Adaptations

What is an adaptation? Any body part, body covering, or behavior that helps an animal live in its environment is an adaptation.

Body Coverings There are different kinds of body coverings that help an animal survive. Skin Scales Feathers Fur

Skin Skin is the outer covering of an animal’s body. It helps protect the organs. It also helps keep the correct body temperature of some animals. Skin can hold or release water as needed.

Body Coverings How does an armadillo’s body covering help it survive? Body coverings help protect body organs. How does an armadillo’s body covering help it survive?

How does this lion’s fur help it survive? The lion has thick fur around its neck where injuries could be very serious.

How does fur help this animal survive? The polar bear’s fur is very thick which helps it survive in its cold environment.

Scales Scales are small thin plates that cover the skin of most fish and all reptiles.

Scales Fish scales can be smooth, rough or pointed. Fish scales are slippery. They help the fish glide through the water.

Scales Snakes have scales that are dry. Most snakes have scales that overlap and stretch apart when it moves.

Feathers Feathers are a strong, lightweight outer covering of birds. Down feathers keep the bird’s body at the correct temperature.

Some body parts are for getting food. An eagle’s talons are sharp and strong. This allows the eagle to hang on to its prey.

Adaptations in Body Parts Tell how each of the following animals uses special body parts to help it get food or protect itself.

Beaver

Snowshoe Rabbit

Hawk

Mouthparts An animal’s mouth can be an adaptation also. Look at the following pictures and tell how that animal’s mouth is an adaptation for the kind of food it eats.

Pelican

Heron

Finch

Goose

Special Adaptations What kind of adaptation is this animal using?

Camouflage Being able to blend into the environment is an adaptation called camouflage. Camouflage helps an animal hide from predators or from prey.

What kind of adaptation is this shark using?

Countershading Countershading is an adaptation in which the top side of an animal is a different color from the bottom. Most fish have this adaptation. When seen from below, the fish blend with the water’s surface and the sky. When seen from above, they blend with the bottom of the lake, river or ocean.

This animal is has an adaptation. What is it?

Warning Coloration Some animals have bright colors to make them stand out. The colors tell predators, “I might be dangerous!”

Mimicry Mimicry is when one animal looks like a more dangerous one. Predators are fooled by the way the animal looks and they leave it alone.

Look at these animals that use mimicry. The viceroy mimics (copies) the monarch butterfly which is poisonous if eaten. Monarch butterfly

Mimicry The king snake mimics the coral snake which is poisonous. Coral snake