Animal Adaptations Staying Alive

The name of this fish is…?

Porcupine fish Porcupine  Fish 

It’s a jungle out there!!! Wild animals face one challenge after another! The Three Challenges 1. Find food! 2. Don’t be food! 3. Fit in! (to a habitat)  Habitat: a place where you live

Adaptations An adaptation is an inherited trait that helps a living thing survive. ▫Inherited trait: something you received from your parents when you were born ▫Survive: to go on living (to not die)

Examples of Adaptations Webbed feet Webbed feet help ducks paddle quickly through water  better chance of survival

Examples of Adaptations Flashy tail feathers These help peacocks catch the attention of peahens  better chance of having offspring

Examples of Adaptations Moving s---l---o---w---l---y This keeps sloths from being noticed by jaguars and other predators  better chance of survival

2 Types of Adaptations 1. Structural Adaptations ▫Body parts that help an animal ▫Example: hollow bones make birds light  they can fly 2. Behavioral Adaptations ▫Helpful instincts, or actions an animal does automatically ▫Example: birds migrate south, bears hibernate

Structural and Behavioral Sometimes both kinds of adaptations work together. Think of the porcupine fish. What is the structural adaptation? ▫It has stretchy skin and spikes. What is the behavioral adaptation? ▫It gulps water when in danger.

Aardvarks in Action (how to FIND food!) Read pages 8 and 9. Answer these questions about aardvarks. ▫1. What do they eat? ▫2. List 4 adaptations which help them get their food.  Strong legs and sharp claws  Stiff hairs in the nose  Tough skin  Long and sticky tongue

Diverse Defenses (how to not BE food!) How do you not get eaten by bigger animals? More than just running away is needed. Australian frilled lizard  ▫Use both structural and behavioral adaptations ▫Behavioral: opens its mouth wide ▫Structural: flap of loose skin spreads out, making the lizard look much bigger

Australian frilled lizards

Three-banded armadillo

Very tough skin which even puma, cougar, or mountain lions cannot bite though it

Another strategy: Avoid fighting! Camouflage: blending in Example: a leaf butterfly

Mimicry: looking like another animal

Other Cool Traits Some animals go dormant. ▫dormant: ▫Going inactive

How about YOU? If you could, what adaptations would you like to have??? ▫Night vision? Run faster? ▫Photographic memory? ▫