This document discusses physical and behavioral adaptations that help animals survive in the wild. It begins by asking the reader to think about how they dress for winter and describes these behaviors as adaptations. It then defines physical adaptations as body structures like camouflage, mimicry, body coverings, and chemical defenses that help animals find food, defend themselves, and survive. Behavioral adaptations are animals' actions that can be instinctive, like finding shelter or migrating, or learned through experience. Examples of physical and behavioral adaptations are given for different animals and the document concludes by reminding the reader to consider an animal's adaptations when learning about it.

1. © A. Weinberg
What do you see in this picture?
By Ms. Weinberger

2. How many
Cope’s Grey Tree
frogs can you
find in this
picture?

3. © A. Weinberg
Short-eared
Owl

4. Have you ever wondered how
animals are able to survive in the
wild?
Animals have certain adaptations that
help them survive.

5. Think about the way you dress in
the winter.
Would you wear your
shorts and bathing
suit in a blizzard?

6. And what if you are having a
snowball fight?
You probably run away from the person
throwing snowballs at you, and maybe
try to sneak up on that person and
throw some snowballs back!

7. The way you dress in the winter, as
well as the way that you run and hide
from someone throwing snow at you
are kinds of …

8. We can separate adaptations into
two categories:
Physical
Behavioral

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

10. Camouflage
(the use of color to blend into your surrounding)
Physical Adaptation
The chameleon can change its color to match its
surroundings. Can you do that?

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

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

14. Let’s
Revie
w
An Artic Fox’s thick white fur
helps him blend into his
environment and stay warm.

15. What physical
adaptations
does this
animal use?
Bald Eagles have feathers to
help them fly and sharp talons
to catch fish.

16. What physical
adaptations
does this
animal use?
Musk Ox have long thick fur to
help them stay warm in the
artic.

17. What physical
adaptations
does this
animal use?
Jack Rabbits have large ears
which helps them stay cool in
the desert.

18. Now let’slearn about
Behavioral Adaptations…
…allowanimalsto respondto life needs.

19. Each organism
has unique
methods of
adapting to its
environment by
means of different
actions.
Behavioral
Adaptations
…an animals’
actions.

20. We can divide Behavioral
Adaptations into two groups:
Instinctive Learned
These behaviors
happen naturally &
don’t have to be
learned.
These behaviors
must be taught.

21. Instinctive
behaviors
happen naturally &
don’t need
to be learned
=
Finding shelter
Methods of
gathering &
storing food Defending
oneself
Raising young
Hibernating
Migrating

22. Obtained by
interacting with
the environment
and cannot be
passed on to
the next generation
except by teaching.
Learned
Behaviors
=

23. Let’s
Revie
w
Flock of birds flying in a
“V” formation.

24. What
behavioral
adaptations
does this
animal use?
Bats are nocturnal, only
seeking food at night.

25. What
behavioral
adaptations
does this
animal use?
Black bear hibernating
during winter months.

26. What
behavioral
adaptation
s does this
animal
use?
Lion pride resting in the
heat of the day.

27. In this lesson, we have learned about
animal adaptations.
There are 2 ways to describe adaptations:
Physical and Behavioral

28. Physical adaptations are
body structures like...
Camouflage
Mimicry Body coverings & parts
Chemicaldefenses

29. Behavioral Adaptations
are animals’ actions.
Behavioral Adaptations can be Instinctive or
Learned.

30. The next time you read about an
animal in the wild, or when you
see one on television, think
about its adaptations….