Marine mammal

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/marine-mammal

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the dietary spectrum?Ranges from herbivory (Sirenia) to specialized carnivory and filter-feeding (Cetacea, Pinnipedia)
2. What kinds of animals are considered marine mammals?Marine mammals are mammals that live in the ocean or sea. They include whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, walruses, manatees, dugongs, sea otters, and even polar bears that spend a lot of time in the water.
3. Why do whales have blowholes on top of their heads?Whales moved their nostrils to the top of their heads so they can breathe quickly when they surface, making it easier to catch their breath while swimming.

Obligate aquatic dwellers: Species that must live their entire lives in water and cannot survive on land.
Trophic levels: The position an organism occupies in a food chain, indicating its feeding relationships.
Anthropogenic threats: Environmental problems caused or made worse by human activities.