Prey Adaptations
Station 1 – Frog/ Lily Pad Camouflage
Station 2 – Horns and Antlers
Station 3 – Turtle Tag
Station 4 – Skunk Dance and Hyrax friend or foe
Station 5 – Fashion a Fish
Station 6 - Shelter Tag
Station 7 – Counter-Shading Penguins
Station 8 – Prairie Dog Burrow chase
Station 9 - Prairie Dog Red Light Green Light
Biofacts:
Frog skeleton (mounted)
Metamorphosis display
Prairie dog skull
Horns
Antlers
Turtle shell
Penguin feathers
Prairie Dog Puppet Show
Station Descriptions
Station 1: Frog/Lily Pad Camouflage
Ages: PreK-Grade 3 (with use of extension activity)
Standards:
Environmental Literacy:
SCI1(PK-2)A1; SCI1(P2)C1d; SCI1(PK-2)D3; SCI3(K)E1; SCI3(2)F1
Maryland State Curriculum:
1.1.a; 1.A.1.a; 3.A.1; 6.A.1
BACKGROUND
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Camouflage helps animals to blend into their habitat either to hide from predators or
hide from prey (giving them the element of surprise). Colors, patterns, body shape, and
movement are all factors which contribute to effective camouflage.
Many amphibians are prey to a long list of predators; reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, and
even other amphibians.
Some frog species’ survival (Poison dart frogs, Panamanian Golden Frogs) actually
depends on their ability to stand out in their habitat as opposed to using camouflage to
hide.
Bright colors act as a “warning” to potential predators, “Eat me and you will get sick or
DIE!” These brightly colored amphibians secrete a poison toxic their skin for their
protection and are even toxic to the touch and would not make a good meal.
These toxic amphibians are toxic as a result of their diet. For example, the toxins found
in the skin secretions of the Panamanian Golden Frog is found in high concentrations in
the prey they eat ( various insects and invertebrates) in fact it is said that the more
varied the diet the more toxic they become. Panamanian Golden Frogs and the like are
not toxic if in captivity due to the diet they are provided.
Frog life Cycle=METAMORPHASIS
EGG  TADPOLEFROGLETADULT FROG
True Frogs (Family Ranidae)
Skin
Teeth
Eyes
Moist and Smooth
Teeth in upper jaw
Eyes bulge out from body
Hind Legs
Long, powerful jumping
legs, most frogs have
webbed hind feet
Eggs laid in clusters
Eggs
True Toads (Family
Bufonidae)
Bumpy and Dry
No teeth
Eyes do not bulge; poison
gland located behind each
eye
Shorter legs (for walking)
Eggs laid in long chains (but
a few give birth to live
young)
Objective: Students will learn how camouflage and “warning colors” help different frogs
survive in their habitats.
Materials and biofacts (*):
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Laminated pictures showing frogs and toads using camouflage and warning colors
Laminated construction paper lily pads (variety of colors)
Plastic frog(variety of colors)
Metamorphosis display *
Frog (mounted)skeleton *
Procedure:
1. Display 6 different colored laminated lily pads.
2. Place one frog of each color on each lily pad.
3. Challenge students to “camouflage” the frogs and move them to the corresponding
color lily pad. Variations of the activity may include timing the students with a stop
watch to see how fast they can complete the game, and discussing animal warning
colors as another type of animal defense. Extension activity (for use with older (3rd
grade) students) - this involves some strategy which is why it is more appropriate for
older children; challenge students to camouflage all frogs on corresponding lily pads
as previously instructed however, instruct them that once they move a frog to a lily
pad they can only take a frog from the lily pad they added one to and continue that
system until all frogs are placed on matching color lily pads.
Station 2: Horns and Antlers
Background: Both horns and antlers are used for protection against predators, displays, fights,
and foraging. Horns are permanent structures that are unbranched and protrude from the
front of the skull of an animal. Except for the pronghorn antelope, horns are usually
unbranched and remain on the animal throughout its life. Pronghorn, as the name indicates,
are two pronged and they shed the outer sheath of keratin every year. True horns are found
among the ruminants in the families Antilocapridae (pronghorn) and Bovidae (cattle, goats,
antelope, etc.) Horns can occur in both males and females, but they tend to be more
predominate in males. Antlers are formed by living tissue supplied by blood through a net work
of vessels covered with a soft smooth skin called velvet. After the antlers have reached their
maximum size for the season, blood vessel sat the base close down causing the skin to dry up
and peel off and only the hard bony core remains until they get weak and break off. Antlers
shed annually during the late fall and winter months and grown back in the spring and summer
months. Antlers are only seen in males of species such as moose, elf, and deer.
Materials:
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Felt board
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Category headings
Pictures of horns and antlers
Written facts about horns and antlers
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that horns and antlers are two different things. Horns have
covering of keratin, which is the same material that our hair and fingers nails are made
form, and other materials surrounding a core of living bone called os cornu. While
antlers are temporary branched projections of bone grown and shed each year.
