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Vocabulary and Concepts
How Are Living Things Adapted to Their
Environment?
Science Words
Environment [en•VY•ruhn•muhnt] all the living and nonliving things in an area
Adaptation [ad•uhp•TAY•shuhn] a characteristic that helps a living thing survive
Physical adaptation [FIZ•ih•kuhl ad•uhp•TAY•shuhn] an adaptation in a body part
A duck’s
webbed foot is
a physical
adaptation for
swimming.
-An ostrich’s long legs are a physical adaptation
that lets it run fast in open spaces.
-The dark color of pond turtles is a physical
adaptation that helps them hide in the mud.
-The waxy coatings of some desert plants are a physical adaptation to keep from losing water.
-A penguin’s black feathers and layer of fat
are physical adaptations to extremely cold weather.
-The flexible stems of plants that live in rivers let them bend with the flow of the water.
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Behavioral adaptation [buh•HAYV•yer•uhl ad•uhp•TAY•shuhn] something an organism does to
help it survive
Instinct [IN•stinkt] a type of behavioral adaptation; an inherited behavior an animal knows how to
do without having to learn it
Knowing how to build
a nest is an instinct.
Hibernate [HY•ber•nayt] go into a deep, sleep-like state that helps an animal survive
harsh winter conditions.
Migrate [MY•grayt] move a long distance
as a group from one region to another and back.
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Vocabulary and Concepts
Choose the best answer
1-Which adaptation of this mountain lion enables it to catch the deer?
thick fur
a long tail
strong legs
small ears
2-Where would an animal with thick white fur and a thick layer of fat most likely live?
in the desert
in a grassland
in a stream
in a polar region
3-The animal shown below has webbed feet and a paddle-like tail.
Where does this animal most likely live?
in a tree
near a stream
in the desert
on the polar ice
4-Which adaptation would you expect in animals that live in caves?
very good hearing
poor hearing
very good eyesight
brightly colored fur
5-Which adaptation would you expect to find in a bird that swims?
feet with curling toes and tiny claws
feet with large hooked claws
feet with feathers
feet with webbing
6-Lakes are home to many kinds of birds. Which feet are most likely the adaptation of a bird that
swims in water to find food?
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Vocabulary and Concepts
7-What adaptation keeps the plant below from losing water?
long, deep roots
long, shallow roots
flat, waxy leaves
bright, colorful flowers
8-Which is the name for what animals do when they go into a deep, sleeplike state in winter?
Freeze
Hibernate
Migrate
Travel
9-Some animals migrate every year. Which of these is the main reason animals migrate?
to find food
to find she
to get away from danger
to find another place to live
10-Which of these is an example of migration?
ground squirrels going into underground burrows
tree squirrels gathering and storing nuts every fall
gray whales having their young in warm ocean waters
tundra swans flying south in winter and north in summer
11-Which of these is an example of a behavior that is an instinct?
spider building a web
a polar bear waiting by a seal hole
a chimpanzee using a tool
a young bird making its first flight
-Plants and animals have adaptations suitable to the environments in which they live.
Mention an example of animal’s adaptation and another of plant’s adaptation.
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