ANIMALS MOVE

Dog running

Animals can move in many ways. They may waddle, swim, swoop or hop. Some slither, others walk or run.

   A clam has only one foot for digging into mud or sand. A penguin walks on two legs. A dog walks or runs on four legs. Ladybugs walk on six legs. Spiders walk on eight legs. Centipedes may have a hundred pairs of legs to walk on, and some millipedes walk on more legs than that! Snakes and worms slither around on no legs at all. Bats and most kinds of birds and insects fly. And fish swim. 

  Some animals move only when they are very young. Barnacles, sponges, and baby oysters swim through the water until they find a good place to stay. Then they fasten themselves down and never move again.

   Animals can move around without help. If a living thing moves by itself, it's an animal.

  KNOW IT ALL?

• The fastest animal in the air is the peregrine falcon--- 320 kph. The slowest is the housefly--- 8 kph.
• The fastest animal in the water is the sailfish--- 105 kph. The slowest is the goldfish--- 8 kph.
• The fastest animal on land is the cheetah--- 112 kph. The slowest is the turtle --- 0.16 kph.
• Compared to some animals, human beings are slowcoaches. The average person can run "only" 32 kph and swim 8 kph, and not for very long!

                             kph = kilometers per hour