Question

read the passage. then, select the synonym of the word in bold. you may know that elephants, bears, and gorillas routinely have strong maternal instincts. but did you know that crocodiles also can be motherly? female crocodiles have been observed using their bone - crushing jaws to gently pick up and carry their babies to water.

Explanation:

The context describes caring, motherly behavior in animals. "Maternal" relates to a mother's traits, and "motherly" is directly used in the passage as a synonym to describe crocodiles' similar care for their young.

Answer:

motherly