ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
Md nazim uddin
Lecturer zoology
Survival of the fittest!
Animals are structurally and functionally designed for
meeting the needs of life in the habitats in which
they live.
Why you are here?!
WHY ANIMALS ADAPT?
They adapt to live in their habitat.
They adapt to survive and
thrive in their habitat.
They adapt to protect their babies.
WHERE ADAPTATIONS OCCUR?
It could be found in
animals including
mammals, birds,
reptiles, and
amphibians.
In broader sense, adaptations are
found in all living things, including
plants.
HABITAT IS HOME!
Habitat is very simply
where an animal or
plant lives — its
home.
We generally
think of habitat as being
made up of four main
things: food, water,
shelter, and space.
WHAT IS ADAPTATION?
Animals have special
behaviors and body
parts that help them
get food, keep safe,
and live in their
habitat.
These special
behaviors and body parts
are called adaptations.
Physical adaptation
A physical adaptation is some type of
structural modification made to a part of
the body.
Feet, beak, wing,
claws, body covering,
etc. are the major
body parts to be
adapted.
Arboreal adaptations
Flying, Volant and brachiation are
the sub-types of arboreal Adaptations
Birds, bats and
gibbon belong to
above categories
respectively.
Bird as a flying machine!
Birds possess — Hollow bones
Light feathers
Weight-reducing
air sacs
No urinary bladder
Large & strong Heart.
Volant adaptation: wing
Wings are another highly
visible adaptation on many animals
like birds and mammals.
Forelimbs are modified into
wings. In bats, forelimbs are
modified to support leathery wings
which is called patagium.
Cursorial adaptation
Adaptations for running.
Found in flightless birds such as
ostrich, kiwi and carnivores, herbivores
including many other animals.
Digitigrade – a sub type of cursorial adaptation
Only the toes touch
ground during
running.
The joint surfaces of
feet become tongueand-groove
types.
Most of the carnivores
belongs to this
category.
Unguligrade – a sub type of cursorial adaptation
Only the tips of the toes touch the
ground during running.
Examples include deers, zebra, etc.
Fossorial adaptation
Animals which dig into burrows for
shelter and food.
Examples include Hog badger and
monitor lizards.
Their fingers modified
into claw-like
structures.
Arboreal adaptation
Adaptations help the animals in
climbing.
Found in various animals like
squirrels, lemurs,
sloths and rodents.
Brachiation– a special arboreal adaptation
It means swinging from branch to
branch by using the forelimbs
only.
Forelimbs become greatly
lengthened.
Gibbon can make a 12-metre jump.
Aquatic adaptation
Aquatic animals have developed
certain morphological structures to
live in water.
Amphibious (Otter)
Aquatic (fishes, whales, etc.)
Amphibious adaptation
Tails become dorsoventrally
flattened helping swimming.
Surface area of the feet
increases by webbing.
Examples include
otters, musk rat, etc.
Aquatic adaptation in fish, whales..
Body is ovoid with short and
rigid neck.
Hairless skin.
Tails become modified into
horizontal fluke as propeller.
Gills for gaseous
exchange.
Aquatic adaptations in birds
Webbed feet to swim.
Water and mud probing
beak.
Water proof feathers.
Aquatic adaptations in reptiles
Sea snakes and crocodiles have
laterally flattened tails.
Limbs modified into paddles.
Examples include sea snakes, turtles,
monitors, crocodiles, etc.
Beak Adaptations in birds
Birds possess following major types of beak for
feeding adaptations–
Seed eating (1. Sparrow)
Cutting (2. Crow)
Fruit eating (3. Hornbill)
Insectivorous (4. Robin)
Wood-chiseling (14. Woodpecker)
Tearing and perching (8. Eagle)
Mud-probing (7. Snipe)
Water & mud straining (5.
Flamingo, 6. duck, 10. Pelican & 12.
