How living things adapt to their environment

Examples of desert adaptations

(Animals) - short thin fur or no fur. large ears. scales to keep warter in its body. (plants) waxy stems with long roots or wide roots.

instinct

A behavior that an organism inherits. Animals know how to do it without having to learn it.

adaptation

A characteristic that helps a living thing survive.

physical adaptation

Adaptation to a body part. A change in an animal's physical makeup that makes an organism better able to survive in it's environment.

environment

All the living and non-living things in an area.

Forest adaptation

Claws for griping on to branches. Claws for climbing trees. Wings for flying from tree to tree. Vines can climb up to reach sunlight.

Stream Adaptations

Fish have smooth bodies and strong tails. Insects burrow into the soil at the bottom of the stream. Elodea are flexible plants so flowing water is less likely to break them. Webbed feet.

What all living things need

Food, Water, Air and Shelter

animals that live in the arctic need this

Fur or a thick layer of fat. May huddle together to keep warm. May have white fur that hides them from predators.

Grassland Adaptations

Long strong legs for running. Strong paws for digging. In open spaces grasses can bend in the wind.

Pond or lake adaptations

Tall plants with long stems. Water lilies float on water. Birds have thin legs that look like cattails. Catfish have whiskers that sense chemicals to help them find food in the dark. Turtles have dark colored to keep them hidden in the dark muddy water. Turtles can hold their breath for a long time.

Arctic hare

This animal grows white fur in the winter to blend in with the snow.

Arctic environment

Very cold and snowy

ocean environment

Very deep and wet

Desert environment

Very dry. Very little rainfall. Hot during the day and cool at night.

Tropical rainforest environment

Very hot and wet

elodea

flexible stem that bends in flowing water

saguaro

flowers open at night when it is cooler.

prairie dog

long claws for digging burrows.

sloth

long claws to hang from tree branches

behavioral adaptation

the process by which an organism or a species changes its pattern of action to better suit its environment