Animal Adaptations

What is an adaptation? A trait or modification that makes an animal better adapted to its environment. Adaptations help animals survive in the wild! Animals must adapt or face extinction!!!

Types of Adaptations: Structural (physical) Adaptations 2. Behavioral Adaptations

Structural Adaptations body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species. 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.

Types of Structural Adaptations Camouflage Mimicry Chemical Defenses Body Coverings and Parts

Camouflage Blending in with the environment

When do color changes occur? 1. Quick Change: Changing body color within minutes to adapt to the color of your background. Ex. Chameleon, Crab Spider

When do color changes occur? 2. Seasonal change: Changes body color with the changing seasons Brown in the summer, White in the winter, and a mixture of brown and white in the fall & spring Ex. Arctic fox, snowshoe rabbit, rock ptarmigan

When do color changes occur? Growth Change: Changes body color as he/she gets older and better able to defend himself/herself. molting occurs and they lose their baby coats Ex. Fawn, harp seal

Kinds of Camouflage Disruptive Coloration a color pattern that is thought to disrupt the perceived contour of the body or parts of the body, thereby making the animal more difficult to see. Stripes and spots are used to break up an animals outline Ex. Zebras, Tiger

Kinds of Camouflage Countershading the dorsal side (upper side) of the animal is darker than the ventral (lower) side. Such a color pattern provides camouflage for the animal when viewed from above, below, and even from the side. Ex. Shorebirds, Red squirrel, Numerous species of fish

Kinds of Camouflage 3. Cryptic Coloration: Coloration that allows an organism to match its background therefore becoming less vulnerable to predation or recognition by prey. Simplest kind of camouflage Ex. Walking stick, horned lizard

Can you spot the nesting rock ptarmigan?

Can you spot the two katydids sitting on a tomato plant?

Katydids veins resemble leaves

Can you spot the pipefish in this bed of eelgrass?

Kinds of Camouflage Acryptic Coloration The animal is not trying to conceal itself The animal is advertising its presence Animal has some negative quality it wants advertised A sting, bite, poisonous Warns potential predators with bright flashy colors Ex. Red & Black (snake), orange &black (Monarch butterfly), yellow &black (bumble bee) AKA WARNING COLORATION

Kinds of Camouflage 5. Deceptive Markings Markings or colors used to deceive (fool) a predator Startle predator to give prey chance to escape Ex. Moths, butterflies, butterfly fish

Mimicry looking or sounding like another living organism 2 Types: 1. Batesian Mimicry 2. Mullerian Mimicry

Batesian Mimicry A harmless animal (the mimic) copies a known harmful animal (the model) Ex. The poisonous coral snake serves as a model for the harmless king snake.

Mullerian Mimicry Both model and mimic are equally harmful to predators Advantage: A single taste trial by a predator will secure future protection for two or more species Ex. Monarch and Viceroy Butterfly Monarch Viceroy

One of these insects is a stinging honeybee and the other is a harmless fly that mimics the bee. Is this an example of Batesian or Mullerian mimicry?

Chemical Defenses There are two main ways animals can use chemicals to defend themselves. Animals can 1. Synthesize toxin using their own metabolic processes 2. Accumulate toxin from the food they eat.

Chemical Defenses- Synthesizing own Chemicals Animals which synthesize their own toxin are able to convert chemical compounds in their body to a poison. There are many amphibians that produce skin toxins. The skin toxins are produced by special poison glands, usually located on the animal's back or throughout the skin. The poison dart frog has poison glands scattered all over its body.

Chemical Defenses- Synthesizing own Chemicals In another example, the fire salamander makes a nerve poison, which it can squirt from glands on its back.

Chemical Defenses- Accumulate Toxin Many animals accumulate toxin from their food rather than synthesizing it from scratch. For example, the larvae of Monarch butterflies accumulate toxins from the plants they inhabit.  Birds that eat the Monarchs vomit and learn to avoid them in the future.  Their bright coloration allows birds to remember and avoid them. 

Chemical Defense REMINDER: Many organisms which are distasteful advertise this fact to predators by having bright body colors or markings, as if to say, “Notice me! I’m dangerous!” Warning Coloration

Body coverings & parts claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth The elephant’s trunk is a physical adaptation that helps it to clean itself, eat, drink, and to pick things up.