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Lesson How do different types of animals and plants 1.1 Learn adapt to survive extreme climates? 2 Activity 4 Analyze Like a Scientist Types of Adaptations Animals can be found from t...

Lesson How do different types of animals and plants 1.1 Learn adapt to survive extreme climates? 2 Activity 4 Analyze Like a Scientist Types of Adaptations Animals can be found from the coldest polar regions to the hottest deserts and the deepest oceans on our planet. An adaptation is a characteristic of an animal that helps the animal survive. An adaptation can be structural, a change to the animal’s body, or behavioral, a change to the way a group of animals behaves or acts. Read the text that follows, think about both the structural and behavioral adaptations Photo Credit: (a) Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com, (b) JoannaPerchaluk / Shutterstock.com described. Circle behavioral adaptations and underline the structural adaptations you find in the passages. Photo Credit: Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com Fennec foxes and Arctic foxes both live in extreme climates. Fennec foxes have a tan-colored coat that provides camouflage in a sandy, rocky environment and protects them from the scorching hot sun. Fennec foxes, like dogs, also cool themselves by panting, taking up to 700 breaths per minute. Arctic foxes live in a different type of desert, a tundra. With temperatures as cold as 50 degree below zero (50º).C in the winter months, a thick fur coat helps them hunt even in deep snow. This coat is white during the winter but turns brown in summer when the snow melts, so they can sneak up on prey in any season. Extra-large ears allow heat to escape to cool fennec foxes, while short ears and legs help the Arctic fox stay warm. Both types of foxes also live in burrows. A burrow is an excellent place for the Arctic fox to stay warm at night and the fennec fox to stay cool during the day. Food can be hard to find at times in both the hot, dry desert and the cold tundra. Both foxes have learned to eat all kinds of food, including insects, fruit, plant roots, and even leftovers from another animal’s prey. Animals that are flexible about what they eat and where they hunt are well- adapted for survival. Bull sharks are special because they can survive in both salt water and fresh water, unlike other sharks. Since there are no other sharks in fresh water, bull sharks 8  Lesson 2 have less competition for finding food. They can also sneak up on prey using a camouflage strategy called countershading. Bull sharks have a dark back and white belly. An animal swimming above in the ocean may not see the shark in the shadows. To an animal swimming underneath the shark and looking up, the bull shark may blend in with the bright light of the sun. These sharks sometimes hunt in the day as well as the night, allowing them to surprise their prey. Photo Credit: Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com, (b) FOODIES ACADEMY / Shutterstock.com You have learned about unique survival strategies in some amazing animals. Scientists often classify information as they learn to understand similarities, differences, and patterns. Use the table to classify the structural and behavioral adaptations of these three animals. Photo Credit: Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com Animal Structural Adaptations Behavioral Adaptations Fennec Fox Arctic Fox Bull Shark Concept 1.1: Adaptation and Survival 9  Lesson How do different types of animals and plants 1.1 Learn adapt to survive extreme climates? 2 What Are Some Examples of Adaptations in Animals and Plants? Activity 5 Observe Like a Scientist The Panther Chameleon Photo Credit: (a) Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com, (b) Jan Bures / Shutterstock.com The starred agama lizard you met earlier has adapted to survive in the very hot, dry desert. The panther chameleon is a lizard that lives in a very different environment: a tropical rainforest. Both lizards are reptiles. This means that their bodies are covered Photo Credit: Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com with scales. Reptiles are an ancient type of animal found around the world. Lizards in different environments have developed distinct adaptations. Read the text that follows to learn more about the special adaptations of the panther chameleon. The first thing you might notice about a panther chameleon is its brightly colored scales. Unlike the brown and yellow colors of the desert, the rainforest is filled with green leaves and colorful flowers in bloom. Multiple bright colors provide camouflage for the panther chameleon. All day long, the chameleon is on the hunt. It holds tightly to branches and vines using V-shaped feet and a tail that can be used like a hand. The chameleon’s eyes are especially helpful as it searches for insects. Can you look two different directions at the same time? Unlike human eyes, chameleon eyes face opposite directions and can move independently of each other. One eye can be searching for something to eat, while the other is on the lookout for danger in a totally different direction. Life Skills I can respect others’ ideas. 10  Lesson 2 This adaptation This adaptation allows the panther chameleon to both find a meal and avoid becoming prey at the same time. If the chameleon does find itself in danger, however, it has one last trick. Since this lizard does not have teeth or claws for defense, it tries to make itself look fierce. First, it puffs up its body with air. Then, it opens its mouth wide. It can also change the colors of its scales. This display will probably scare the attacker. How is the panther chameleon well-adapted for survival in the rainforest? In the table, record the adaptations described in the passage. Then, classify each as structural or behavioral. Describe how each adaptation helps the chameleon survive. Data Table: Evidence of Adaptations in Living organisms Structural (S) or How does the adaptation Photo Credit: Miriam82 / Shutterstock.com Adaptation Behavioral (B) help the animal? Concept 1.1: Adaptation and Survival 11