For their size, growing, juvenile animals have greater caloric requirements than adults:

• A. Sometimes
• B. Only in mammals
• C. True
• D. False

Answer: (C)

Growing juveniles require more calories per unit of body weight than adults because they are actively building tissues and organs. This growth process needs energy for protein synthesis, fat deposition, and organ development, which increases daily energy demands beyond basic maintenance. Additionally, younger animals typically have a higher mass-specific metabolic rate, meaning they burn more calories per gram of body weight. Their larger surface area relative to size also leads to greater heat loss, requiring extra energy to stay warm. As growth slows and stops, relative energy needs decline, so adults of similar size use fewer calories per unit body weight. So, for their size, growing juveniles have greater caloric requirements than adults.