Download Adaptation Checklist

Adaptation Checklist
Name: ________________________
Date: _____________
Class: _____________________
Directions: Select the Trait that will best help the organism survive in its environment.
1. A lion is a predatory animal that lives on the grasslands of Africa. There are very few trees and it
is very hot. A lion’s main prey is the gazelle which travels in packs. Which trait would be most
useful to the lion in its environment?
______ Big Eyes
______ Light Colored Fur
______ Sharp Teeth
2. Grasscutter Ants live in the Amazon Jungle of South America. They live in large colonies inside of
a tree. The tree has hollow branches, and the ants build their colony inside of these branches.
The ants clear the area around the tree by cutting the grass and vines trying to grow near the
tree. The ants bring the cuttings back to the tree. Which trait of the ants, most help the trees?
______ Small Size
______ Can Lift 10 Times Their Own Weight
______ Strong Jaws
3. A hummingbird must consume 5 times its weight in food each day to gather enough energy to
stay alive. A hummingbird’s food is nectar from flowers. Nectar is a sugary, sweet fluid found
deep in the flower. Which trait of the hummingbird will help it collect its food?
______ A Long Beak
______ Ability to Hover in Mid-air
______ High Metabolism
4. Cacti can live in extremely arid environments, such as deserts. The Cactus has a few strange
traits such as spines, thick skins, and large vacuoles. Which of the following trait allows for the
cactus to go for long periods of time without water?
______ Chloroplasts
______ Waxy Coating
______ Grows Tall and Thin
5. The Dumbo Octopus lives in the deepest part of the oceans. The ocean deep is extremely cold,
with no light and huge amounts of pressure. Which trait will prevent this type of octopus from
living on a tropical coral reef?
______ Thick blubber Layer
______ Pale Skin
______ Ability to Withstand High Pressure
6. Amphibians like frogs were the first land animals. Eventually reptiles took over the land and
grew to the size of dinosaurs. Which trait would allow reptiles to be more successful on land?
______ Eggs with Shells
______ Scales
______ Claws
7. Anaerobic Bacteria were some of the earliest kinds of bacteria on Earth. They currently live in
volcanoes and sulfur springs because they oxygen in toxic to them. What trait would allow them
to best survive in a volcano?
______ Do Not Need Oxygen
______ “Eat” Sulfur
______ Can Withstand Extreme Heat