• The study of the interactions that take place among organisms and their environment

• An adaptation is a body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
• Adaptation can help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
• All animals are adapted to live in certain habitats.
• Animals that cannot adapt will die out.

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.

We can separate adaptations categories: into two
AND
Physical
Behavioral

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical
Behavioral

© A. Weinberg
•Physical adaptations are body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
• Physical adaptations help an animal survive in its environment.

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Behavioral

Physical adaptation
Camouflage (use of color in a surrounding)
The chameleon can change its c o l o r to match its surroundings. Can you do that?

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Camouflage use of color in a surrounding
Behavioral

Physical adaptation
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
The Viceroy butterfly uses mimicry to look like the
Monarch butterfly. Can you tell them apart?
I’m the
Viceroy!
Not poisonous
Poisonous
I’m the
Monarch!

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Camouflage use of color in a surrounding
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Behavioral

Physical adaptation
(like venom, ink, sprays)

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Camouflage use of color in a surrounding
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Chemical defenses
(like venom, ink, sprays)
Behavioral

Physical adaptations
Body coverings & parts (claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
The elephant’s trunk is a physical adaptation that helps it to clean itself, eat, drink, and to pick things up.

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Camouflage use of color in a surrounding
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Chemical defenses
(like venom, ink, sprays)
Body coverings
& parts
(claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
Behavioral

Behavioral Adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs.

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Camouflage use of color in a surrounding
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Chemical defenses
(like venom, ink, sprays)
Body coverings
& parts
(claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
Behavioral allow animals to respond to life needs.

Behavioral Adaptations are animals’ actions.
Remember that Physical
Adaptations are body structures .
Each organism has unique methods of adapting to its environment by means of different actions.

body part or behavior that helps an animal survive in a particular environment.
help an animal breathe, catch food, or hide.
adapted to live in certain habitats.
Physical body structures that allow an animal to find and consume food, defend itself, and to reproduce its species.
help an animal survive in its environment
Camouflage use of color in a surrounding
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)
Chemical defenses
(like venom, ink, sprays)
Body coverings
& parts
(claws, beaks, feet, armor plates, skulls, teeth)
Behavioral allow animals to respond to life needs.
animals’ actions

• Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment.
• Examples:
– The thickening of fur in winter.
– The seeking of shade in heat.
– The production of more red blood cells at high altitude.

Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment

Endotherms
Ectotherms
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment

• Endotherms are animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism.
– We call these animals warm-blooded.
– Maintain a constant body temperature regardless of changes in the surrounding temperature

Endotherms animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
Warmblooded
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Ectotherms
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment

• Fat layers, fur, and feathers insulate the body and retain heat.
• Shivering muscles contract to increase body heat.
• Some animals hibernate.
Hibernation enables animals to survive long periods of cold and lack of food.
• Canines, like this Brittany, use panting as a means of temperature regulation.

Endotherms animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
How do endothems adapt?
Warmblooded
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Fat layers, fur, and feathers
Shivering
Muscles
Hibernation
Ectotherms
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment

• Ectotherms are animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings.
– We call these animals cold-blooded
– Body temperature fluctuates with changes in the surrounding temperature.

Ectotherms
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Endotherms animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
How do endothems adapt?
Warmblooded
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Fat layers, fur, and feathers
Shivering
Muscles animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings
Coldblooded
Body Temp changes with weather
Hibernation

• Most marine fish and
invertebrates, however, live in water that stays the same temperature.
• When the weather is warm, they become active. They slow down when the temperature drops.
– To warm up, reptiles find sunny places, and stretch out for maximum exposure. If it gets too warm, lizards alternate between sun and shade.
– Amphibians warm up by moving into the sun or diving into warm water. They cool off by entering the shade.

Ectotherms
Maintenance of constant internal conditions in the face of a varying external environment
Endotherms animals that warm their bodies mainly from their own metabolism
How do endothems adapt?
Warmblooded
Body temp the same regardless of weather
Fat layers, fur, and feathers
Shivering
Muscles animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings
Coldblooded
Body Temp changes with weather
Hibernation
How do ectotherms adapt?
warm up by moving into the sun or diving into warm water weather is warm, they become active.
They slow down when the temperature drops.
cool off by entering the shade

• The shape of an animal’s teeth is related to its diet.
– Herbivores, such as deer, have many molars for chewing tough grass and plants.
– Carnivores, such as lions, have sharp canines to kill and tear meat.

• All species have experienced adaptation and will continue to slowly adapt as the next generations are born.
• We will identify certain species from each of these groups and the reasons for their success:
– Mammals
– Birds
– Reptiles
– Amphibians

• Endothermic or warm-blooded
• All have some type of
“hair”
– Some are very specialized, such as white polar bear fur
• Method of locomotion
• Care for young

• Leg Length
– Roseate Spoonbill
(top right)
• Foot Webbing
– Laughing Gull (top left)
• Beak Shape
– Long Billed Curlew
(bottom)

• Ectothermic or cold- blooded
• Scales
• Some undergo hibernation and estivation
• Lay eggs on land
• Leg structure and position

• Ectothermic
• Lay eggs in water
• Partially of fully webbed feet
• Have lungs or can absorb oxygen through their skin

• Some animals use these methods of defense to protect themselves:
– Camouflage
• Snake
– Mimicry
• Mexican Milk Snake
– Bright colors
• Skunk and Poison Arrow
Frog
– “Hair” projections
• Hedgehog quills
• Deer Antlers

• Why are the eyes of a lion set in front of the head rather than on the sides?
• Answer: Eyes in front of the head allow for depth perception and ability to judge distances when hunting.

• What is the purpose of the mane on a male lion? What is the reason for the lion’s color?
• A thick mane helps the male to appear larger and serves as protection for the throat. The tawny brown coat color camouflages the animal and young among vegetation.

• Why are giraffes able to go for long periods of time without water?
• Answer: Giraffes drink water when available, but can go weeks without it. They rely on morning dew and the water content of their food.

• How are their long necks adapted to their lifestyle?
• Answer: This extra length is thought to have evolved to help the giraffe spot predators and other giraffes in the distance.
Interestingly, giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrate in their necks.

• How do zebras defend themselves?
• Capable of running up to
40 mph. Zebras defend themselves by kicking and biting. Coloration also plays a role in evading predators, although theories have not reached an agreement.

• This PowerPoint is partially adapted from Ms.
Weinberg. The original PowerPoint can be viewed at
– http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/amiew/
Animal-Adaptations-PPT
• It is also partially adapted from an animal adaptation powerpoint created by City of Corpus
Christi Museum of Science and History the original can be viewed at
– http:// www.ccmuseumedres.com/Animal%20Ad aptations.ppt
• http://science.jrank.org/pages/6750/Temperature
-Regulation-Internally-heated-animals.html
• http://science.jrank.org/pages/6749/Temperature
-Regulation-Externally-heated-animals.html