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Directions: While ponds aren’t as large as lakes, or as swift
as rivers, they sure are full of life! Take a splash into a pond
and discover a unique habitat where frogs croak, water lilies float,
and tiny insects glide along the water. Visit the Web sites below
to learn amazing facts about ponds and all the creatures that call
it home. First, print out the crossword puzzle so you can write
down your answers. (Click on the puzzle for a printable version.)
Then click on the links below to find the answers to the questions.
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Water lilies have leaves that float on the surface, and long stalks
that reach down to roots in the bottom of the pond. A waxy coating
covers the leaves, and keeps the upper surface
_ so dragonflies
and frogs can stop and rest.
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Ducks are the most common pond birds. Some ducks dive below the
surface to find food. Other ducks called
_ or puddle ducks
feed off the pond’s surface.
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A pond is a small, still
body of water. Most pond bottoms are covered with mud, and are shallow
enough for
to grow all the way across.
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Creatures such as flatworms and swan mussels live at the bottom
of the pond. They are well suited for the unique conditions of this
habitat, where there is very little oxygen and
_.
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Frogs are cold-blooded,
which means their body temperature changes with the temperature of
their surroundings. When it gets cold, some frogs dig burrows in the
mud at the bottom of ponds, where they
__ until spring.
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When frog eggs hatch, they hatch into fish-like
before
changing into frogs.
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Ram’s Horn snails
live on pond plants, where they lay
__ covered in protective
jelly.
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The microscopic animal called the Cyclops has only one
_,
just like the mythical creature it’s named after.
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Emergent plants grow
along the edges of a pond. These plants may show above the waterline,
but their
__ are under water.
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Unlike permanent ponds,
__ ponds exist only in the wet
season. They dry up during the hot summer months.
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During the winter, a
layer of ice may cover a pond. But life goes on underneath the surface,
where underwater plants provide
_ for the pond.
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Water mites are tiny
creatures with hooks on their legs. They have eight legs, like other
members of the
family.
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There are many different
habitats in a typical pond—from the pond’s bottom to the
surface of the water. The pond
_ lives on the surface, using
its long legs to spread its weight across the water.
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Algae are found in fresh
water— including ponds. Algae can be red, brown, or
__
which is the most common kind found in ponds.
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How do you tell a frog
from a toad? True frogs have longer hind legs that they use for swimming
and hopping. Unlike dry and warty toads, frogs have smooth or slimy
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There are many different
kinds of ponds, each created in a unique way. Alpine ponds are found
in mountains, where they were once gouged out by
__.
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You might find a frog
hopping along the pond shore or swimming through the water—that’s
because it’s an amphibian. Amphibians are like fish because they
can live in water. But they’re also like
_ because they
can live on land.
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