Legs and Wings

How Animals Use Legs and Wings

Animals have special body parts called appendages (legs and wings) that help them move through their environment. Whether an animal lives on the ground, in the trees, or in the sky, these parts are designed to help them find food and stay safe.

1. All About Legs Legs are used for movement on solid ground. Different animals have different numbers of legs depending on their group!

How Many Legs?

• Two Legs (Bipedal): Humans and birds walk on two legs. This allows birds to use their "arms" for wings.
• Four Legs (Quadrupedal): Most mammals, like dogs, cats, and elephants, use four legs for balance and speed.
• Six Legs: All insects (like ants and beetles) have exactly six legs.
• Eight Legs: Spiders and scorpions have eight legs.
• Many Legs: Centipedes and millipedes can have dozens or even hundreds of legs!

What Can Legs Do?

• Running: Cheetahs have long, powerful legs for high-speed chasing.
• Hopping: Kangaroos and frogs have extra-strong back legs that act like springs.
• Climbing: Squirrels have sharp claws on their legs to grip tree bark.
• Kicking: Zebras and ostriches use their strong legs to kick predators to stay safe.

2. All About Wings Wings are special limbs that allow animals to move through the air. While we usually think of birds, other animals have wings too!

Who Has Wings?

• Birds: Their wings are covered in feathers. The shape of the wing tells us how they fly (for example, long wings for gliding or short wings for quick flapping).
• Insects: Butterflies, bees, and dragonflies have thin, see-through wings. Some have two wings, and others have four!
• Mammals: The bat is the only mammal that has true wings. Their wings are actually skin stretched over long finger bones.

Wings That Don't Fly Not every animal with wings can take to the sky!

• Penguins: Use their wings as flippers to "fly" underwater.
• Ostriches: Use their wings for balance while running and to show off to other ostriches, but they are too heavy to fly.

Lesson Summary

• Legs help animals walk, run, hop, and climb.
• The number of legs can help us identify an animal (6 for insects, 8 for spiders).
• Wings allow for flight, but can also be used for swimming or balance.