Animal Adaptations

WHAT ARE ADAPTATIONS? An adaptation is What are some adaptations you can think of? a body part (physical characteristic) or behavior that helps an organism survive in its environment.

How is it that animals are able to survive in the wild? It is the ADAPTATIONS that animals have that help them to survive!

Think about the way you dress in the winter. You don’t wear a bathing suit when it’s snowing outside! You wear warm clothes, and maybe even a hat and gloves to protect yourself from the weather.

Please write this down on your sheet: A basic need for any animal is ability to get energy from food and survive long enough to reproduce.

Who has adaptations?? Herbivores: Eat only plants Carnivores: Eat only meat Omnivores: Eat plants and meat ALL ORGANISMS have adaptations! Organisms that are NOT ADAPTED to an environment will die out!

We can divide adaptations into two categories: Physical AND Behavioral ADAPTATIONS

Physical adaptations are body structures that allow an animal to find and eat food, defend itself/hide itself, and to reproduce its species. Physical adaptations help an animal survive in its environment. Hey! I’m a walking stick. I look just like a stick you’d find on the ground.

Physical adaptation EXAMPLE A. Camouflage: Change in color to match surroundings

Youtube: Amazing animal adaptations

More camouflage!

B. Mimicry : Looking or sounding like another organism (this fools predators into thinking it is another living organism that is poisonous or dangerous!) The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry to look like the Monarch butterfly. Can you tell them apart? Poisonous Not poisonous Physical adaptation EXAMPLE I’m the Monarch! I’m the Viceroy!

More mimicry!

C. Chemical defenses: like venom, ink, sprays etc. Physical adaptation EXAMPLE

D. Body coverings & parts: claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth etc. Physical adaptation EXAMPLE

Now let’s learn about Behavioral Adaptations…

2. Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ ACTIONS. ***Remember that Physical Adaptations are body structures.

We can divide Behavioral Adaptations into two groups: Instinctive These behaviors happen naturally & don’t have to be learned. Learned These behaviors must be taught. Physical AND Behavioral ADAPTATIONS

Instinctive behaviors happen naturally & don’t need to be learned = EXAMPLES?:

Examples of Instinctive Adaptations: Migration, Hibernation

adaptations3.htm adaptations3.htm Animal Adaptation game: climate/adaptations/index.cfm

Learned behaviors Gained by interacting with the environment. They cannot be passed on to the next generation except by teaching. = EXAMPLES?:

Examples of Learned Adaptations Learning how to use tools Learning how to hunt for food

Learning where to find food and water Learning to floss teeth!

In this lesson, we have learned about ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS. There are 2 ways to describe adaptations: Physical and Behavioral

Adaptation Application: Bird beaks Why is the beak of an eagle and a hummingbird so different? Answer: ________________________________________

Adaptation Applications: Lions Why are the eyes of a lion set in front of the head rather than on the sides?

Adaptation Applications: Lions What is the purpose of the mane on a male lion? What is the reason for the lion’s color?

Adaptation Applications: Giraffe How are their long necks adapted to their lifestyle?

Physical adaptations are __________________. Some examples of physical adaptations are: Camouflage Mimicry Body coverings & parts Chemical defenses

Mammals Endothermic All have some type of “hair” – Some are very specialized, such as polar bear fur Method of locomotion Care for young

Birds Leg Length – Roseate Spoonbill (top right) Foot Webbing – Laughing Gull (top left) Beak Shape – Long Billed Curlew (bottom)

Reptiles Ectothermic Scales Some undergo hibernation and estivation Lay eggs on land Leg structure and position

Amphibians Ectothermic Lay eggs in water Partially or fully webbed feet Can absorb oxygen through their skin

Fish Fins Gills Lateral line