Adaptations for Movement
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What is Adaptation?
“...the way in which a species becomes
better suited to living in its environment.”
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Movement
• There are many different methods of movement
• Different habitats present different problems to
movement that need to be overcome
• Specialists vs. Generalists
Leopard seal – aquatic specialist
Good in water...
...cumbersome on land
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Why move?
American pika collecting food
Common warthog fleeing from cheetah
Grass snake hatchlings dispersing
Radiated tortoises mating
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Bornean
orangutan
Snow leopard
Rainforest
River
Polar
Desert
Which habitat?
Ocean
Woodland
Mountains
Open grassland
Red squirrel
Nile crocodile
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Bornean
orangutan
Snow leopard
How are they adapted to move in their habitat?
Red squirrel
Nile crocodile
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Movement on Land
Adaptations to moving on land
• Things to think about:
• Speed vs. agility
– Move to catch prey or to escape predators
– Land may be open or have obstacles such as trees
• Moving over different substrates e.g. sand, snow, mud
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Cheetah
• Open plains specialist
• Adapted for speed
Spanish ibex
• Rocky habitat specialist
• Adapted for agility
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Polar bear
• Habitat generalist – can move over land and in water
• Adapted to polar habitat
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Legless movement
• Movement without limbs
• Adapted to overcome friction
Sidewinder
Leopard slug
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Arboreal Movement
Adaptations to arboreal movement
Things to think about:
• Forested areas may not be continuous
• Moving from one tree to another
• Balance and grip
• Fossa
• Habitat generalist – can move quickly through trees as well as
on the ground
• Adapted to jump between branches
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White-handed gibbon
• Master of agility
• Adapted to swing between branches14
Sugar glider
• Arboreal specialist
• Adapted to glide between trees
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Aquatic Movement
Adaptations to aquatic movement
• Things to think about:
• Friction – causing drag
• Buoyancy – saline vs. freshwater
• Currents and tides
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Great white shark
• Aquatic specialist
• Adapted for speed
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Spotted handfish
• Aquatic specialist
• Two different methods of moving through water
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Aerial Movement
Adaptations to aerial movement
• Things to think about:
• Overcoming friction
• Use of air currents
• Hot air vs. cold air
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• Common swift
Peregrine falcon
• Aerodynamic body shape
• Adapted for speed
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California condor
• Aerial movement using thermals
• Adapted for gliding
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Wild Journey
- You will be given an ‘Adaptations for Movement’ worksheet.
- Write in the adaptations that each species has for moving through its natural
habitat.
Once you have finished the worksheet, you can begin your ‘Wild Journey’
• Get into groups of 5 or less
• Each group will need:
• 1x Wild Journey board game
• 5x Species characters - use as your playing pieces on the board
• 5x Species fact files - explains how your particular species is
adapted to moving through its natural habitat
• 1x Rules sheet - read before beginning the game
• If you land on your natural habitat square: roll the dice again.
• If you land on your least suitable habitat square: miss a go!
Habitat
Species
Natural
Least suitable
African savannah
Polar
Rainforest
African savannah
Polar bear
Polar
Rainforest
Sidewinder
Desert
Rocky cliffs
Rocky cliffs
Desert
Cheetah
White-handed gibbon
Spanish ibex