Animal Adaptations and Interactions Life Cycles Adaptations Food Chains

What is an organism? An organism is a living thing. All plants and animals are organisms.

What do we mean by life needs? The things that all organisms need in their environment to survive are called “life needs”. air water food shelter space

What is a life cycle? The series of changes that happen to an organism are called a life cycle.

What kinds of life cycles do animals go through? Some animals go through a simple growth life cycle- They are born They grow They become an adult Dogs and cats Humans Dolphins Hamsters Spiders

Some animals go through a complete change. Butterflies and moths Mealworms hatch – larva – pupa – adult Change is also called metamorphosis

Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly – Complete Change

What are adaptations? Adaptations are the special ways that plants and animals survive in their habitat. There are two kinds of adaptations- Physical Behavioral

What are physical adaptations? A physical adaptation is any body covering or body part that helps an animal survive. Examples- Camouflage Mimicry Chemicals Body Coverings

Camouflage Camouflage is when an animal is the color of its surroundings.

Camouflage

Mimicry Mimicry is when an animal looks like another animal to copy its defenses. The animal mimics, or copies, the coloring of the other animal.

More Mimicry Poisonous Monarch Non-poisonous Viceroy

Chemicals Some animals have special chemicals. Some chemicals are for protection Some chemicals are for catching food

Chemicals Poisonous Venom Poisonous Venom Strong scents!

Body Parts Some animals have special body parts for protection or getting food. Claws Beaks Armor Teeth Body coverings

Body Parts

Adaptations Many animals have special adaptations to help them get food.

What are behavioral adaptations? A behavioral adaptation is any behavior that allows an animal to survive. There are two types. Instinctive behaviors happen naturally and do not need to be learned. Examples Spiders spinning webs Chipmunks hibernating Birds building nests Jerboas or frogs estivating Butterflies or birds migrating

Migration Moving from one place to another to find food and shelter

Hibernation Hibernation- when an animal goes into a deep sleep to survive winter seasonal changes

Estivation Estivation is an adaptation that allows an animal to survive dry seasons. These animals sleep underground for several months when there is not much food to eat.

Learned Behaviors Learned behaviors happen by interacting with the environment. They can only be passed on to the next generation by teaching. Examples Finding food for some animals Raising young for some animals Reading Speaking language

Adaptation Vocabulary Physical adaptation- a body part or covering that helps an animal survive Instincts- behaviors that happen naturally Hibernation- when an animal goes into a deep sleep to survive winter seasonal changes

Adaptation Vocabulary Estivation – when an animal goes into a deep sleep to survive hot, dry seasons Mimicry – when an animal copies another animal’s defenses Migration – moving from one place to another to find food or shelter

Adaptation Vocabulary Camouflage – blending in with the environment to hide from predators or to catch food Behavioral adaptations – something an animal DOES that allows it to survive

What are plant adaptations? Plant adaptations are special features that allow a plant to live in a particular place, or habitat. Plants have adaptations to help them survive (live and grow) in different areas.

Adapting to the Deciduous Forest Plants in the deciduous forest have broad, or wide leaves to capture sunlight Trees have thick bark to protect the tree in cold, winter weather They lose their leaves in winter so they won’t need as much water

Adapting to Water Plants that live in water may have leaves that float and are waxy They have flexible stems to survive moving water Some have seeds that float

Adapting to the Rain Forest Plants in the rain forest may have drip leaves to get rid of extra water. They may have prop roots to support the plant in shallow soil.

Adapting to the Desert Plants in the desert may have spines instead of leaves Plants may store water in their stems They may have light-colored hair to make shade They may have a waxy coating to reduce water loss

What are populations and communities? A population is all of the organisms of the SAME kind that live in the same environment. Example- There is a population of squirrels living in our schoolyard environment. There is a population of oak trees in our schoolyard environment. http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_population.html

Populations Populations can increase, or get bigger, or decrease, get smaller, depending on the resources available in the environment.

Communities A community is ALL of the organisms, plants and animals, that live in one environment. Example- The schoolyard environment is a community that has many populations. There are populations of ants, squirrels, oak trees, grass, etc.

What characteristics do we use to describe environments? We can describe environments by the amount of light they receive the amount and type of precipitation the temperature the types of organisms that live there the land (geographic) features Terrestrial (land) Aquatic (water)

Ecosystems An ecosystem is relationships among the living resources, habitats, and residents of an area. It includes the plants, animals, trees micro-orgranisms, fish birds, water, soil and people.

Habitats A place where an animal or plant naturally lives and grows.

Conservation Careful use and protection of natural resources Examples: forests, water, and oil.

Environments Plants and animals can adapt to live in many different types of environments. Some plants and animals live in land environments. These are called terrestrial habitats. Some plants and animals live in water environments. These are called aquatic habitats.

Pond Community - Aquatic

Lake Community - Aquatic

Oceans and Seas – Aquatic The oceans and seas have their own special plants and animals that are adapted to live in a salt-water environment.

Estuary Community - Aquatic Estuary is a special name for the environment where salt and fresh water mix. A salt marsh near a coast is an estuary. Another example is when a river flows directly into the ocean. The Chesapeake Bay is the biggest estuary in the United States!

Estuary Community - Aquatic The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary, a special kind of aquatic community where fresh and salt-water mix. Many kinds of plants and animals are adapted to live in this type of community.

Grassland Communities - Terrestrial

Rainforests are terrestrial environments.

Forest Community – Terrestrial

Underground and Topsoil Environments

Desert Community - Terrestrial

What are producers, consumers, and decomposers? A producer is an organism that makes its own food Plants A consumer is an organism that eats food Animals A decomposer is an organism that eats the remains of once-living organisms Mold Fungi (like mushrooms) Bacteria (germs) Worms

Producers Producers make their own food using energy from the sun. Plants are producers.

Consumers Consumers have to consume, or eat food. All animals are consumers.

Decomposers in a Food Chain Decomposers in a food chain eat the remains of once-living organisms and return their nutrients to the soil.

What is a food chain? A food chain is the way energy passes from one organism to another organism in a community. Energy from the sun allows a plant to make food.

Energy from the sun allows the melon plant to make food.

The stored energy in the plant passes to the mouse when it eats the plant.

When the mouse is eaten by a hawk, the energy is passed to the hawk.

When the hawk later dies, decomposers eat the remains of the hawk and put the nutrients back into the soil .

Herbivores Herbivores are consumers that only eat plants.

Carnivores Carnivores are consumers that only eat animals.

Omnivores Omnivores are consumers that eat plants and animals.

What are predators? Consumers that kill and eat other animals are called predators.

What are prey? Animals that are eaten by other animals are called prey.

Consumers in a Food Chain Animals that catch and eat other animals are predators. The animal that is captured for food is called the prey.

Interdependence How are plants and animals dependent upon each other? Plants and animals must get the things they need to survive from their environment. Living things share these environments.

Interdependence between plants and animals. Bees and hummingbirds depend upon flowers for nectar. Flowers depend upon bees and hummingbirds to carry pollen from one flower to another. This is an example of interdependence.

What are extinct organisms? Organisms that are no longer found on earth are extinct.

What are endangered species? Endangered species are plants or animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. There are so few of them left that laws are in place to protect them.