Steller's sea cow

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/stellers-sea-cow

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 scientific name?Hydrodamalis gigas
2. What is the habitat?Commander Islands, Bering Sea (formerly wider North Pacific range)
3. How big was the Steller's sea cow?It could grow up to 9 meters long, about the length of a school bus, and weighed 8 to 10 tonnes, making it one of the largest sea mammals.
4. What did the Steller's sea cow eat?It loved kelp, the seaweed that grows in cold, kelp forests. It used stiff bristles on its upper lip and special plates in its mouth to gather and chew the kelp.

Sirenian: An order of fully aquatic, herbivorous marine mammals, including manatees, dugongs, and extinct species like Steller's sea cow.
Megafauna: Large animal species, typically weighing over 45 kg (100 lb), which are often vulnerable to extinction due to their life history traits.
Ecological Niche: The role and position a species has in its environment, including how it meets its needs for food and shelter and how it interacts with other species.
Thermoregulation: The process by which animals maintain their body temperature, often through physiological or behavioral means, such as blubber in marine mammals.