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© A. Weinberg
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© A. Weinberg
Have you ever wondered how animals are able to survive in the wild?
Animals have certain adaptations that help them to survive.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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!
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
We can separate adaptations into two categories:
Physical
AND
Behavioral
A
D
A
P
T
A
T
I
O
N
S
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
© A. Weinberg
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
© A. Weinberg
Physical adaptation
Camouflage (use of color in a surrounding)
The chameleon can change its color to match its surroundings. Can you do that?
© A. Weinberg
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!
© A. Weinberg
Chemical defenses (like venom, ink, sprays)
Other defenses (like “Hair” projections)- Hedgehog quills
- Deer Antlers
Physical adaptation
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
Now let’s learn about
Behavioral Adaptations…
Behavioral Adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
Instinctive behaviors happen naturally &
don’t need to be learned
=
Finding shelter
Methods of gathering & storing food Defending oneself
Raising young
Hibernating
Migrating
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
Hibernation
• This is deep sleep in which animal’s body temp drops,
body activities are slowed to conserve energy.
• E.g. Bats, woodchucks & bears.
© A. Weinberg
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
© A. Weinberg
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
© A. Weinberg
Mammals
• Endothermic or
warm-blooded
• All have some type of
“hair”
– Some are very
specialized, such as
white polar bear fur
• Care for young
© A. Weinberg
Birds
• Leg Length
– Roseate Spoonbill
(top right)
• Foot Webbing
– Laughing Gull
(top left)
• Beak Shape
– Long Billed Curlew
(bottom)
© A. Weinberg
Reptiles
• Ectothermic or
cold- blooded
• Scales
• Some undergo
hibernation and
estivation
• Lay eggs on land
• Leg structure and
position
© A. Weinberg
Amphibians
• Ectothermic (cold-
blooded)
• Lay eggs in water
• Partially of fully
webbed feet
• Have lungs or can
absorb oxygen
through their skin
© A. Weinberg
In this lesson, we have learned about
animal adaptations.
There are 2 ways to describe adaptations:
Physical and Behavioral
© A. Weinberg
Physical adaptations are body structures.
Some examples of physical adaptations are:
Camouflage
Mimicry
Body coverings & parts
Chemical defenses
© A. Weinberg
Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.
Behavioral Adaptations can beInstinctive or Learned.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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
© A. Weinberg
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.
© A. Weinberg
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….