Animal Adaptations

Animals depend on their physical adaptations for many reasons: To obtain food To build homes To keep safe To withstand weather To attract mates

Adaptations help a living thing survive in its environment.

A hedgehog’s spines protect it from predators and also cushion the animal if it falls out of a tree.

This alligator has a 3 rd eyelid that protects its eyes underwater while still allowing it to see.

Guess what one of this animal’s adaptations is.

He has a 4-inch thick layer of blubbery fat to keep him warm.

There’s a lot to know about a lion’s adaptations!

Here are a few examples: A thick mane helps the male look bigger and protects the throat. Tawny-colored coat acts a camouflage. Loose belly skin allows the lion to be kicked by prey with little chance of injury. Their rough tongues are designed to peel a prey’s skin away from its flesh and its flesh away from its bones.

A Bactrian camel’s long eyelashes and ears lined with hair protect it from blowing sand.

Also, its nostrils can close to keep out sand, and the fat stored in its humps helps it to survive long periods without food.

How are the hands of a koala adapted to living in a tree?

It has an index finger that acts as a second thumb and a large gap between its first and second fingers. This gives it a “vicelike” grip on branches.

Unlike seals and walruses, sea otters have no blubber to keep them warm.

They have special fur that traps air to keep them warm and bouyant.

This python’s loosely hinged jaw can be stretched far apart, allowing it to eat prey that is larger than the diameter of its own head.

A giraffe’s long neck is an adaptation that allows it to eat from high tree tops.

This Round Island Day Gecko has a special adaptation that protects it from predators.

Just like our leopard gecko, Savannah, it can drop its tail when attacked by a predator. The predator, if the gecko is fortunate, looks at the tail while the gecko escapes.

Beavers are built for underwater work: Their noses and ears have valves that close when they submerge, or go under water.

They also have large front teeth that stick out beyond their lips, so they can cut and chew wood without getting water in their mouths.

Animal adaptations do not develop during one animal’s lifetime, but over many generations.

Plants, like this barrel cactus, also have adaptations that help them survive in their habitats.

Some desert plants have expandable (succulent) stems that help them store water.

Others have a waxy coat on their leaves to keep them from loosing water.

This orchid lives on the treetops where there is more sunlight than on the forest floor.

Floating plants, like this water lily, have tough leaves to help them withstand the weather and water movement.

Trees have special root systems that give them support in their different environments.

The shape of a birds beak, the color and thickness of fur, and the shape of the nose or ears are all examples of adaptations. Can you think of any more?

The End