HATCHLING

A 'hatchling' is the newborn of animals that develop and emerge from within hard-shell eggs. The offspring of birds are often hatched naked and with their eyes closed. The hatchling relies totally on its parents for feeding and warmth. Hatchlings precede nestlings in the chick's life cycle. The reptile hatchling is quite the opposite. Most baby reptiles are born with the same instincts as their parents and leave to live on their own immediately after birth.