Download Animal Adaptations

Animal Adaptations
Types of Animal Adaptations: Body Parts, Body Coverings, Special
Adaptations, and Behavior Adaptations
Resource:
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=4750 Lists
SEVERAL different animals and their specific adaptations (could be good for
individual research in the lab)
Body Parts
Eyes
o Size
o Placement: on the sides of the head – Prey (so they can watch for
predators coming up behind them); on the front of the head – Predator
(for depth perception so they can see their prey better and be able to
attack without injuring themselves)
o Sight: Blind (Bats); Night (nocturnal animals – for hunting); Distance (see
prey from afar, especially birds)
o Depth Perception: predators have it so they can better hunt their prey
and attack so they don’t injure themselves
Ears
o Size
o Movement – ears that move allow animals to listen for predators from all
around them
o Hearing – (snakes don’t hear, they feel vibrations)
Teeth
o Presence of teeth means the animal chews its food
o Absence of teeth means the animal eats its food whole
o Dull/Flat/Blunt teeth means the animal is an herbivore (plant eater)
o Sharp/Jagged/Pointy teeth means the animal is a carnivore (meat eater
o Both types of teeth means the animal is an omnivore (eats plants and
meats)
Jaws
o Small jaws means the animal eats small food
o Large jaws means the animal eats large food
o Dislocating jaws means the animal eats food larger than its normal mouth
size (sometimes eating it whole – snakes)
Beaks
http://fsc.fernbank.edu/birding/bird_beaks.htm
o A cone shaped bill is very strong and good for cracking seeds. (finches)
Thin, slender beaks are usually found in insect eaters. They are used to
pick insects off of leaves, twigs, and bark.
o Long, tubular bills tapering to the tip forming a chisel are used for
pecking holes in trees for food.
o Hooked beaks are used for catching and killing live prey (hawks, owls).
They also help the bird tear the prey into small enough pieces to eat.
o A bird’s bill with fringed edges is used to strain plants, seeds, and small
animals from water.
o Long, tubular bills that resemble straws are used to sip nectar from
flowers
o Beaks that are flat and wide at the base are used to catch insects in
flight. Birds with these beaks usually also have whiskers at the edges of
their mouths to help catch the insects in mid-air.
Necks
o Long necks means the animal is probably an herbivore and eats from high
places
o Long necks also allow the animals to see far distances, above many things,
to be on guard for predators
Arms
o Small arms (like t-rex) means the arms are not a necessary part of survival
o Long arms, dragging the ground (like gorilla’s) means they are probably
used as part of the animal’s transportation
o Very strong arms are probably also used as a means of transportation, to
assist in getting food (climbing trees), or protection
Hands/Fingers (Digits)
o Thumbs help animals grasp, pick up, and hold onto things. They are
necessary for climbing.
Legs
o Length of legs may play a part in getting food
o Strength of legs may be to support the body or other modes of
transportation
Feet
o Sharp talons help birds of prey capture and kill their food.
o Webbed feet help aquatic creatures swim
o Look like hands – probably used for climbing
Tails
o Balance
o Swimming
o Hanging from trees/supporting weight
Hooves
o Hooves are another body part that are an important adaptation for many
large animals. In most cases, animals with hooves use their specially
adapted feet to maneuver in a rocky environment. Hooves protect the
o
feet of these animals and allow for greater mobility than unprotected
feet.
Wings/Flying
o Wings are another highly visible adaptation on many animals. Although
most think of birds when it comes to wings, other animals like the
vampire bat also have wing-like structures that help it fly. Of course, the
primary function of wings is flight in most animals with wings. Animals
like the golden eagle and peregrine falcon can reach speeds up to and
above 60 miles per hour in flight. This flight is used to attack its prey.
Other animals, like the Micronesian kingfisher, do not reach the speeds
of other raptors, but still use their wings to travel from place to place.
Finally, the Humboldt penguin does not use its wings to fly at all. Instead,
it uses its wings as flippers to move through the water.
Body Coverings – Protect against predators or environment
Fur
o Live in cold environment
o Color - camouflage
Hair
o Live in cold environment
o Color- camouflage
Spikes
o Protect against predators
Spines
o Protect against predators
Scales
o Protectant from the environment
o Help hold water into the body (hot, dry environments)
o Help protect the body against different types of terrain – kind of
tough/hard to keep the organism from being hurt/cut on dangerous
terrain
o Can be shed when damaged and to keep body more readily protected
Exoskeletons
o Skeleton/bones are on the outside of the body to better protect the
body’s internal organisms
Armor
o Hard covering the animal can retract into to protect themselves from
predators
Blubber
o Fatty covering under the skin that helps keep animals warm
o Is also consumed by the body when the animal can’t eat for long periods
of time (hibernating animals, whales, etc.)
Shells
o Hard covering the animal can retract into to protect themselves from
predators
Special Adaptations
Mimicry
o An organism develops an adaptation to make it similar to another
organism for protection. (may look the same, sound the same, etc.)
Camouflage
o An organism is able to blend into its surroundings based on its
fur/skin/hair color or patterns.
Regeneration
o Ability to regrow a body part if it is injured or severed.
Behaviors
Migration
o Animals travel south to warmer temperatures during the winter (cold
months). These animals need warm weather to survive.
Hibernation
o Animals sleep through the winter to survive the cold and loss of their
food source.
Estivation
o Animals sleep through the summer to survive the hot months and loss of
their food source.