Mixed Practice: Vowel Pair and Vowel Team Syllables
Word Analysis: Syllable Types
Wild Bodyguards
a small fish rides on the back of a larger sea slug
Photo credit: Mike Workman/Shutterstock
Emperor shrimp ride on the backs of sea cucumbers or sea slugs, using their hosts as boats so they don't have to swim themselves.
Some people have guard dogs for protection. But humans aren't the only ones who pair up with other creatures for safety. Other animals employ tarantulas, worms, and slugs.
Check out these wild security systems:
Eight-Legged Bodyguards
The tarantula creeps on long, velvety legs toward a group of tiny frogs, but rather than scuttling away to avoid becoming the giant spider's dinner, the frogs move in closer.
And the unlikely family settles into its shared burrow.
The Colombian lesserblack tarantula has no problem eating snakes, small possums, and other prey. It often makes meals of frogs, too, but the tiny humming frog is an exception. Scientists think it's because the frogs' skin tastes bad to the spiders. Juvenile tarantulas back away once their mouth feelers get close to the frogs, leaving them unharmed.
The frogs are still tasty to snakes and other predators, though, so living with tarantulas seems like a safe bet—the spiders drive away the hungry animals roaming outside the burrow. The tiny amphibians get bodyguards, and in return, they aid the tarantulas by eating the ants that would otherwise feast on the spiders' eggs.
Guard Worms
Aquatic snails called limpets mostly stick to rocks and other hard objects. They don't have many defenses for fending off predators. So, like the humming frogs, they rely on partners for protection.
Banded scale worms make themselves at home inside limpets' shells. In exchange for the cozy accommodations, the worms fight off starfish and anything else that tries to make a snack of the snail—by biting the attacker with their fangs.
Underwater Uber
Some security teams serve as chauffeurs, too. Emperor shrimp are tiny. They're less than 1 inch (about 2 centimeters) from head to tail. Being the little guys in a big ocean can be scary—and exhausting. That's why you'll never see one alone.
Unlike the other pairs, which help each other meet their needs, emperor shrimp are all take and no give. They save their energy by riding on the backs of sea cucumbers or sea slugs, using their hosts as boats so they don't have to swim themselves. This lifestyle saves the shrimp the trouble of hunting, too—they hang out by their rides' mouths and scarf down the stuff that churns up as their host moves about and eats. And if a predator comes along, the emperor shrimp use their hosts as shields, hiding underneath them.
QUESTION 1
1 / 4
This article is primarily about _________.
how some animals rely on each other for their safety in the wild
why snails are the best bodyguards because they have a hard shell
how some animals are never safe around other animals in the wild
why spiders are the best bodyguards because they have so many legs
how some animals rely on each other for their safety in the wild
QUESTION 2
2 / 4
Based on the article, which of these is true about lesserblack tarantulas?
They often eat aquatic snails called limpets, but they don't like banded scale worms.
They often eat starfish, but they're afraid to get close to snakes.
They often eat prey like emperor shrimp, but they're afraid to touch sea slugs.
They often eat prey like small possums, but they don't like humming frogs.
They often make meals of frogs, but the tiny humming frog is an exception because their skin tastes bad to the spiders.
QUESTION 3
3 / 4
Which passage from the article best supports the idea that lesserblack tarantulas and humming frogs help each other?
And the unlikely family settles into its shared burrow.
Juvenile tarantulas back away once their mouth feelers get close to the frogs, leaving them unharmed.
The [humming frogs] get bodyguards, and in return, they aid the tarantulas by eating the ants that would otherwise feast on the spiders' eggs.
The Colombian lesserblack tarantula has no problem eating snakes, small possums, and other prey.