“ PIG AND GIRAFFE ”ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS

What is adaptation ?

> Anything that helps an organism survive in its environment is an adaptation. 

> It also refers to the ability of living things to adjust to different conditions within their environments. 

– Structural adaptation – Protective coloration– Mimicry – Behaviour adaptations– Migration– Hibernation

Types of Adaptation

Pig’s Adaptation1. Skeleton

Pigs have extremely rugged skeletons. These rugged skeletons support greater weight, in proportion to size, then any other farm animal.

2. Pig Snout Smelling• Pigs are always leading with their noses. • The pig nose, ends in a floating disk of

cartilage attached to muscles.• This adaptation makes the pig nose not

nearly as sensitive as the human nose.• Because of this adaptation pigs were

commonly used to hunt underground truffles

Pig’s Adaptation

3. Eyes and Vision• Generally they have poorly developed

muscles used for sharp focusing. • Pigs have the inner eye structure called

cones, in humans used for perception, but how pigs perceive perception is unknown.

Pig’s Adaptation

• Domestic pigs are the only four-legged farm animals that do not have the inner-eye layer of light reflecting tissue called tapetum.

• This is likely because the early ancestors of the domestic pig were nocturnal.

• The position of the eyes on the sides of the head do provide for good lateral vision however.

Pig’s Adaptation

4. Ears and Hearing• Domestic Pigs' ear morphology varies

dramatically. • For example, the Landrace breed has

huge and low-flapping ears in contrast to the Yorkshire which has small and erect ears.

• Pig hear very well.

Pig’s Adaptation

Giraffe’s Adaptation

1. Some adaptations are behavioral:• Giraffes drink water by gulping-drinking a

lot of water quickly.• They bend their long necks toward the

water and gulp up the water before a leopard or hyena has a chance to attack them.

• Giraffes can drink up to 10 gallons (45 liters) of water in one drinking session.

Giraffe’s Adaptation2. Some adaptations are physical: • Giraffes are the tallest land animals, with

adult giraffes growing to be between 15 and 18 feet (4.6 to 5.4 meters) tall.

• Because of their great height and excellent eyesight, giraffes often become watch towers for other animals.

• The giraffes are able to see and alert the others of approaching trouble.

Giraffe’s Adaptation• One of the most interesting

adaptations of the giraffe is their ability to eat leaves from some very thorny trees.Giraffes produce a very thick saliva, or spit, which protects the mouth from their thorny diet.

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