© A. Weinberg

toad

© A. Weinberg

Have you ever wondered how animals are able to survive in the wild?

Animals have certain adaptations that help them to survive.

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Think about the way you dress in the winter.

You don’t wear your shorts and bathing suit when it’s snowing outside!

You wear warm clothes, and maybe even a hat and mittens to protect

yourself from the weather.

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And what if you are having a snowball fight?

You probably run away from the person throwing at you, and maybe even try to sneak up on that person and throw some

snowballs!

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The way you dress in the winter, as well as the way that you run and hide from someone throwing snow at you are kinds of

…

Adaptations.

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We can separate adaptations into two categories:

Physical

AND

Behavioral

A

D

A

P

T

A

T

I

O

N

S

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Physical adaptations

are body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.

Physical adaptationshelp an animal survive in its environment.

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Physical Adaptations

• Physical adaptations do not develop

during one lifetime, but over many

generations.• Examples: The shape of a bird’s beak, number of fingers and

toes, or the color of an animal’s fur

– Camouflage

– Mimicry

– Defenses

– Structural Adaptations

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Physical adaptation

Camouflage (use of color in a surrounding)

The chameleon can change its color to match its surroundings. Can you do that?

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Mimicry(looking or sounding like another

living organism)

The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry to look like the Monarch butterfly. Can you tell them apart?

Poisonous

Not poisonous

Physical adaptation

I’m the Monarch!

I’m the Viceroy!

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Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)

Other defenses (like “Hair” projections)- Hedgehog quills

- Deer Antlers

Physical adaptation

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Structural Adaptations: Body coverings & parts (claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)

Physical adaptations

The elephant’s trunk is a physical adaptation that helps it to clean itself, eat, drink, and to pick things

up.

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Example of Structural 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.

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Now let’s learn about

Behavioral Adaptations…

Behavioral Adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs.

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Each organism has unique methods of adapting

to its environment by means of different actions.

Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.

Remember that Physical Adaptations are body structures.

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We can divide Behavioral Adaptations into two groups:

Instinctive Learned

These behaviors happen naturally & don’t have to be

learned.

These behaviors must be taught.

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Instinctive behaviors happen naturally &

don’t need to be learned

=

Finding shelter

Methods of gathering & storing food Defending oneself

Raising young

Hibernating

Migrating

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Migration

• Animals migrate for different

reasons.

– better climate

– better food

– safe place to live

– safe place to raise young

– go back to the place they were

born.

• This is a behavioral

adaptation that involves an

animal or group of animals

moving from one region to

another and then back

again.

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Hibernation

• This is deep sleep in which animal’s body temp drops,

body activities are slowed to conserve energy.

• E.g. Bats, woodchucks & bears.

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Learned behaviors

Obtained by interacting with the environment and cannot be passed on to the next generation except

by teaching.

=

Certain tools used to find food

Monkeys of India taking over cities – don’t have to “catch”

food

Seagulls being feed on boardwalk

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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

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Mammals

• Endothermic or

warm-blooded

• All have some type of

“hair”

– Some are very

specialized, such as

white polar bear fur

• Care for young

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Birds

• Leg Length

– Roseate Spoonbill

(top right)

• Foot Webbing

– Laughing Gull

(top left)

• Beak Shape

– Long Billed Curlew

(bottom)

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Reptiles

• Ectothermic or

cold- blooded

• Scales

• Some undergo

hibernation and

estivation

• Lay eggs on land

• Leg structure and

position

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Amphibians

• Ectothermic (cold-

blooded)

• Lay eggs in water

• Partially of fully

webbed feet

• Have lungs or can

absorb oxygen

through their skin

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In this lesson, we have learned about

animal adaptations.

There are 2 ways to describe adaptations:

Physical and Behavioral

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Physical adaptations are body structures.

Some examples of physical adaptations are:

Camouflage

Mimicry

Body coverings & parts

Chemical defenses

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Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.

Behavioral Adaptations can beInstinctive or Learned.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Adaptation Applications:

Zebras

• How do zebras defend themselves?

• Answer: 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.

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Adaptation Applications:

American Alligator

• How are these alligator’s eyes adapted for seeing in water?

Answer: Their eyes and nostrils close by reflex

when the animal goes underwater, and they have a

transparent third eyelid, or nictitating membrane,

that covers the eye as the animal moves through the

water.

http://www.whozoo.org/Intro98/mindfinc/mindfinc1.htm

© A. Weinberg

Adaptation

Applications:

Camels

• What type of adaptations allow a camel to

successfully survive in desert conditions?

