Animals and Environment

Animals and EnvironmentEnvironment and Animal Growth:

- How are the environments different?- Are the species and number of animals

different?- How do the climate, water supply and food

affect the animals’ growth?

How are the environments different?Different Biomes/Habitats: Tropical Rainforest Temperate Grassland Desert Polar Region

Tropical Rainforest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUuA-C_I3DE

Tropical Rainforest What makes a tropical forest?

Tropical rainforests are very wet places, receiving heavy rainfall either seasonally or throughout the year. They are close to the equator and get lots of sunlight and warmth. (Temperatures - between 20 and 35°C, receive more than 200 cm rainfall per year)http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/tropical_forests/index.cfm

What Makes the Tropical Rainforest Special? The rainforests are home to half of the Earth's

plant and animal species. They are winter homes to many birds that breed

in temperate latitudes. The forests are a potential source of medicinal

plants that may benefit everyone on Earth. Tropical rainforests help maintain global rain and

weather patterns. Much of the water that evaporates from the trees returns in the form of rainfall. Removal of the forest can change the natural rainfall patterns.

http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/index.htm

Animals in the Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Rainforest Half of all the world's species live in

tropical rainforests Rainforests are the oldest ecosystem on

earth some forests in Southeast Asia have been around for at least 100 million years

Temperatures are constant throughout the year and animals rarely have to search for water due to the high rainfall

Lots of plants to provide shelter and food http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html

Tropical Rainforest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUuA-C_I3DE

Temperate Grassland

Temperate Grassland Grasslands develop wherever rainfall is not high

enough to produce a forest nor light enough to form a desert.

Temperate grasslands are found where the summers are hot, the winters cold, and rainfall is low throughout the year.

There are few trees in true grasslands, either because the climate is too dry or the soils are too poor.

Grazing and browsing by wild animals, frequent fires, or both, prevents tree seedlings from growing.

Temperate Grassland Different names

Grasslands are called different names in different parts of the world: - ‘steppes’ in Asia; ‘prairies’ in North America; ‘pampas’, ‘llanos’ and ‘cerrados’ in South America; ‘savannas’ and ‘velds’ in Africa; and ‘rangelands’ in Australia.

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/grasslands/index.cfm

http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/grasslnd/index.htm

Animals in Temperate Grasslands Grasslands are dominated by grasses and

grasslike plants. Grasses are very special plants that can keep on growing no matter how much they are nibbled by animals - because their growing points are situated low down near the soil.

Grasslands are home to many of the world's grazing herbivores and fast moving predators that eat them.

Annual rainfall in the grasslands is between 10 to 30 inches, there is a seasonal drought every year. Many animals are active only during the rainy season.

http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/grasslnd/index.htm http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/grasslands/animal_life/

index.cfm

Animals in Temperate Grasslands

Desert

Desert Deserts are the world's dry places and cover at least 1/5th

of the Earth’s surface. Rain seldom fall in deserts, it comes unexpectedly and

often several years might pass before another rainstorm falls in the same place.

Very hot summer temperatures. The temperature usually drops at night and the desert becomes cool, because there are no clouds to keep in the earth's heat. The difference between day and night temperatures can be as much as 20°C (36°F).

Some deserts are endless ‘seas of sand’ where the wind piles the sand into great big dunes. Other deserts may be flat, stony plains, or have rugged, rocky hills and mountains. Most deserts are a combination of landscapes.

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/deserts/index.cfmhttp://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htm

Animals in Desert Because there is so little water, deserts are bare

landscapes with few plants or animals. Animals that live in the hot desert have many

adaptations. Some animals never drink, but get their water from seeds (some can contain up to 50% water), plants or the blood and body tissues of their prey.

Many animals are nocturnal, sleeping during the hot day and only coming out at night to eat and hunt.

Some animals rarely spend any time above ground. Spadefoot toads spend nine months of every year underground!

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/deserts/animal_life/index.cfm http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htm 

Animals in Desert

Polar Region/Tundra – North Pole

Polar Region/Tundra – North Pole These regions are very cold: the coldest temperature ever

known on earth (-89°C or -129°F) was recorded in Antarctica. The average winter temperature in the Arctic is about -30°C.

The Antarctic is an isolated continent surrounding the South Pole. It lies beneath ice and snow almost 2km thick. It has high mountains and glaciers and is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth.

