Animal Adaptations

Animal Adaptations

Coach Mijares​

The environment that an animal lives in is called habitat. An animal must be able to adapt in its habitat in order to get the things it needs such as: shelter, food, space & water.

​Structural Adaptations

PHYSICAL characteristics on a plant or animal that helps it adapt to its environment.

• Elephant-

  • Trunk (helps for food)

  • Tusk for digging or weapon

• Duck-

  • Webbed feet (paddle through water)

  • Beak (food like insects, snails & seeds)

• Polar Bear

  • Thick layer of fat (warmth)

  • Paws (swimming and hunting)

Open Ended

Give 1 example of a structural adaptation:

​Behavioral Adaptations

Animal behaviors which enable them to survive in their environment

Types of behaviors:

• Mimicry- Animals use for colors and markings to look like another dangerous animal to keep predators away

• Camouflage- Ability of an organism to remain unnoticed by blending with environment

• Migration- Seasonal movement of a populations of animals from one area to another

• Hibernation- Time when animals go into a very deep sleep for a period of time

• Learned- A behavior which in not present in an animal at birth but arises through experience

• Instinctive- A behavior which is with an animal from birth and is performed by all members of their species

Multiple Choice

Hibernation is the ability of an organism to remain unnoticed

• True

• False

​Mimicry

Camouflage

​Migration

Hibernation

Physiological Adaptation

• Internal change that animals and plants go through to ensure their survival in their environment

• Allows organism to perform special functions within the body as a result of its surrounding environment

  • Snakes & Spiders produce venom to paralyze their prey

  • Fish & Retiles are cold-blooded with living in cold water

  • Giraffes have long necks to eat food that are hard to reach and look for predators from a long distance

Multiple Choice

An ___________ adaption is a physical characteristic that allows a plant or animal to be able to survive in their environment

• Structural

• Behavioral

• Physiological