A Hatchling is Born

Click here to open up the text in word formathere The tale of a baby turtles fight for survival after hatching out of her shell. Animal Glossary Click on each of the animals below for additional information about them Hawksbill Turtle Crab Egret Grouper Eel

Goldentail moray (Gymnothorax miliaris) This eel hides in crevices and holes in the reef during the day so often just its head is visible to a diver but they can grow to 2ft long. It hunts mostly at night for small fish which it can locate by smell and has sharp pointy teeth for eating them. A Hatchling is Born Click on the Box to go back

These crabs can be very colorful and the male has one claw that is much bigger than the other. This is used to fight other crabs and to attract a female crab as a mate. They are very important recyclers in the mangroves as they feed on dead mangrove leaves. Caribbean fiddler crab (Uca rapax) A Hatchling is Born Click on the Box to go back

Egrets nest in the mangrove trees and can be very noisy when they are all together! Their poo is great for the mangroves to get nutrients and grow. They feed on crabs and small fish. Great Egrets (Ardea alba) A Hatchling is Born Click on the Box to go back

These turtles, unlike the green turtle, have hawk like beaks for tearing off sponges which they like to eat. They spend a lot of time underwater but have to come up to the surface to breath and often have algae (small marine plants) growing on them which they can have removed by visiting cleaning gobies. Unfortunately they have been hunted a lot by humans because of their beautiful shells which are made into jewellery, as well as being eaten by sharks! Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbriocota) A Hatchling is Born Click on the Box to go back

These fish can grow up to 4ft long and are very important to fishermen which they catch to sell for food. These fish are caught so much that they have become endangered in some places and it is illegal to catch them in countries like the Bahamas. Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) A Hatchling is Born Click on the Box to go back

b. Herons Wrong! 1. Which of the following is one of the predators that the turtle hatchling must avoid? a. Crabs Wrong! c. Fish d. Coral Correct! Wrong!

b. She waits for the other hatchlings because their best chance of survival is to rush out together and hope that some get through the predators. Wrong! 2. Which of the following best describes why the turtle hatchling waits for a while (with her head just above the surface of the sand) before she makes a dash for the ocean? a. She feels tired and must rest before taking the next step of her journey c. She is sick from being buried under the sand and must wait until she is feeling well again d. She is waiting for all the herons to fly to another island so that they will not try to eat her on her way to the ocean Correct! Wrong!

b. Lazy Wrong! 3. Which of the following best describes the hatchlings first day? a. Fun Wrong! c. Dangerous d. Easy Correct! Wrong!

b. In the sea grass bed Wrong! 4. Where does a turtle make its nest? a. On a coral reef Wrong! c. In a tree d. On a sandy beach Correct! Wrong!

b. They head out in a random direction. If they don’t find the sea, they turn around and try another direction. Wrong! 5. Which of the following best describes how the hatchlings know which way to go from their nest in order to find the sea? a. They smell the salt water and head towards the smell. c. On a secluded beach at night, the moonlight reflecting off the water is the brightest thing around, so they head in the direction of the light. d. They ask the crabs for directions. Correct! Wrong!

6. Sequencing chain. Describe the story graphically by clicking on the images below in order that events happen in the story