1. Animal Adaptations Ecology

2. Essential Questions
How do changes in habitats affect survival of organisms?
How do adaptations enable organisms to live in a particular ecosystem?

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

4. Habitats are IMPORTANT!

5. Adaptations

6. Physical
Behavioral

7. What is an adaptation?

8. 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.

9. 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.

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

11. 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

12. Physical adaptations help an animal survive in its environment.
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

13. 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

14. 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?

15. 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

16. (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!

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)
Camouflage
use of color in a surrounding

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

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
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Camouflage
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
use of color in a surrounding

20. 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.

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
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. Behavioral Adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs.

23. 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

24. 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.

25. 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

26. 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.

27. 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

28. 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

29. Birds Leg Length Foot Webbing Beak Shape Roseate Spoonbill (top right)
Laughing Gull (top left)
Beak Shape
Long Billed Curlew (bottom)

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

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

32. 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

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. Activity
Research an animal and create a poster that explains the animals physical and behavior adaptations.
Be sure to state and describe the animal’s ecosystem that it lives in.

39. 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