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AnimalAdaptationsMatching GameAll living things need four things to survive: food, water, shelter, and space. Not all of these are readilyavailable in an animal’s habitat, so in order to survive the animal has to adapt. An adaptation is acharacteristic that allows an animal to survive in its environment.Adaptations can be something physical like a structural part of its body or a physical characteristic,like a color or shape (for example, we use our hands to pick up our food). Adaptations can also bebehavioral so that the way it acts helps the animal survive (frogs jump to catch their food).Physical adaptationsEye position: an animal that hunts other animals has eyes on the front of its head while ananimal that is hunted has eyes on the side of its head or on top.Ears: an animal can have big ears to help it hear preyColor: animals can have coloring to help it camouflage so it can hide easier from predatorsTeeth: Carnivores have sharp pointed teeth to help tear meat and catch prey while herbivoreshave flat teeth with ridges to help grind up plantsSpines: Plants like the cactus have adapted their leaves into spines to stop animals from eatingit and to limit water lossBehavioral adaptationsNocturnal vs. diurnal: Owls hunt at night to catch small animals that are active at nightStealth: Bobcats sneak up and pounce on their preyMigration: Some animals migrate to find food or water or a more suitable shelter.Shelter: Some animals build burrows or nests to stay warm and/or raise youngDiet change: Some animals eat different things during different seasons.Crystal Cove State Park provides habitat for the following animals:Owls have many structural and behavioral adaptations. The feathers along the bottom of their wingsare serrated, allowing them to be virtually silent as they fly though the air. They have large eyes thathelp them locate prey and have a hooked, pointed beak and sharp talons to help it catch and eat itsprey. They hunt at night to catch other nocturnal animals and use their hooting to locate other owls.Skunks have a striped pattern which helps them camouflage in the shrubs and brush and serves asa warning to potential predators to keep clear. Their eyes are on the sides of their head so they aremore aware of approaching predators. Their most famous adaptation of spraying serves them quitewell; after warning predators by lifting their tail, skunks will then let loose a stream of sulfur-containingchemicals, which are strong enough to scare off a bear! They dig around using their large claws,hunting for insects and grubs.Bobcats are one of the most adapted predators at Crystal Cove. Their spotted coloring allows them toeasily camouflage in the surrounding bushes and shrubs. They have eyes located on the front of theirhead so they can focus on prey and sharp teeth to help them catch and eat their prey. They can silentlysneak up and then pounce quickly on prey. They also need territories of about 15 square miles to makesure that they get enough food.

Animal Adaptations Matching GameCan you match the physical adaptation on the left with the animals that best represents thatcharacteristic on the right? Some animals might have more than one of these adaptations.Draw an arrow to your best match for each animal!CamouflageCottontail RabbitEyes on the Side of the HeadGray WhaleBlubberBobcatHeat Sensing PitsOpossumSharp, Pointed Canine TeethMule DeerRotating Head (270 Degrees)SkunkSpraying Stinky StuffGreat Horned OwlDropping a TailCoyoteRetractable ClawsFence LizardPrehensile TailRattlesnakeSquirting Blood From the EyesHorned LizardBig EarsMountain Lion2

