Body pouches
/ˈbɑdi ˈpaʊʧɪz/
B1plural
Definition
Body pouches are parts of an animal’s body that form a small bag or pocket. These pouches can hold things such as food, young animals (babies), or other objects. They help animals carry or protect what is inside.
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⚡ See It in Action
A physical part of some animals that holds or carries babies or food
- •Kangaroos have body pouches where their babies grow and stay safe.
- •Some birds have body pouches to carry food to their young.
- •Certain frogs have body pouches to protect their eggs.
Any small pocket-like area on the body of an animal used for storage or protection
- •The animal’s body pouches helped it carry food back to its nest.
- •The lizard has skin pouches that expand to store air or water.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "body pouches" like "pockets" on your clothes, but these are on the animal’s body instead of on fabric.
- ✓Picture a kangaroo’s pouch: a soft, open bag on its belly where it carries its baby.
- ✓It’s the feeling of having a small safe place to keep something close to you, like a backpack or purse but part of the body.
- ✓Sounds like “body” + “pouch” → imagine a small bag attached directly to a living body, holding something important.
- ✓Remember stories or videos about kangaroos or marsupials carrying their babies in their pouches.
- ✓NOT like “bag” or “pocket” made from cloth—body pouches are made from skin and muscle, part of the animal itself.
- ✓NOT like “external bags” animals carry (like a squirrel’s cheek pouches which are inside the mouth, not outside on the body).
- ✓Body pouches have the function of carrying or protecting, unlike other body parts that only move or sense.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Marsupium: a special pouch on marsupial animals for carrying babies (Use when talking about specific animals like kangaroos or opossums)
- •Cheek pouch: a pouch inside the mouth of some animals to carry food (Use when talking about animals like hamsters or squirrels)
- •Skin fold: a loose part of skin that can form a pouch-like shape (Use when describing small skin pockets not used for carrying)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "body" (the main physical structure of a living thing) + "pouches" (small bags or pockets)
- •Etymology: "pouch" comes from Old French "poche," meaning a small bag or sack; "body" from Old English "bodig," meaning trunk or torso
- •Historical development: The idea of a pouch on an animal’s body has been known for centuries, especially with marsupials
- •Modern usage: Used in biology and everyday language to describe natural pockets or sacs on animals that hold or carry things
- •Key insight: A body pouch is not an object carried by the animal but a natural part of its body designed to carry or protect
💭 Reflect & Connect
•What animals do you know that have body pouches, and how do these pouches help them survive?
•How would life be different for animals without body pouches to carry their babies or food?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.Kangaroos use their body pouches to ___ their babies safely until they grow strong.
2.A body pouch is different from a regular pocket because it is part of the animal’s ___.
3.Some animals have body pouches to carry ___ back to their nests or homes.
4.Unlike cheek pouches, body pouches are found on the ___ of the animal.
5.The body pouch helps protect young animals from ___ and cold weather.
6.When the baby is ready, it will leave the body pouch and start to ___ on its own.
7.Animals with body pouches often ___ inside them for a long time during early life.