Science 502 Section 2

What does adapt mean?

• Adapt means animals have special features to live in their environments.

• Adopt means taking care of something before it goes home.

• Adapt means living in a habitat and changing inside out.

• 

How do elephants maintain their body temperature?

• Long trunks

• Long tusks

• Big ears

• Wrinkled skin

Answer explanation

Elephants have evolved wrinkled skins as a mechanism to fight heat. Elephants lack sweat glands, wrinkles on the skin increases surface area. An elephant weighing around two tonnes has approximately 100,000 square centimetres of skin. This huge area emits heat – essential for survival in hot climates.

The reason why Asian and African elephants have different ear sizes has to do with their habitats. African elephants live in extreme temperature environments and savannas and need protection from the sun. On the other hand, Asian elephants live in shady forests where they do not see sunlight. 

Therefore, they have big ears to help them stay cool.

More on answer explanation!

Answer explanation

They are huge, which means they produce a lot of body heat. They must have a very efficient way to get rid of their extra body heat. Unlike the human body, the animal body cannot sweat to keep him cool. Luckily, they come with a built-in solution: big, floppy ears.

Thousands of blood vessels make up the animal’s ears. These vessels are thin and close to the skin. They allow the excess body heat to escape the elephant’s body and regulate their body temperature. 

Another reason why they have big ears is to use their ears as fans to cool off their bodies. Their ears can cool their body by up to 5° Celsius (that is 9° Fahrenheit)! 

Giraffes have _____ hearts.

Complete the sentence!

Answer explanation

Giraffes hearts' are 2-3 times larger than a human heart!

Giraffes tongue can be up to __ inches long!

How can big ears help elephants?

• Protect the head

• Pick up sounds

• Act as a breeze

• Cool down elephants

Answer explanation

African elephants have bigger ears while Asian elephants have smaller ears.

Why do elephants have thick and strong legs?

• To protect Elton

• To kick enemies.

• Because different elephants have different ears to help them to see better.

• To support their body weight.

What are the uses of tusks in elephants?

• Dig for water and roots?

• Clear paths in dense bushes!

• A weapon to defend themselves...

• To remove bark from trees.

How tall can a male giraffe be?

• 16-18 feet

• 10-12 feet

• 18-20 feet

• 13-15 feet

Where are giraffes mostly found?

• Africa
• Australia
• Europe
• Asia