Lynnette Eden Cabrera, age 8, of Eugene, Oregon, for her question:

How often does a guppy have babies?

Most fishes lay eggs, but the guppy is different. She gives birth to live babies. The little mother is only about one and a half inches long. Yet she may have 50 bitsy babies at a time. You would think that she needs a long rest after such a big job. But chances are, she is ready to have her next babies in just a few weeks. As a rule, a mother guppy has a batch of 50 or so babies every month. Sometimes she waits five or six weeks between batches.

Some people think that she is a very cruel mother because she snaps at her tiny babies. And sometimes she eats them. Actually she does this because she doesn't know any better. Guppies are not very bright. She is used to grabbing bits of floating food. And to her, the tiny baby guppies look like something good to eat. So, after she has her babies, it is sensible to put her into a separate aquarium.