Animal Adaptations Matching GameCamouflageBlubberIn the animal worldbright colors oftenmean danger orpoison so manyanimals haveevolved withcoloring to helpthem camouflageor blend into theirsurroundings,allowing themto either hide from their predators, or to gounnoticed as they search for food themselves.Sometimes it’s in the color like the “white assnow” of a Polar Bear whereas other times itmight be in patterns like the stripes of a tiger.Camouflage can take the form of mimicry likewith Monarch vs Viceroy Butterflies (one which isunpleasant to eat so the other gets left alone,) orthrough the strategy of countershading, in whichanimals are dark on top and light underneathlike frogs on land or squid in the ocean. Manyanimals that live on rocks like lizards blend rightin, whereas animals that live in deserts like theFennec Fox or Coyote are sand-colored.In order to survive incold waters, marinemammals have a thicklayer of fat under theirskin for insulation. Theblood vessels in blubberconstrict, or get smaller,in cold water whichreduces the energy required for whales, dolphins,seals, and sea lions to heat their big bodiesand surrounds their vital organs and keepsthem protected and warm. Blubber also storesenergy (nutrients in the form of protein and fats)minimizing the time spent searching for food andalso helps marine mammals stay buoyant so theydon’t sink, especially when they are sleeping.The Blue whale, the largest animal that has evergraced our Earth, has blubber almost a foot thick,and since they migrate annually between theirfeeding and breeding grounds, they may livesolely off this fat reserve during their months longtrek.Heat Sensing PitsOne of the amazingadaptations ofrattlesnakes isthey can “see inthe dark,” but notnecessarily withtheir eyes. Pitvipers, like rattlesnakes, have holes on their facesbetween their eyes and nostrils called pit organsthat can detect differences in temperature,and determine whether the heat given off byan animal is from a predator or from prey. Thisunique sensory system for detecting infraredradiation, allows rattlers to generate an imageand tell the difference between objects in theirenvironment. Heat sensors also allow snakes totrack a moving meal since the ground is warmedby the prey’s body and feet. These pits are highlyeffective in detecting differences in temperatureeven several yards away, so warm blooded smallmammals beware in rattlesnake country!Eyes on the SideEyes are placed wherethey give its owner thebest possible vision for itsown lifestyle. Prey animalslike cottontails and deer,need to be able to seearound them while they aregrazing or feeding, whichis why they generally havesideways facing eyes. Sideeye placement allows forgreater peripheral or “side vision” enabling theanimal to see predators approaching from theside as well as from behind. Just remember: Eyeson the side, the animals hide, eyes in the front theanimals hunt.3

Animal Adaptations Matching GameSharp Canine TeethSpraying Stinky StuffMost carnivores,like mountainlions or bobcats,have long, sharpteeth adapted toripping, tearingor cutting flesh.While many alsopossess a fewflat molars in theback of their mouths (not really necessary sincethey don’t chew, but rather swallow their foodin chunks,) and sharp incisors in the front, themost important teeth for carnivores are their fourpronounced canine teeth. When they open andclose their jaws, these teeth with sharp edges actlike a pair of scissors tearing through their prey.All skunks have highlyevolved musk glands,which is undoubtedlytheir most famousphysical adaptation,pee-ew. These glandsare located on eitherside of a skunk’stushy and producea fluid with a super stinky smell. This fluid is adefensive weapon which the skunk uses againstits potential predators, but they use it sparinglyand only spray victims when they feel threatened.Usually, when a skunk is alarmed, it will arch itsback in an attempt to look larger, bare its teethand snarl at the intruder. If all of these warningsfail and as a last resort, skunks will spray thesmelly secretions. The fluid may cause temporaryblindness and a burning sensation and is enoughto teach a potential predator to never mess with askunk again.Rotating the HeadKeep your head stilland look forward.As a human, you areable to see what isdirectly in front of youand some of what isto the left and to theright of you. This iscalled your peripheralvision. Withoutmoving your head,your eyes can followobjects up, down andside-to-side. Owls can’t do this. Because theyhave fixed eye sockets, they must move theirheads in order to see their surroundings. A widerange of motion is critical for survival as it helpsthem avoid predators and detect prey. Owlscan rotate their heads a dizzying 270 degrees,allowing them to see what’s happening behindthem while perched on a tree branch or barnbeam or just about anywhere. This evolutionaryadaptation helps the birds keep their fixedsocket, binocular eyes trained on the scurryingmice and other small prey they hunt.Dropping A TailThe naturalability oflizards todrop andthen regrowtheir tails isone of theirmost uniqueand effectivedefense mechanisms that allows them to avoidpredators and remain alive. Once detached, themuscles in the tail continue contracting causing itto flop around which distracts the predator fromthe lizard. Because the tail maintains the abilityto move up to half an hour after separation,the lizard hopes that the predator will attackthe wriggling tail, enabling it to make a quickgetaway. As the tail is used for purposes such asstoring fat, it is an advantage for the lizard that itonly sheds a minor portion of its tail. Dropping thetail though is a last ditch effort since it causes a lot ofstress for the lizard and regrowing it takes a wholelot of energy.4