Juvenile

/ˈdʒuvənaɪl/ noun

Definition

A young animal that has developed beyond the larval stage but has not yet reached sexual maturity or adult form. Juveniles often have different coloration, behavior, or habitat preferences than adults.

Etymology

From Latin 'juvenilis' meaning youthful, from 'juvenis' meaning young person. The term was adopted into biological classification in the 1600s to distinguish between different life stages of animals.

Kelly Says

Juvenile animals often live in completely different worlds than their adult counterparts, with some young sea turtles spending years drifting in ocean currents eating jellyfish before becoming bottom-dwelling adults! Many juvenile birds and mammals have camouflaged plumage or fur that makes them nearly invisible to predators.

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