Altricial
species in which the young are incapable of independent movement soon after hatching or birth
Altricial, meaning "requiring care", refers to a group or kind of creature that is incapable of moving around on its own soon after hatching or being born. The word is derived from the Latin root alere meaning "to nurse, to rear, or to nourish", which means that young has to be taken care of for a long time before it can overcome its helplessness.[1]
Birds or mammals which need much less care after birth are called precocial, meaning they are precocious.
References Edit
- ↑ Ehrlich, Paul (1988). The Birder's Handbook. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-65989-8.