Introduction to Adaptation

Animal Adaptations

Why do animals change?

There are two different types of adaptions.

Physical and Behavioral

Fill in the Blank

Why do you think that animals adapt to the environment around them?

Physical adaptations

• A change to a body structure that allows the animal to consume food, defend itself and reproduce.

• camouflage

• mimicry

• chemical defenses

• body parts (ex: webbed feet)

Behavioral Adaptations

• allow an animal to respond to life's needs

• actions

• instinctive: happen naturally

• learned: these behaviors are taught

• examples: hibernating, migrating, finding shelter, etc.

You're a mammal.

Let's try some examples with you!

Multiple Select

Pretend it is winter. You wear pants, coats, hats, and gloves to stay warm. What type of adaptation are you making?

• behavioral

• physical

Multiple Select

Now you are having a snowball fight. You run away because you don't want your little brother to hit you in the face. What kind of adaptation are you making?

• behavioral

• physical

Why must animals adapt?

Animals adapt when their natural habitat changes.

HOW do animals adapt?

• Each animal has certain features that help it adapt to the climate where it lives.

• How might this polar bear adapt to its enivronment?

Multiple Choice

Which of these is a feature a polar bear would NOT have to adapt to its environment?

• 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 ice.

• They have ears to hear the animals around them.

Multiple Choice

Why does a porcupine have sharp quills?

• To protect them from the cold.

• To protect them from other animals.

• to stick to different surfaces.

• To eat if they get hungry.

Open Ended

Why does a snowy owl have white feathers?

Animal Adaptations:

A quick refresher

Open Ended

What does the term adaptation mean? Use your own words...no looking this one up and don't worry if it is wrong. Adaptation. Go!

An adaptation is...

• when an organism or an entire species is better suited to survive in their environment due to inherited or learned characteristics/features.

There are TWO main classifications of adaptations.

• PHYSICAL

• BEHAVIORAL

Multiple Choice

Physical adaptations are ___________ that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce in order to survive.

• an organism's actions

• body structures or features

• learned skills

• instinctive behaviors

Multiple Choice

Camouflage and mimicry are examples of ___________ adaptations.

• behavioral

• special

• physical

• predatory

Leaf tailed gecko

An orchid mantis & an orchid

Other examples of physical adaptations or structures include...

• use of venom, ink, or spray to protect itself from predators

• body coverings or structures including claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, and teeth

Behavioral adaptations allow animals to respond to life's needs. There are TWO types of behavioral adaptations.

• Instinctive - occur naturally

• Learned - need to be taught

Multiple Select

Check all of the behavioral adaptations that ARE instinctive. Remember, these don't need to be taught.

• migration

• hibernation

• finding shelter

• mastering hunting skills to catch prey

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a behavioral adaptation?

• Making a nest in the crevices of buildings

• Hunting at night

• Collecting food from trash cans

• Having large eyes that can see well in the dark

Let's see how you do classifying adaptations and answering a few questions!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an adaptation that helps a seal survive in the COLD?

• blubber

• body shape

• skin color

• sharp teeth

Multiple Choice

Which adaptation would NOT help a hawk catch a mouse?

• hollow bones

• excellent eye sight

• talons

• camouflage

Multiple Choice

The ears of this fox are an example of...

• a behavioral adaptation.

• not enough food for the body to grow.

• a structural adaptation.

• a behavioral learned adaptation.

Multiple Choice

A baby leopard stays with it's mother and she teaches them how to hunt for food. This is a(n) _________ behavior.

• mimicry

• camouflage

• instinctive

• learned

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT a physical adaptation?

• a bear hibernating in the winter

• a bird with a sharp beak

• a fish with scales on its body

• a squid using ink to escape the evil clutches of a predator

Multiple Choice

Birds have different beaks to help them survive in their habitat, which is a type of ___________ adaptation.

• behavioral

• physical

• learned

• migration

Multiple Choice

Hibernation, migration, and dormancy or all examples of ___________ adaptations.

• behavioral

• physical

• special

• environmental

Multiple Choice

Squirrels gather and store acorns for the winter, which is a ___________ adaptation.

• behavioral

• structural

• physical

• environmental

Open Ended

Provide an example of an adaptation you have had to use since COVID-19 changed how we do a lot of things.

Remember to think about the extensive list of adaptations as you begin the next section of your Individual Species Project covering their physical description and adaptations.