Mammal
Check. The clues fit the mammal group. ✓
Watch out. A whale and a dolphin live in water, but they are mammals. Check how they breathe and feed their babies.
Method. Think about what we know about animals.
- Read the question. Find the part that matters.What covers a mammal’s body?
- Think of the fact. We found this fact on this page.Mammals have fur or hair on their bodies. Birds have feathers.
- Write the answer. fur
Check. Say the fact out loud in your own words. ✓
Watch out. Look at the words of the question again, then think about the fact.
Method. Think about what we know about animals.
- Read the question. Find the part that matters.What do mother mammals feed their babies?
- Think of the fact. We found this fact on this page.Mammals feed their babies on milk.
- Write the answer. milk
Check. Say the fact out loud in your own words. ✓
Watch out. Look at the words of the question again, then think about the fact.
Method. Think about what we know about animals.
- Read the question. Find the part that matters.Do mammals breathe with gills or lungs?
- Think of the fact. We found this fact on this page.Mammals breathe air with lungs.
- Write the answer. lungs
Check. Say the fact out loud in your own words. ✓
Watch out. Look at the words of the question again, then think about the fact.
Method. Check the claim against a fact you know about animals.
- Read the claim. Decide what it says.A dolphin is a mammal.
- Remember the fact. The facts on this page tell us the answer.A dolphin breathes air through a blowhole and feeds its babies on milk.
- Write the answer. True
Check. If the fact is right, the answer is right. ✓
Watch out. A dolphin lives in water, but it is a mammal.
Method. Check the claim against a fact you know about animals.
- Read the claim. Decide what it says.A dolphin is a fish.
- Remember the fact. The facts on this page tell us the answer.A dolphin is a mammal. It breathes air and feeds its babies on milk.
- Write the answer. False
Check. If the fact is right, the answer is right. ✓
Watch out. A dolphin lives in water, but it is not a fish.
Method. Look at each animal, and find the one with the clues.
- Look at the animals. Find the animal with these clues.It has fur, four legs, and feeds its babies on milk.
- Find its letter. Each animal has a letter under it.The dog is B
- Write the answer. B
Check. The clues fit the mammal group. ✓
Watch out. A whale and a dolphin live in water, but they are mammals. Check how they breathe and feed their babies.
Method. Think about what we know about animals.
- Read the question. Find the part that matters.A whale: fish or mammal?
- Think of the fact. We found this fact on this page.A whale breathes air and feeds its babies on milk.
- Write the answer. mammal
Check. Say the fact out loud in your own words. ✓
Watch out. Look at the words of the question again, then think about the fact.
Method. Think about what we know about animals.
- Read the question. Find the part that matters.A bat: fish or mammal?
- Think of the fact. We found this fact on this page.A bat has fur and feeds its babies on milk.
- Write the answer. mammal
Check. Say the fact out loud in your own words. ✓
Watch out. Look at the words of the question again, then think about the fact.
Method. Think about what we know about animals.
- Read the question. Find the part that matters.A shark: fish or mammal?
- Think of the fact. We found this fact on this page.A shark has fins and gills and lives in water.
- Write the answer. fish
Check. Say the fact out loud in your own words. ✓
Watch out. Look at the words of the question again, then think about the fact.
Method. Check Meera’s idea against the bird clues.
- Read what Meera says. She says a bat is a bird, because it can fly.Bat = bird?
- Check the covering. A bird has feathers. A bat has fur.Fur, not feathers
- Check the babies. A mother bat feeds her babies on milk, like other mammals.Milk, so mammal
- Decide who is right. The covering and the milk show the group.No. A bat is a mammal.
Check. A bat has fur and feeds its babies on milk. ✓
Watch out. Flying is not the only clue. Look at the covering and the babies.
Method. Think about how to find out, without touching a wild animal.
- Think about the question. We want to know what a mother cat gives her kittens.Milk for kittens?
- Think how to find out. We can ask a grown-up, or look in a book or on a trusted website about cats.Ask or look it up
- Write the answer. A mother cat feeds her kittens on milk, so cats are mammals too.Yes, kittens drink their mother’s milk.
Check. Check your answer in a book about cats. ✓
Watch out. We find out by asking and looking things up. We do not guess.