2. Have participants place the pictures and facts under the correct category headings
3. Make sure that there is an area between the tow categories where facts that are related
to both can be placed
Station 3: Turtle Tag
Materials:
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Energetic participants
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that one person is “it” and has to tag as many turtles as they can
2. Once a turtle has been tag they must lay on the ground or floor curled like a turtle in its
shell
3. Another way to play is have participants once they are tagged lay on their back with
their feet and arms in the air like a turtle stuck in its shell
4. It would be best to set a perimeter guide line so that turtles are not running to far away
Station 4: Hyrax Friend or Foe and Skunk Dance
Hyrax Friend or Foe
Materials:
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Predator pictures
Non- predator pictures
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that hyrax’s use several types of vocalizations, including twitters,
growls, whistles, and shrieks. They vocalize to contact groups in different locations. A
happy, friendly hyrax makes a squeaky whistle, a sharp bark is a warning call that danger
is near, while a low grunt means “Don’t mess with me!”
2. Show pictures of predators and non-predators one at a time
3. Make a barking noise when predator picture is held up
4. Make a whistle noise when the non-predator picture is held up
Skunk Dance
Materials:
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Predator animal pictures
Non-predator animal pictures
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that when a skunk is threatened it will raise its tail and stamp its
front feet. If the predator does not back away the skunk will quickly turn around and
spray its attacker.
2. Show pictures of predators and non-predators one at a time
3. Do skunk dance and stomp feet when predator picture is held up
4. Act normal when the non-predator picture is held up
Station 5: Fashion a Fish
Materials:
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Body shape and coloration cards
Reproduction and mouth cards are optional
Crayons
Paper
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that aquatic animals have many adaptations that help them to
survive in their different habitats. When habitats change, animals with adaptations are
the ones most likely to survive.
2. Have participants pick one of the fish coloration cards and one of the fish body shape
cards
3. Older participants may also pick a fish reproduction card and a fish mouth card
4. Have participants fashion a fish from the cards that they picked. They can create a
drawing, a name, and draw/ describe a habitat for their fish
Station 6: Shelter Tag
Materials:
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Hula hoops
Plastic food
Cones
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that every living thing needs food, water, space, and shelter.
Shelter allows animals a place to hide from predators and a place to get cool or warm
during the different seasons.
2. Explain to participants that one person is the predator (“it”) and has to tag as many prey
as they can from one side of the cones to the other
3. The prey must collect 3 food items as they try to run to the other side of the cones
4. Explain to participants that the two hula hoops are shelters that two animals can hide in
for 10 seconds before they must leave to collect more food or try to get to the other
side
Station 7: Counter Shading
Background – (From Sea World Website)” All adult penguins are counter-shaded; that is they
are dark on their dorsal (back) surfaces and white on their ventral (underside) surfaces. The
dark dorsal side blends in with the dark ocean depths when viewed from above. The light
ventral side blends in with the lighter surface of the sea when viewed from below. The result is
that predators or prey do not see a contrast between the counter-shaded animal and the
environment.”
Materials:
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2 felt boards
Felt pieces in blue, black, brown, and white (already cut out)
Penguin felt pieces
Laminated penguin cutouts
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that penguins have a special camouflage called counter shading.
Their black backs help them camouflage with the dark ocean water when swimming
above them. While their white bellies help them to camouflage with the sky when
swimming below them. Counter shading helps penguins hide from their prey (fish) as
well as their predators (sharks).
2. Start by making an island on the center of the felt board and place the felt penguins
around in it. Layer the black and blue felt pieces at the bottom of the island (represents
the ocean) and put the white pieces above the island (represents clouds).
3. Use the laminated penguin cut outs to show how the penguins would look when they
are swimming through the ocean and we are looking at them from above.
4. Flip the laminated penguin cut out over so that you are looking at its belly and show
what penguins would look like if we were looking at them from below.
Station 8: Prairie Dog Burrow Chase
Materials:
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Pop up tubes or tunnels
Box with picture of prairie dog on it
Pictures of prairie dogs, ferrets, and golden eagles
Cones
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that prairie dogs use their burrows or tunnels to hide for
predators such as ferrets and golden eagles.
2. Place the prairie dog chase box into the tunnel and have the participant stand on the
other side of the tunnel from you
3. Slowly pull the chase box through the tunnel, the participant must chase after and tag
the box as it is being pulled away from them. (Hint- this may work better for participants
who are smaller)
4. If participants does not want to go through the tunnel, they may follow the same steps
as above but without the tunnel included
Station 9: Prairie Dog Red Light Green Light
Materials:
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Prairie dog predator cards
non-predator pictures cards
Procedure:
1. Explain to participants that there are many predators and non predators that live in the
same habitat as the prairie dog. When a prairie dog sees a predator they will bark to let
other prairie dogs know that there is danger and then they will run for the cover of their
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burrows. When the danger has passed they will “jump yip” to let other prairie dogs
know that it is safe to come out again.
Have participants stand on one side of the room or area, they goal is to get to the other
side safely
Start out by holding up one of the predator or non-predator picture cards
When a non-predator card is held up participants must “jump yip” to signal that it is
safe and they may move forward toward then finish line
When a predator card is held up participants must bark and then freeze so that the
predator does not see them, if the predator sees them moving they must go back to the
start line and start over again