ALTRICIAL DEVELOPMENT

Altricial development

Altricial animals are relatively undeveloped at hatching or birth. Generally the very young cannot feed themselves, move about, or thermoregulate, and their visual systems may not be fully developed. Marsupials, songbirds, bats, rodents, carnivores and humans are examples of animals with altricial young. Altricial young require intensive parental care, usually centered around a nest or den where the young are protected from the environment.

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