Animal Adaptations

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Animal Adaptations
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Objectives

• The learner will be able to compare how organisms
  adapt to different environments.

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Writing Activity

• At the end of the lesson, you will be required to
  write a paragraph about one animal adaptation and
  two facts.

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What is Adaptation?

• An adaptation is something about an animal that
  makes it possible for it to live in a particular
  place and in a particular way. It may be a
  physical adaptation, like the size or shape of
  the animal's body, or the way in which its body
  works. Or it may be the way the animal behaves.

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• As the environment changes, animals that cannot
  adapt die out.
• Adaptations make it possible for a great variety
  of creatures to live and thrive on earth.

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Iguanas

• Most iguanas live in the rainforests of Central
  and South America but some come from drier areas
  and along the coasts.
• Older iguanas live high up in the trees and are
  excellent climbers and swimmers.

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• Iguanas are herbivores, which means that in their
  natural habitat they
• dine exclusively on leaves and flowers.

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South America
Iguanas live mainly in the Rain Forest of South
America.
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Characteristics of Iguanas

• Young iguanas are a very light green and blend in
  well with their natural habitat. Their tail is
  striped and this also helps them blend in.
• They hold their legs close to their body and
  propel through the water using their tail, much
  the same way as crocodiles and alligators swim.

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Rabbits

• Rabbits can weigh up to two to ten pounds.
• It is 15 inches tall.
• When the babies are born, they look like black
  blobs.
• Rabbits have good hearing because of their big
  ears.

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Habitats

• Rabbits and hares will use burrows of woodchucks
  and skunks during periods of bad weather, never
  venturing far inside.
• Not only a defensive aid, the hollow white
  hairs, without the pigment melanin, have more air
  spaces within the hairs and thus has greater
  insulation.
• Snowshoe hares' white winter pelage has 27
  better insulative qualities than the summer brown
  coat.

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BEARS

• Medium-sized bears are usually black with a brown
  muzzle.
• Adult male black bears range from about 50 to 75
  inches in length and weigh 130 to 660 pounds.
• Females measure from 50 to 75 inches and weigh 90
  to 175 pounds.
• Black bears vary considerably in size, depending
  on the quality of the food available.
• Males may be from about 20 to 60 percent larger
  than females. At birth, cubs weigh 7 to 11
  ounces.

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HABITATS

• Black bears are normally found only in forested
  areas, but within such habitat they are highly
  adaptable. They live in both arid and moist
  forests, from sea level to over 6,560 feet.
• Brown bear habitat includes forested mountains,
  meadows, and river valleys

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DIETS

• Black bears are omnivorous and feed on a wide
  range of foods, depending on what is available.
  Insects (particularly ants), nuts, berries,
  acorns, grasses, roots, and other vegetation form
  the bulk of their diet in most areas.
• Black bears can also be efficient predators of
  deer fawns and moose calves. In some areas of
  coastal British Columbia and Alaska they also
  feed on spawning salmon.

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Resources

• Pictures and information was acquired with the
  help from the following website
  http//www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_fe
  ature/0010/brownbears2.html
• Additional information on fun facts on Iguanas
  can be found at the web address
  http//www.greenigsociety.org/kc3.htm