Answer: Camels have long eyelashes and ears lined with hair and

are able to close their nostrils to keep out sand. They have large

feet that prevent them from sinking in the sand because the body

weight rests on the sole pads with only the front ends of the hooves

touching the ground. Their thick fur and underwool provide

warmth during the cold desert nights. They also have a hump that

stores body fat – to be used as energy in times of need.

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Adaptation Applications:

Manatees

• What special adaptations do manatees have

that allow them to stay underwater for

longer than the average land-dwelling

mammal?

Answer: Both the lungs and diaphragm of a manatee extend

the length of the body cavity and so are oriented in the same

horizontal plane as the manatee in the water

http://www.savethemanatee.org/default.html

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Adaptation Applications:

Mountain Goats

• How are mountain goats adapted for living

in the tops of high, cold mountains?

Answer: They have very round bodies which protect

them from the cold. Their legs are about 20 inches

long. Their hooves are adapted to the rugged slopes

by being split and flexible, like rubber, so they can

jump from rock to rock.

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Adaptation Applications:

Polar Bears

• Why do polar bears have such big feet?

Answer: These big feet help to distribute

their weight as they walk on thin ice in the

arctic waters.

http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/polar_bear.html

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Adaptation Applications:

Gila Monster

• What do gila monsters do to avoid the heat

of the day?

Answer: They hide in burrows or under rocks, and the

lizards only come out in the evening during the summer.

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Adaptation Applications:

Gila Monster

• What do gila monsters do in the winter

months to keep warm? How do they

survive during winter months with little

food?

Answer: During cold winter months, Gila monsters

stay in their burrows and have fat stores in their tails to

keep them alive.

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Adaptation Applications:

Snow Leopard

• How are the feet of a snow leopard adapted

for traveling and hunting on snowy and icy

ground?

Answer: The feet of a snow leopard are adapted for traveling

and hunting on icy ground because they are very furry. Their

furry feet not only keep them warm and dry but also provide

greater surface area (like snow shoes) to trek across the tundra.

http://www.pluspets.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Snow-Leopard1.jpg

© A. Weinberg

Adaptation Applications:

Stingray

• How do stingrays defend themselves against

predators?

Answer: They are equipped with long, whip-like tails

with one or more razor-sharp, serrated barbs, which they

use only for defense.

http://mysite.verizon.net/rmfeldman/cozumel05/Eagle.jpg

© A. Weinberg

Adaptation Applications:

Prairie Dogs

• How do prairie dogs protect their territory?

Answer: To Alert – prairie dogs use different sounds to identify

various predators such as hawks, owls, eagles, ravens, coyotes,

badgers, ferrets, and snakes. When a predator approaches, the first

alert prairie dog gives a sharp warning call, bobs up and down in

excitement, calls again, and then plunges into the burrow below.

To show who is the boss with other prairie dogs, they stare at each

other, chatter their teeth, and flare their tails. These territorial

arguments may last for more than 30 minutes and sometimes

include fights and chases.

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Adaptation Applications:

Koala

• How are the hands of a koala

adapted for life in a tree?

Answer: Their hands have a large gap between the first and

second fingers and their big toe is set at a wide angle to the

foot. This gives the koala a vicelike grip on branches. They

comfortably sit in a tree all day because of their thickly-

padded tails.

http://www.stanford.edu/~jay/koalas/Koala450j.jpg

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Adaptation Applications:

White-cheeked Gibbon

• Why do many monkeys and apes have long

arms?

Answer: Small body size and long arms are designed for

hanging and to feed from other branches. Also for

swinging through the forest branches.

http://www.lpzoo.org/factsheet.php?contentID=162

© A. Weinberg

Adaptation Applications:

California King Snake

• Why can a king snake eat rattle snakes?

Answer: King snakes are wholly or partially immune to the

venom of rattlesnakes and will kill and eat them. This behavior

gives them a good reputation with humans in rural areas.

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Adaptation Applications:

Dandelions

Answer: Dandelions produce hundreds of

seeds that blow away in the wind.

How can dandelions quickly

take over a grass field or yard?http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/JPEG%27S/Plant%20Web%20Images/DandelionSeedhead.jpg

© A. Weinberg

The next time you read about an animal in the wild, or when you see one on

television, think about its adaptations….