Spoonbill sandpiper)
Fish catching (9. Kingfisher)
Flower probing types of beaks
(13. Humming bird)
Feet adaptations in birds
Birds possess
following types of feet
to adapt with
habitats—
1. Running (Ostrich)
2. Perching or
Scratching (Starling)
3. Raptorial (Kite)
4. Wading (Jacana)
5. Swimming (Teal)
6. Climbing
(Woodpecker)
7. Clinging (Parrot)
Feet adaptations in birds
Fishing Tools!
The feet of an eagle are
adapted to catch the fishes.
The bald eagle's feet
have razor sharp claws called
talons.
Talons can be up to an
inch long and are curved almost
like a fishhook.
Herbivores Vs Carnivores
Behavioral adaptations
A behavioral
adaptation is
something an animal
does –
how it acts - usually in
response to some type
of external stimulus.
Camouflage
Some animals have the capacity to
blend with surroundings, which is
known as camouflage.
Some insects and
reptiles have
markings, which look
like shadows and
branches.
Mimicry
Organisms mimic in form
and colour, which protect
them form their enemies.
It is of 2 types - concealing
or warning type.
In concealing type, the
mimic makes itself hidden
or camouflaged by
changing the colouration so
as to fit the background.
Protective mimicry
The dead leaf butterfly resembles a dry leaf.
Common stick caterpillars of geometric
moths resemble small twigs in
colour and shape.
The leaf insect has green and
expanded body with irregular small
yellowish spots, which simulate the
fungus grown upon a leaf.
The preying mantis mimic the green
foliage to conceal themselves
from predators and preys.
Warning Mimicry
The organisms, which are harmless, palatable and
nonpoisonous resemble with the forms which are
distasteful or poisonous.
Color Adaptations
An example of a physical adaptation
is when an animal changes colour to blend
in with its habitat or when a leaf changes
colour.
Arctic fox are
blue/grey in the summer
and turn white in the
winter!
Behavioral Adaptations
Some animals hibernate to
survive the winter. They slow their
heart rate and breathing so much it’s
hard to tell that they are still alive!
Groundhogs and bats are the only true
hibernators.
Bears aestivate, which is not as
deep a ‘sleep’ as hibernation. Snakes,
lizards, frogs, toads and newts slow
down all their body processes almost
to a stop in very cold weather. This is
known as diapause.
Physical adaptations in Arctic bear
The Arctic is the coldest place
inhabited by land mammals and these
have very thick fur, which insulates the
body by trapping air.
They also have a layer of stored
fat under the skin which gives additional
insulation.
Behavioral adaptations in reptiles
In the fall, when the weather
begins to cool, reptiles lose their body
heat.
During the day, they will climb
up on rocks that have been heated by
the sun in order to raise their body
temperature.
Are these physical or behavioral adaptations?
An otter is home in the water. Their
eyes are high on their head to see while
swimming just under the water.
They have fur
that is insulated and
waterproof.
They have rough
patches on their feet to get a
better grip on slippery
surfaces.
Adapt to the Habitat!
Some wildlife adapt to their
habitat by moving!
This change of habitat is called
migration.
Many birds
migrate
south for the
winter.
Protecting young in a habitat!
Penguins have adapted to
protect their young in very cold
weather.
They can cover the egg with
their bodies and move it with their
beak and feet!
Protecting kids within wings!
Jalpipi– an open nester in
vegetation abundant wetland
habitats– protect their kids within
father’s wings when senses danger.
Rules in adaptations!
The body shapes of high-arctic mammals such
as Arctic hares and Arctic foxes are rounder and
their extremities shorter than their temperate
counterparts (Allen's rule).
Asian Hare
Body size within some
vertebrate taxa
increases toward the
north (Bergman's rule).
Arctic Hare
How do you Adapt to your Habitat?
Do you dress differently from season
to season? How do you get ready for
winter?
How do you get around? Do you
take a bus? Walk?
Have your legs become stronger
from walking?
Thanks
Hope see you soon again