Adaptations

Question 1 What is meant by adaptation?

Question 2 How polar bear is adapted to live in extremely cold polar regions having snow all around?

Question 3 What are polar regions? Describe the climate in the polar regions of the earth?

Question 4 What are tropical rainforest ? Name few adaptations which help the animals to live and survive in tropical rainforest?

Question 5 State few adaptation in elephant which help in their survival?

Question 6 State few adaptation in big cats which help in their survival?

Question 7 State the adaptations of red eyed frog which helps it to climb on trees on which it lives?

Question 8 How monkeys are adapted to live on trees?

Question 9 How toucan are adapted to survive on trees?

Question 10 State the adaptations in lion-tailed macaque which help it to live and survive on trees in tropical rainforest?

Question 11 How is penguin adapted to live and survive in polar regions?

Question 12 What is meant by migration of birds? Why do they migrate?

Question 13 Name important features of the tropical regions?

Question 14 Why tropical rainforest support a wide variety of plants and animals?

Question 15 Why does Siberian crane come from Siberia every year for few months?

Adaptations

A living organism can survive in a particular habitat only if its body is suited (or adapted) to the climate of that habitat. Animals and plants develop special features in their body or develop certain habits to survive in their habitats (or surroundings).

The presence of specific body features (or certain habits) which enable an animal or a plant to live in a particular habitat (or surroundings) is called adaptation.

 

The body features and habits that help animals (and plants) to adapt to their particular habitats or surroundings are a result of the process of evolution.

Adaptation can help animals to survive in their environment by enabling them to withstand climate (such as extreme cold or hot climate), to obtain food, to hide to keep safe or catch prey, or to breathe, etc.

Animals live in two types of habitats :

(1) Polar regions, and

(2) Tropical rainforests

Our earth has two poles north pole and south pole. The areas situated near the poles of the earth are called polar regions. Some of the well known countries that belong to the polar regions of the earth are Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska and Siberian region of Russia. All these countries actually belong to the north polar region (which is also called Arctic region). The south polar region of the earth is called Antarctic region (or Antarctica). 

Tropical rainforests are thick forests which grow near both the sides of the equator of earth where the climate is very hot and humid, and rainfall is high. Some of the countries where tropical rainforest are found are India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

The polar regions and the tropical regions are the two regions of the earth which have severe climatic conditions.

The polar regions

1) The polar regions are covered with ice and snow, and it is extremely cold for most part of the year.

2) For six months, the sun does not set at the poles while for the next six months, the sun does not rise (above the horizon).

3) The animals living in the polar regions have adapted to the extremely cold climate by having some special features such as white colour, thick layer of fur, thick skin, a layer of fat under the skin, strong sense of smell, and big feet (big paws) for walking on soft snow and swimming, etc.

4) The two animals which live in polar regions are polar bears and penguins.Polar bears live in north pole region whereas penguins live in the south pole region of the earth.

Adaptations in Polar Bear

The polar bear is a large, white bear which lives in north polar regions of the earth. The polar bear feeds mainly on fish and seal.

1) Polar bear has white colour which matches with its surroundings: Due to white colour, polar bear is not visible easily in the snowy white background and hence its prey is unable to see it. This adaptation (of white colour) helps the polar bear to catch its prey. The white colour of polar bear also protects it from its predators.

2) Polar bear has two thick layers of fur on its body: This fur protects the polar bear from extreme cold by preventing the loss of heat from its body. Thus, the two thick layers of fur keep the polar bear warm in extremely cold climate. The polar bear has also fur on its feet and toes. This protects it from cold when it walks on snow and ice.

3) Polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its skin: This layer of fat insulates the body of polar bear against heat loss and keeps it warm in cold climate.

4) Polar bear has a rounded body and small ears to keep the body surface area to a minimum.This reduces the heat loss from the body of polar bear.

5) Polar bear has big feet (or big paws) to spread the weight of its body on snow which prevent it from sinking into snow and make it walk on snow easily. Polar bear has long, curved and sharp claws which help it to walk and run on slippery ice.

6) Polar bear is a good swimmer: The big feet (or big paws) help the polar bear to swim well. Being a fast swimmer helps the polar bear to catch its prey (like seal) in water very easily.

7) Polar bear has a very strong sense of smell: The very strong sense of smell helps the polar bear in locating and catching its prey for food.

 

Adaptations in Penguins

Penguin is an animal which lives in extremely cold south polar region of the earth. Penguins hunt for fish which they eat as food.

1) Penguin is black and white in colour but still it merges well with the white background of ice and snow.

2) Penguin has thick skin and a layer of fat below its skin which protect it from extreme cold.

3) Penguins live together in large numbers. Penguins huddle together to keep themselves warm.

4) Penguin has streamlined body, flipper-like wings and webbed feet which make it a good swimmer.

Some other animals which live in polar regions are Musk oxen, Reindeers, Arctic foxes, Seals, Whales, many kinds of Fish and Birds.

Migration

The process in which a bird (or other animal) moves from one place to another in one season and returns again in a different season is called migration. Migration of birds (or other animals) is an adaptation to escape the harsh and cold conditions of their normal habitat in winter so as to survive.

When the winter sets in cold regions of the earth, the climate becomes extremely cold. The birds which normally live in these regions migrate (fly off) to far flung warmer places to escape the extremely cold winter climate and survive . And when the winter season is over, these birds fly back to their original habitats in the cold regions..

The birds which migrate from very cold regions to warmer regions in winter and go back after the winter is over, are called migratory birds. One of the most common migratory bird which comes to India every year for a few months is the Siberian crane. When winter sets in Siberia, and it gets extremely cold, the Siberian crane flies thousands of kilometres and comes to warmer places in India such as Bharatpur in Rajasthan, Sultanpur. The Siberian cranes fly back to Siberia when the winter ends there and climate becomes favourable.

The migratory birds usually fly high up in the sky where the wind flow is helpful and low temperature aids in dispersing the heat generated by the constant working of their flight muscles in flapping the wings.

Reindeer is a mammal which migrates. Reindeers live in herds in the cold, northern regions of North America where they feed on grass and shrubs in the summer. During winter, when the snowfall occurs, all the grass and shrubs get buried in snow and reindeers do not get any food. Due to this, reindeers migrate to the warmer regions in the south where they get sufficient food. They return to the original habitat in the north after a few months when the snow starts melting.

The Tropical Rainforest

The area of earth near both sides of the equator is called tropical region. The tropical region has generally a hot climate because of its location around the equator. The tropical regions get plenty of rainfall. This makes the region humid. Thus, the tropical regions have hot and humid climate. In tropical regions, days and nights are almost equal in length throughout the year. Tropical rainforests are found in India, South-east Asia, Central America and Central Africa. Because of highly favourable climatic conditions in tropical rain forests a large variety of plants and animals are found in tropical rainforests.

The major types of animals living in the tropical rainforests are Lions, Tigers,  Leopards, elephants, Monkeys, Apes, Lion-tailed macaque, Gorillas, Birds, Snakes, Lizards, Frogs and Insects, etc.