Adaptation

Adaptation is the process of change by which

a species becomes better suited

to its environment.

Animals adapt when their natural habitat changes.

In Canada, winters can bring
extreme changes in weather.
In order to survive through
the cold winters, animal
species must adapt.

Each animal has certain features that helps it adapt to its environment. For
example, the polar bear does not hibernate in winter like the grizzly bear
does. Polar bears have features that help them adapt to the cold:

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They have thick fur coats.

They have a layer of fat under their fur.

They have hair on their paws that helps
them avoid slipping on the ice.

An Arctic hare has brown fur that
turns white in the winter, so it is
more difficult to find in the white
snow.

Their hair grows longer and thicker
in winter. They have strong claws to
dig into the hard snow.

Sloths are adapted to survive in
tropical rainforests. They have
very sharp claws which helps
them to climb trees.

Sloths spend most of their

lives in tree tops to avoid the
predators living on the floor

of the rainforest. Green algae
grows on sloths fur which help
to camouflage sloths from

their predators.

Whales are adapted to help them survive in the oceans. They are streamlined and can travel through water easily using their flippers.

Whales are warm-blooded
mammals and have a thick

layer of blubber under their

skin to keep them warm. They
have blow holes on top of their
heads which let them breathe air in and out.

Elephants eat plants and are
adapted to survive in savannahs,
forests and deserts. Their
cushioned feet help them to walk
silently which helps them avoid
predators.

Elephants have very large ears to
cool them down. They also have a long trunk which they use for
many things including showering,
making trumpeting sounds and
picking things up.

Meerkats are adapted to help
them survive in deserts.

Meerkats have many
predators. They have light
coloured fur so that they are
camouflaged. They have black patches around their eyes.
This helps them to see
predators more clearly in
bright sunshine.

Arctic foxes are adapted to
survive in cold places. They
have white fur to help to
camouflage them against the
snow. This protects them from their predators and helps them to sneak up and catch lemmings and other small animals before they are seen.

Porcupines are adapted to live in
forests. They have sharp quills to
help them if they are in trouble with
another animal.

They are great tree climbers because
they have thick pads under their
paws.

Snowy owls are adapted to live in cold
places. They have thick layers of feathers to keep them warm.
They are white to help them camouflage in the winter. Their legs
are also covered in feathers to keep them
from getting cold.

Humans have the ability to adapt to
changes in their environment.

Think about what happens when you go
swimming or take a bath. Does your body
adapt to the water in any way?

Your fingers become wrinkled! Your body
does this in order to help your fingers grip
onto things, even in the water!