1. Adaptations
How can they live there?

2. Why are there no polar bears in Texas?
(other than in zoos?)

3. Why are there no elephants in Alaska?

4. People can live all over the world.

5. We can do this because we are able to build homes for different conditions.

6. Also, we can change our clothes to best suit the temperature around us.

7. But what about Animals and plants?
Most animals and plants are specially adapted to survive in a particular habitat.
They have developed (over time) special features or behaviours to help them survive in their environment.
This is called adaption.

8. Some examples of Physical adaptions

9. These wings act as flippers
All birds have similar characteristics but the also have differences.
For example, many water birds have features that are different from those birds live on land.
Long legs are good for wading
These wings act as flippers
Webbed feet for swimming

10. Some animals are camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings.
This keeps them safe as it is more difficult for other animals to see them or catch them for food.
This lion blends in well with the grassy background.
These zebra could easily be mistaken for bushes from a distance.
This lizards skin is so similar to the rock colour.

11. Even plants have adapted to their habitats.
The cactus has fleshy stems that store water.
Dandelions seeds are easily dispersed.
The water provides support for this lily as it has less developed roots to hold it in place.

12. Some examples of Behavioural adaptions

13. Some animals migrate
They move from one habitat to another to survive.

14. Some animals hibernate.
The animal's body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy.

15. Some animals Estivate.
A state of animal dormancy somewhat similar to hibernation. It takes place during times of heat and dryness, the hot dry season.

16. Tropism in plants
Plants do not have behavioural adaptations but they do responded to environmental stimuli.
This is called tropism. (The turning or bending movement of a plant toward or away from an external stimulus)

17. Phototropism is movement or growth in response to light.
Geotropism (or gravitropism)
is movement or growth in response to gravity
Thigmotropism is a movement in which an organism moves or grows in response to touch.

18. Adaptations in the Grassland

19. Camouflage White Tailed Deer
Diet includes green plants, nuts, and fruits. In the winter, they survive off of woody plants.
Coat is reddish-brown in the spring and summer
When a white-tailed deer is alarmed, it will "flag" or raise its tail and show its white underside. When a mother deer is running, this white underside can help her fawns follow her.
Camouflage
and grey-brown in the fall and winter.

20. Armadillo
Armadillos have a very long, sticky tongue to slurp up insects. They also are equipped with strong claws to tear open ant nests.
The armadillo has a distinct shell casing made out of bone for protection.
Armadillos have poor eyesight. They rely on their sense of hearing and smell to detect food or predators. Ears are large and snout is large and pointed.

21. Can grow very large with little water due to an extremely large taproot that reaches far into the ground in search of nutrients and water.
Mesquite Trees
Leaves are small to prevent water loss during times of low rain fall.
The roots of the mesquite can regenerate if the tree is chopped off above making them able to survive fires that often happen in the grassland.