Adaptations (3)
• How do plants and animals survive?• How do they adapt to survive in their habitats?
Adaptations (3)
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Adaptations : The Prickly Pear Cactus
• Conserves water by not having leaves
• Fleshy stems store water and swell during rain.
• Has spikes to deter grazers
• Toxic calcium oxalate under the skin. Only woodrats and javalinas can metabolise this chemical without harm to kidneys..
Engelmann’s Prickly Pear
Adaptations : Creosote Bush
• Contains toxic chemicals makes most animals ill if they eat the leaves.
• Resins on the leaves reduces water loss by evaporation
• Bright yellow flowers attract large variety of pollinating insects.
Adaptations : Organ Pipe Cactus
• Large number of branches increase the surface area: to maximise food production
• Grows near rocks and cliff edges to receive their heat radiation at night.
• Flowers only bloom at night: they use bats to pollinate the blossoms.
Adaptations : Mesquite Tree
• Mature trees can produce up to 11kg of fruit , containing over 140,000 seeds !
• The flowers attract many different pollinators, including sixty species of bees.
• Many birds, insects and mammals eat the beans
Adaptations : Hummingbird
• Its food is nectar from flowers, tiny insects, and sugar water.
• Hummingbirds burn food so fast they often eat 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in food per day
• To conserve energy, it can go into a sleep-like state known as "torpor."
Adaptations : Hummingbird
• Hummingbirds migrate in response to hormonal changes that are triggered by the changing length of a day.
• They prepare for migration by putting on a lot of fat. They may double their body weight.
Adaptations : Gila Woodpecker
• Sharp and strong beak to get at insects and to make out nest holes
• Beak is also used to to hammer out its ‘territory’ signals.
• Strong claws and short legs enable it to climb trees
• Lives in nest cavities of trees.
Adaptations : Cardinal
• Male cardinals vigorously defend their territory. They have even been known to attack their own reflections in mirrors and windows!
• Females dull colours help to camouflage them from predators
• Males bright colours help to attract a mate. Female Cardinal
Adaptations : The Saguaro Cactus
• Can absorb up to 95% of its total weight in water when it rains.
• Pleats between the ribs allow the stem to swell when water is absorbed.
• Shallow root system covers a large area for maximum absorption of water.
• Can live up to over 175 years
Adaptations : Agave (Century Plant)
• A waxy coating with a powdery surface seals the leaf against evaporation and also reflects up to 75% of the incoming heat
• Absorbs carbon dioxide at night, to be stored for photosynthesis during the day.
• Flowers smell like rotting meat : this attracts bats (pollinators)Blooms only once then dies
Its life is between 5-25 years