In
biology, the term
precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. The opposite developmental strategy is called "
altricial" where the young are born or hatched helpless. Extremely precocial species may be called "
superprecocial". These three categories form a continuum, without distinct gaps between them. Precocial species are normally
nidifugous, meaning that they leave the nest shortly after birth or hatching.