Animal Adaptation
Webbed Feet
In most aquatic animals, swimming is a must. To aid swimming,
many animals have adapted and evolved with webbed feet.
Platypus Ducks
Penguins
Sea Turtles
Sharp Claws
Many land and sea animals alike have developed sharp claws. Sharp claws can
be used for many different purposes by plant eating and meat eating animals
alike. They are used for food, increased traction and defensive purposes.
Kuala Bears _ have sharp
claws that help them climb
onto eucalyptus trees
Cheetahs – use their sharp claws for
Bears with sharp claws increased traction
used for defense
Whiskers
Although not usually thought of as an adaptation, whiskers serve an important
purpose for many animals – as feelers and to sense prey.
Whiskers have very long roots and they
serve as sense of smell among big cats to
Seals use whiskers to detect invisible identify their prey.
trails in water left behind by their prey
Cats use their whiskers to
feel through tight spaces
Sharp Teeth
One of the most visible adaptations on many animals, sharp teeth help an animal eat
meat and as a means of defense. E.g. are the snow leopard, cheetah and lowland gorilla.
Snow leopards with
sharp teeth
Lowland gorillas
Cheetah
Large Beaks
Just as in the case of sharp teeth, large beaks are often an adaptation used to
help an animal eat. E.g. macaw, rhinoceros hornbill.
Macaw
storks
Flamingo
Rhinoceros hornbill
Toucans
Wings/Flying
Wings are another highly visible adaptation on many animals. The primary function of
wings is flight in most animals with wings. The golden eagle and peregrine falcon can
reach speeds up to and above 60 miles per hour in flight. This flight is used to attack its
prey. Finally, the Humboldt penguin does not use its wings to fly at all. Instead, it uses its
wings as flippers to move through the water.
Golden eagle Peregrine falcon
Humboldt Penguins
Hooves
In most cases, animals with hooves use their specially adapted feet to maneuver in a rocky
environment. Hooves protect the feet of these animals and allow for greater mobility than
unprotected feet. E.g. include the greater kudu, zebras, and the Dall sheep.
Zebra Hooves
The
greater
Kudu
The Dall sheep
Body Coverings
• Mammals have hair, or fur, that helps insulate their bodies. It keeps them warm in winter and
can protect specific areas of the body, like eyelashes protecting the eyes. Some mammals
have different coverings: the armadillo has plates, the porcupine has quills, and naked skin
covers the dolphin. All of these help these mammals to survive in the different conditions in
which they live.
• Birds also have a very protective covering: feathers. The feathers keep the bird warm in
winter, help it fly or swim, and help fan the bird in hot weather.
• Amphibians and reptiles have body coverings that protect them as well. Amphibians have
moist, slick skin that is well suited for the water.
• Reptiles have tough, dry skin covered by scales. Insects, such as the cockroach, have
coverings that enable them to squeeze into very small places. This allows them to find food
and shelter.
• Many insects build nests (a behavioral adaptation) or cocoons (behavioral and structural
adaptation) for the winter because their body coverings alone do not permit them to adjust to
the cold. Many insects also have other adaptations included in their body coverings: cells that
sense light and pigments that allow some insects to change colors in order to hide themselves
from predators
Striped Fur
Striped fur, in most cases, helps animals blend into their environment. This helps the
animal in one of several ways, including hiding from predators and sneaking up on prey.
the skunk, the stripes serve
as a warning to predators.
In this way, the stripes
Tiger's vertical stripes, serves the animal by
serve as a defense
helping it match the surrounding vegetation,
mechanism
thus making it nearly invisible to other animals
Brightly Colored Feathers
Brightly colored feathers can serve several purposes, including camouflage, defense, and
mating. In some parts of the rain forest, the macaw and its brightly colored feathers can
hide amid similarly brightly colored plants and flowers. The male peacock uses its bright
feathers for another purpose: attracting a mate. In contrast to the male, the female
peafowl has very dull colored feathers. This feature, common among female birds of
most species, helps females hide while guarding their nest and protecting their young.
Male, peacock and female,
peafowl
A Macaw trying to
hide
Spotted Fur
Another adaptive type of body coloring is spotted fur. One example is the jaguar, which
lives in the rain forest. The jaguar's spotted fur helps it blend in with the small patches of
sun that reach the rain-forest floor. These patches, mixed in with the shade, produce an
effect that highly resembles a jaguar's coat.
Jaguar
Spotted salamander
Snow leopard
Spotted hyenas
Scales
One final type of body covering is scales. Scales serve a purpose. different than that
of fur and feathers. Scales are mainly a protective layer from the environment for
most animals.
Anaconda
Pangolins
Tiger fish