1. Animal Adaptations

2. What is ecology?
The study of the interactions that take place among organisms and their environment

3. Adaptations

4. How do adaptations help animals survive in their environment?
An adaptation is a body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
Adaptation can help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
All animals are adapted to live in certain habitats.
Animals that cannot adapt will die out.

5. help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.

6. We can separate adaptations into two categories:
Physical
Adaptations
AND
Behavioral

7. help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral

8. Physical adaptations are body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
Physical adaptations 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.
© A. Weinberg

9. Physical Behavioral help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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

10. Camouflage (use of color in a surrounding)
Physical adaptation
Camouflage (use of color in a surrounding)
The chameleon can change its color to match its surroundings. Can you do that?

11. Physical Behavioral help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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
Camouflage
use of color in a surrounding

12. (looking or sounding like another living organism)
Physical adaptation
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry to look like the Monarch butterfly. Can you tell them apart?
I’m the Viceroy!
Not poisonous
Poisonous
I’m the Monarch!

13. Physical Behavioral Mimicry
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Camouflage
use of color in a surrounding

14. Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
Physical adaptation
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)

15. Physical Behavioral Mimicry
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Camouflage
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
use of color in a surrounding

16. Physical adaptations
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.

17. Physical Behavioral Mimicry
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Body coverings & parts
(claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
Camouflage
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
use of color in a surrounding

18. Behavioral Adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs.

19. Physical Behavioral Mimicry
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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
allow animals to respond to life needs.
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Body coverings & parts
(claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
Camouflage
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
use of color in a surrounding

20. Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.
Remember that Physical Adaptations are body structures.
Each organism has unique methods of adapting to its environment by means of different actions.

21. Physical Behavioral Mimicry
body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral
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
allow animals to respond to life needs.
animals’ actions
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Body coverings & parts
(claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
Camouflage
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
use of color in a surrounding

22. Homeostasis
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment.
Examples:
The thickening of fur in winter.
The seeking of shade in heat.
The production of more red blood cells at high altitude.

23. Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment

24. Endotherms vs. Ectotherms

25. Ectotherms Endotherms
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Ectotherms
Endotherms

26. Endotherms
Endotherms are animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism.
We call these animals warm-blooded.
Maintain a constant body temperature regardless of changes in the surrounding temperature

27. Ectotherms Endotherms Body temp the same regardless of weather
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Ectotherms
Endotherms
animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Warm-blooded

28. How do endothems adapt?
Fat layers, fur, and feathers insulate the body and retain heat.
Shivering muscles contract to increase body heat.
Some animals hibernate. Hibernation enables animals to survive long periods of cold and lack of food.
Canines, like this Brittany, use panting as a means of temperature regulation.

29. Ectotherms Endotherms Shivering Muscles Hibernation
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Ectotherms
Endotherms
How do endothems adapt?
animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
Fat layers, fur, and feathers
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Shivering Muscles
Warm-blooded
Hibernation

30. Ectotherms
Ectotherms are animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings.
We call these animals cold-blooded
Body temperature fluctuates with changes in the surrounding temperature.

31. Ectotherms Endotherms Shivering Muscles Body Temp changes with weather
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Ectotherms
Endotherms
How do endothems adapt?
animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings
animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
Fat layers, fur, and feathers
Cold-blooded
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Shivering Muscles
Body Temp changes with weather
Warm-blooded
Hibernation

32. How do ectotherms adapt?
Most marine fish and invertebrates, however, live in water that stays the same temperature.
When the weather is warm, they become active. They slow down when the temperature drops.
To warm up, reptiles find sunny places, and stretch out for maximum exposure. If it gets too warm, lizards alternate between sun and shade.
Amphibians warm up by moving into the sun or diving into warm water. They cool off by entering the shade.

33. Ectotherms Endotherms Shivering Muscles How do ectotherms adapt?
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Ectotherms
Endotherms
How do ectotherms adapt?
How do endothems adapt?
animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings
animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
weather is warm, they become active. They slow down when the temperature drops.
Fat layers, fur, and feathers
Cold-blooded
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Shivering Muscles
Body Temp changes with weather
Warm-blooded
warm up by moving into the sun or diving into warm water
cool off by entering the shade
Hibernation

34. Example of Adaptation
The shape of an animal’s teeth is related to its diet.
Herbivores, such as deer, have many molars for chewing tough grass and plants.
Carnivores, such as lions, have sharp canines to kill and tear meat.

35. Who experiences adaptations?
All species have experienced adaptation and will continue to slowly adapt as the next generations are born.
We will identify certain species from each of these groups and the reasons for their success:
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians

36. Mammals Endothermic or warm-blooded All have some type of “hair”
Some are very specialized, such as white polar bear fur
Method of locomotion
Care for young

37. Birds Leg Length Foot Webbing Beak Shape Roseate Spoonbill (top right)
Laughing Gull (top left) Bird Feet Adaptations
Beak Shape
Long Billed Curlew (bottom) Bird Beaks and Uses

38. Reptiles Ectothermic or cold- blooded Scales
Some undergo hibernation and estivation
Lay eggs on land
Leg structure and position

39. Amphibians Ectothermic Lay eggs in water
Partially or fully webbed feet
Have lungs or can absorb oxygen through their skin

40. Animal Defense
Some animals use these methods of defense to protect themselves:
Camouflage
Snake
Mimicry
Mexican Milk Snake
Bright colors
Skunk and Poison Arrow Frog
“Hair” projections
Hedgehog quills
Deer Antlers

41. Adaptation Applications: Lions
Why are the eyes of a lion set in front of the head rather than on the sides?
Answer: Eyes in front of the head allow for depth perception and ability to judge distances when hunting.

42. Adaptation Applications: Lions
What is the purpose of the mane on a male lion? What is the reason for the lion’s color?
A thick mane helps the male to appear larger and serves as protection for the throat. The tawny brown coat color camouflages the animal and young among vegetation.

43. Adaptation Applications: Giraffe
Why are giraffes able to go for long periods of time without water?
Answer: Giraffes drink water when available, but can go weeks without it. They rely on morning dew and the water content of their food.

44. Adaptation Applications: Giraffe
How are their long necks adapted to their lifestyle?
Answer: This extra length is thought to have evolved to help the giraffe spot predators and other giraffes in the distance. Interestingly, giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrate in their necks.

45. Adaptation Applications: Zebras
How do zebras defend themselves?
Capable of running up to 40 mph. Zebras defend themselves by kicking and biting. Coloration also plays a role in evading predators, although theories have not reached an agreement.

46. Resources
This PowerPoint is partially adapted from Ms. Weinberg. The original PowerPoint can be viewed at
It is also partially adapted from an animal adaptation powerpoint created by City of Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History the original can be viewed at