Animal Adaptations and Defenses

Hippos have skin that can change color to blend into their surroundings.

Zebras' stripes make them highly visible to predators.

Coral snakes are non-poisonous.

King snakes are poisonous.

Chameleons have skin that protects them from sunlight.

Hippos' sweat helps to heal wounds by killing bacteria.

Zebras' stripes are only useful for individual animals, not for groups.

All animals have skin that has changed over millions of years to help them survive in their environment.

Animal skin protects them from danger and allows them to survive in nature.
Hippo's skin produces red-colored sweat that protects it from strong sunlight, similar to sunscreen for humans.
This sweat also contains chemicals that protect the hippo from insects and prevent bacteria from infecting wounds in dirty water.

Zebra's stripes act as camouflage, helping the animal blend into its surroundings.
When a group of zebras gather together, their stripes blend, making it difficult for predators like lions to single out an individual zebra.

Coral snakes have a red, yellow, white, and black pattern on their skin, warning predators of their poison.
King snakes have a similar pattern, but are non-poisonous, and use this mimicry to fool predators into thinking they are poisonous.