The core of the Arctic is a great ocean - the Arctic Ocean - parts of which are covered all year round by ice that drifts about the North Pole. The Arctic Ocean has many thousands of big and small islands and is almost surrounded by land: the northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America.

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/polar_regions/index.cfm

Animals in Polar region The frigid cold and deep snow makes life in the tundra very

difficult.  Every animal must adapt in order to survive. Some have grown thick fur which turns white in the winter. Others find a place to hibernate during the winter months. They are adapted to breed and raise young quickly in the very short and cool summers.

Birds can move further and faster than mammals. Most of them migrate to warmer areas to escape the Arctic winter.

Rainfall is low and water is unavailable most of the year. Antarctica - the frozen continent

The seas surrounding Antarctica are rich in microscopic animals and plants. This abundant plankton is the basis of a rich and complex marine food chain that includes tiny shimp called krill, many kinds of fish, seabirds such as penguins and skuas, and marine mammals like seals and whales. In summer, 8 different species of whales come to Antarctica to feed.

http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/polar_regions/animal_life/index.cfm http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/tundra/index.htm

Animals in Polar region

Animals and EnvironmentEnvironment and Animals’ Features Animals’ Skins Animals’ Skin Colours Animals’ Hunting Tools – Types of Food Animals’ Movement

Animals’ Skins/Coverings Cold Region – Skins/Fur/Feathers to keep

warm Dry Region – Scales and Shells to reduce

Moisture loss

Animals’ Skins/CoveringsVertebrate Skin Coverings

It is possible to classify (group) vertebrate animals into 5 groups based on easily observed features like parts of the body, skin covering, or birth of their young. One of the easiest features to observe is the skin covering of the animal:

fish are covered with wet scales amphibians have naked skins reptiles are covered with dry scales birds have a body covering of feathers mammals have a covering of hair (fur) (Vertebrates possess an internal skeleton made up of bones

and, in particular, they have a backbone or spine made up of a series of bones called vertebrae.)

Fish Scales Amphibian Skin

Reptile Scales Bird Feathers

Hairs/Furs

Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/animal-

camouflage-pictures.htm http://www.howstuffworks.com/animal-camouflage.htm To hide themselves (Camouflage/mimicry) http://www.alleghany.k12.va.us/animal%20adaptation%20w

ebpage/animal_mimicry.htm Camouflage – Blending into the background Mimicry – Pretending to be something else http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygh1-ul6E94

Animals use both ways to protect themselves from predator or to hide themselves from their prey

Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns Brightly coloured skins to warn/frighten

predators

Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns Blue-ringed Octopus

Coral Snake

Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns Foaming grasshopper Antimachus Swallowtail

Animals’ Hunting Tools What are the features that an animal need to hunt other animals?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j9lE2p_7FYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=15x4twkEVak&feature=PlayList&p=E7A4CEFFD8AB12B2&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp9YKEO9e1w

Movement Fine Senses Weapon

Fly/Swim/Run very fastClimb very well

Can see/hear/feel very well

Sharp claws/teethStrong grip/jawsPoison sting/biteGood camouflage

What are Animal Adaptations? features that help it "fit in" with its

surroundings features that will ensure the survival, of

the animals in its’ surroundings, animals who can't adapt die!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciu9xFTvELQ

Physical Adaptation Physical adaptations help animals get food and

water or protect themselves.  Some of these adaptations are:

Being able to move very quickly Having strong claws Having sharp teeth Having long, curved beaks Having keen eyesight Having the ability to trap prey (See above slide: Animals’ Hunting Tools)

Physical adaptations do not develop during an animal's life but over many generations.

Behavioral Adaptations Animals also adapt to their environments

through behaviors or actions. Having a special appearance Migrating, or moving to a new place to live Hibernating, or going into a deep sleep for

a long time Learning to hunt for food

http://widgeon.com/Wilson/Grade4/Definition.html

Evolution of Animals http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=faRlFsYmkeY&feature=related Bird evolutionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=A5kzxOtvCjc&feature=related Elephanthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=utNxHs6ghSw&feature=related Whalehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2C-

3PjNGok&feature=related

Adaptation Activities and Games Ecokids Animal Adaptations Game

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm

How Animals Meet Their Needshttp://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/animalneeds/

Charles Darwin http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/adaptation/