Faster,
Mom!
Faster!
This little guy
can forget about that!
He and his mother
are two-toed sloths.
And sloths are
among the slowest
animals on Earth.
Mom can’t give her
baby a joy ride.
But Junior is safe,
snuggled between
her front legs as
she s-l-o-w-l-y
moves along.
A Mother’s Day
salute to animal moms
that tote their
young from here
to there.
BĄby
on
BoĄrd!
by Gerry Bishop
r
f an alligato
The jaws o
ul enough
are powerf
.
to kill a cow
But when
a mother
carries
her babies
r
between he
teeth, she’s
.
very gentle
rs
Mother gato
on land.
build nests
h,
babies hatc
After their
carry their
the mothers
to the
young ones
ter.
nearest wa
20
Catching a ride
with good ol’ Mom can
be an important part of
growing up for some baby
animals. It’s a good way for
them to stay safe and
get where they
need to go!
Easy
does it,
Mom.
Z
SU
IE
SZ
R
TE
HA
S
(
)
20
>
;C
.
LO
C.
CK
W
O
O
D
(2
1)
21
Riding piggyback is a
great way to go for a baby
Japanese macaque (muhKAK). This little monkey
can walk around just fine.
But sometimes her best
bet is to hop aboard
and hold on tight!
Brrr—that
water looks
cold!
OK, who
needs to stop
for a bathroom
break?
ME!
I’m a
minivan
to all of
you!
E/M INDEN
T); STE VE GETTL
N (22B);
ART WO LFE (22
TOM & PAT LEESO O (23) >
M);
(22
RES
TU
OT
PIC
EMAN N/DRK PH
STEPH EN J. KR AS
ZZ
Z
ZZZZZZZZ
t
Shhhhh! Please don’
sea
wake the sleeping
e.
otters during naptim
proof
Mom’s thick, water
fur keeps her warm
in the ice- cold
water. And Baby
r
couldn’t have a cozie
s
bed as the pair drift
gently in the ocean
current.
ZZ
ZZ
r laid a bunch
This mother wolf spide
e spun of silk and
of eggs in a sac that sh
r. When the eggs
carried around with he
rs climbed onto
hatched, the baby spide
y there for a few
Mom’s back. They’ll sta
l off into the big,
days before they craw
wide world.
22
ZZZ
Z
Z
ZZ
You can’t see them all,
but this poor mom is
carrying seven babies!
And that’s not unusual
for an opossum.
These babies spent
their first two months
inside Mom’s pouch.
Now they’re using their
strong paws and grabby
tails to hold on to her fur.
They’ll ride there for four
to six weeks, so hang
in there, Mom!
23
Don’t
be afraid,
Joey. It’s only a
RANGER RICK
reader.
I’m
scared,
Ma!
I told
you not to
look down!
TERHA S(25TL );
SUZI ESZTERHA
S/M INDEN PICTU
RES (25TR); ARTH
UR MORRIS/BIRD
S AS ART (25B)
Whew!
The last
one!
As this mother spider monkey
swings through the treetops,
her little one holds on tight.
The baby’s hands, feet, and
tail all keep a good grip.
ANUP SHAH /NP
L/M INDEN PICTU
RES (24); SUZI ESZ
Mother koala has
been carrying her
baby (called a joey)
around in her pouch
for about half a year.
Now the joey is old
enough to poke his
head out and look
around.
Waaaa-HOO-aaah.
Waaaa-HOO-aah.
I’m
happy, too,
Mom!
24
This African lion has been moving
her cubs, one by one, to a new den.
Moving helps prevent them from being
discovered by prowling predators.
Mother lions carry their babies by
the skin on the backs of their necks.
This keeps the cubs calm and quiet,
making “moving day” a lot easier
for everyone.
This common loon chick
could swim as soon as she
hatched. But when she’s
tired or wants to get warm,
she hops onto Mom’s back.
That’s also a safe place to
be. Big fish and snapping
turtles can’t easily snatch
a chick meal when
Baby is on board!
=
25