Animal Adaptations
(31.1 & 31.2)
State Standard
4F. Relate animal adaptations, including
behaviors, to the ability to survive stressful
environmental conditions.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
BEHAVIOR
 Behavior is anything an animal does in
response to a stimulus.
 A stimulus can be external or internal.
 Behavior results from the interaction of
genetically based behaviors and behaviors
based on experience.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR
 AKA Inherited Behavior
 Genetically Based
 Behavior commonly observed among a
large number of individuals within a
population, even if the environments are
different.
 Includes automatic responses as well as
instinctive behaviors
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Automatic
 A reflex is a simple, automatic response
that requires no thinking.
A human baby demonstrating the Moro Reflex
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Instinctive
 More complex than reflex but still does not
have to be learned.
A peacock fanning his feathers to attract a mate
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Territorial
 Attempt to adopt & control a physical area
against others of the same species.
 Territories are usually defended by males in
order to increase their chance of obtaining
adequate food, mates, & places to rear their
offspring.
 Reduces conflict, controls population, &
decreases competition.
 Animals sometimes use aggression,
verbal, & chemical signals to defend
territory.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Migratory
 Seasonal
movement of a
species.
 Animals that
engage in migratory
behaviors increase
their chances of
survival by
searching out new
food sources.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Foraging
 Foraging successfully means obtaining
needed nutrients, while avoiding predators
and poisonous foods.
 Natural selection favors individuals whose
foraging behaviors use the least amount of
energy to obtain the maximum amount of
energy possible.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Hibernation
 Physiological
changes during
winter to reduce
the need for energy.
 Body temp. drops.
 Oxygen
consumption
decreases.
 Breathing rate
decreases.
A hibernating dormouse
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Estivation
 Reduced
metabolism rate
due to extreme
heat, long periods
of drought, or lack
of food.
During estivation, an
earthworm rolls itself into
a ball.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
INNATE BEHAVIOR - Nurturing
 When parents provide care to their offspring
in the early stages of development, they are
engaging in nurturing behaviors.
 This includes providing food, protection, and
skills needed for survival.
 Animal species that spend time
nurturing young often produce fewer
offspring than animals that do not
nurture.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
LEARNED BEHAVIOR
 Learned behaviors
result from an
interaction between
innate behaviors and
past experiences
within a particular
environment.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
LEARNED BEHAVIOR - Habituation
 Sometimes, animals learn
over time that a potentially
important stimulus deserves
little or no attention.
 Habituation is the
decrease in an animal’s
response after repeatedly
being exposed to a
stimulus that has no
positive or negative
effects.
Chapter 31
Animal Behavior
LEARNED BEHAVIOR - Imprinting
 Can only occur w/in a specific time period in the
animal’s life & is permanent.
 Some animals form a social attachment to the
first object they see after birth.
 Other animals imprint on the chemical composition
of the water in which they are hatched.
Chapter 31
ADAPTATIONS FOR DEFENSE - Mechanical
 incorporated into the physical structure of the
organism.
 Ex: claws, sharp teeth, stingers, protective or
warning coloring
A poisonous frog
Chapter 31
ADAPTATIONS FOR DEFENSE - Chemical
 Mainly for avoiding predators.
 Neurotoxins, venoms, & poisons
The Indian Red Scorpion is rated the most lethal in the world.