Learned vs Inherited
The Cougar
Why are inherited traits and learned behaviors important to
a cougar’s survival in their environment?
Learned Behavior
Inherited Traits
1. The mom teaches the cubs to hunt.
2. Cougars like to eat deer and elk but will
adapt and eat something small like a
porcupine if it has too.
3. They have learned to climb trees to get
away from hunting dogs(ranchers use dogs
to hunt the cougars so they won’t kill the
livestock)
1. Back legs are longer, that allows them to
jump up and sideways a long ways.
2. Eyes are set close together to see far to
catch prey.
3. Cougars are born with spots for better
camouflage,later their fur changes to a
solid color.
Question and answer with evidence
Hook/Question: Do you think we need to be born a certain way to
live in an environment AND learn certain things to survive?
Answer the hook question:I think we need both, and I also believe
with the cougar’s changing environment, they also need both for
their survival.
Explain what readers will learn in the text: Cougars have back legs
that are longer that help them jump high and far, and have really
good eyesight. They learn from their mom’s how to hunt for food,
and have also learned that if they don’t have the food they like
nearby, they choose other animals to hunt.
Put all three together: Opening Paragraph
Do you think we need to be born a certain way to live in our
environment AND learn certain things to survive? I think we need
both. I also believe that cougars need both to survive in their
changing environment. Cougars have for the most part, been
successful in this. First of all, cougars have back legs that are longer
that help them jump high and far, and have really good eyesight.
They also have learned that if they don’t have the food they like
nearby, they choose other animals to hunt. Finally they learn from
their mom’s how to hunt for food.
1st example with evidence
Cougars have many inherited traits they have
adapted in order to survive in their
environment. One trait they have is longer
back legs. This helps them to climb and have
been known to jump as much as 30 feet! This
helps them to more easily get their prey and
also to escape animals hunting them.
2nd example with evidence
Cougars also have learned behaviors that have helped
them survive. It is also important that cougars learn to
eat food, other than their usual diet of deer and elk.
When humans start moving into the cougars feeding
area, there is less food to eat. Cougars adapted to this
by eating smaller food, like porcupines.Adapting to eat
other food is an important learned behavior for survival.
3rd example with evidence
Now you help me with the next one.A learned
behavior is cougar moms teach their young to
hunt.
All animals need food and the mom only stays
with a pup for 16 months. If they don’t learn
how to hunt, they won’t eat, and they will die.
Learning to hunt is an important part of a
cougar’s life.
Conclusion
Thesis: Both learned behavior and inherited traits are needed for the
cougar’s survival.
Evidence: They have a body that is efficient in their habitat. In order
for cougars to live they need to be able to eat, even when their food
is scarce, and their mom teaches them to hunt.
Strong Ending:Animals need both their inherited traits and their
learned behaviors, especially when the habitat changes around
them.
Now help me write this into a conclusion.
Cougars: Ecology and Conservation,
www.cougar fund,
arizona.sierraclub.org
http://www.cougarfund.org/naturalhisto
ry/characteristics/