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Thorny Devils ( Moloch horridus) are another popular example of the Australian lizards that live in the Outback.

The devils belong to the family Agamidae, also known as dragon lizards.

Not only is the thorny devil one of the most unusual looking reptiles, it also has rather unusual eating and drinking habits.

And despite its dangerous appearance and its name it is also one of the least aggressive reptiles. It relies on camouflage and on its ingenious way of self-defence (see below).

Thorny Devil Facts
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Thorny Devils - Drinking

The skin of a thorny lizard is totally impervious. That means it doesn't sweat or lose any water via its skin. It doesn't need much, but it needs to drink some water.

The way thorny devils drink water is ingenious, an amazing adaptation to life in the harsh desert environment. Their body is covered in a system of tiny grooves or channels that run between their scales. All the channels lead to the corners of their mouth. These channels absorb water via capillary action. (If you put a very thin straw into water some water will rise up in the straw above the water level. That's capillary action.)

Not only can the thorny lizard capture rain this way, it can also absorb dew drops, for example from the vegetation it moves through, via the capillaries. Once the water is in the grooves the lizard can suck it towards its mouth by gulping. What a design! Perfect for the desert environment.
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Thorny Devils - Eating

The way thorny devils eat is unusual as well.

Their diet doesn't have much variety: they eat ants, nothing but ants, preferably one particular kind of ant, a small black ant called Iridomyrmex flavipes (Although they do eat a few other ant species as well, if they can't find any Iridomyrmex.)

When a thorny devil wants to eat it sits at the ant trail, waits for the ants to pass and then flicks them up with its sticky tongue.

One little ant at a time! You can see it in the video.

(Though not very well. It's hard to see the ants, but every time the thorny lizard moves its head it's flicking up an ant.)

The video shows a lizard in captivity. It's not very hungry by the looks of it. Thorny lizards can eat much faster than that. They can flick up 45 ants a minute if they want to. Nobody counted exactly how many ants they eat in a single meal, but the estimates range from 1000 to 3000 ants.
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Thorny Devils - Defence Mechanisms?

The thorny devil's initial line of defence is its camouflage.

Their colours are usually a pale yellow and read (that's when they are warm and active), perfect in the desert sands. When the lizard is cold it is a dark olive. It can also rapidly change colour when it is alarmed. When walking, the lizard may freeze suddenly, often with one leg in the air, presumably to make it harder to see.

But the best defence of the thorny lizard are the many sharp spines that cover its body.

If the lizard feels threatened it can tuck its head between its legs and expose a " false head", a very spiny, knob like appendage on its back.

(Interestingly all the spines, including the false head, are entirely boneless, whereas horned lizards have bony spines).

This knob is filled with only fatty tissue. It would be very hard for any animal to swallow the lizard now, but even if a predator tried it would only damage that knob, and not the real head or any vital parts.

Initially it was thought that the thorny devil would "sacrifice" this knob when it is attacked, a bit like other lizards can drop their tail. But nobody has ever seen a thorny devil without the false head. They have, however, been seen with humps that were damaged as if something had chewed on them.

Well, the fact is that despite its looks and spines the thorny devil often falls prey to other animals, mainly bustards and goannas. Goannas also find and dig up the eggs of the thorny devils. And then there are the feral cats... No small Australian animal is safe from them.

But the worst threat the thorny devil faces is not from other animals, it's from humans and is the same as always...

Habitat destruction, habitat destruction, habitat destruction.

Read about other Australian Lizards | Return to top

All Australian Animals | Australian Outback Animals
Return to Outback Australia Travel Guide home page

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Australian Thorny Devils - Info And Videos

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Thorny Devils ( Moloch horridus) are another popular example of the Australian lizards that live in the Outback. The devils belong to the family Agamidae, also known as dragon lizards. Not only is the thorny devil one of the most unusual looking reptiles, it also has rather unusual eating and drinking habits.

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The Fennec fox is one of the most sociable of the foxes and often lives in small groups of 10-15 individuals. Typically these groups are extended family. The young stay with their parents for a long...

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Animal Fact Sheet: Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Identifying Features

The black-tailed jackrabbits ( Lepus californicus) most identifying feature is its huge ears. The ears along with the tail are tipped with black fur. It has long slender front legs and large hind feet that can be 5 inches in length.

Adaptations

The large ears of this hare help it to lose heat and thereby cooling its body temperature. They have large eyes that are high on their head and placed toward the side. This along with the fact that their head is slightly flat allows them to see almost 360 degrees (a full circle) helping to spot predators.

Habitat

They like open flat places along with desert scrub and mesquite grasslands.

Range

They are found from Baja California and south-central Mexico to west-central and western United States.

Wild Status

Jackrabbits are not threatened or endangered.

Diet

These hares are herbivores, feeding on grasses, leaves, clover, alfalfa, twigs, seeds, beans, twigs and cacti.

Predators

Jackrabbits are an important food source for many animals. These can include coyotes, Red-tailed Hawks, Ferruginous Hawks, eagles, foxes, bobcats, and humans.

Home

Jackrabbits will often rest in the shade during the heat of the day in a shallow depression under grass or bushes. They do not live in burrows. They will often forage or rest in groups relying on the eyes and ears of each other for protection. Females will give birth in thick brush or in depressions lined with fur.

Life Span

In the wild on average jackrabbits live 2-5 years. They usually live longer when in captivity.

Size

Adult black-tailed jackrabbits weigh from 3-7 pounds and are about two feet in length.

Extra Fun-facts

The black-tailed jackrabbit is not really a rabbit, it is a hare. This is because its young are born with fur and with their eyes already open.

Jackrabbits can run as fast as 40 mph in short bursts in order to escape predators.

Baby jackrabbits are called leverets.

©Copyright 2008, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

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The black-tailed jackrabbits ( Lepus californicus) most identifying feature is its huge ears. The ears along with the tail are tipped with black fur. It has long slender front legs and large hind feet that can be 5 inches in length. The large ears of this hare help it to lose heat and thereby cooling its body temperature.

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Camel Adaptations :: Adaptations in Camels

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Adaptations in camels to suit their ways of living

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What Types of Adaptations Must Desert Animals Make to Conserve Water?

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What Types of Adaptations Must Desert Animals Make to Conserve Water?. Deserts are arid…

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As the summer temperatures continue to climb, you may find yourself spending more and more time indoors enjoying the comforts of central air conditioning. But without the benefit of modern technology, animals that make their home in the heat have had to come up with their own ways of staying cool and hydrated. We caught up with San Diego Zoo Ambassador and Zookeeper Rick Schwartz between television appearances in New York City to talk about the incredible ways that some creatures have adapted to survive in the desert.

In the Australian Outback, pooled water can be extremely hard to come by. To deal with this issue, the thorny devil has developed skin that can absorb water like blotter paper (called "capillary action"). According to Schwartz, "the way the scales on the body are structured, it collects dew and channels it down to the corners of the mouth," where the lizard drinks it. You can actually watch the lizard's skin darken as it soaks up whatever liquid remains from even the muckiest of puddles.

Schwartz says it was previously believed that these animals died off during every dry season, but what was actually happening was far more interesting. When the rainy season ends on the African savannah, the second largest frog in the world burrows 6 to 8 inches underground and seals itself in a mucus membrane that "essentially hardens into a cocoon." The frog can "hibernate" in this sac for up to seven years waiting for rain, which, when it comes, causes the mucus sac to soften, signaling to the frog that it's time to wake up. The South African lungfish benefits from a similar method of hibernation.

This unusual method of locomotion is used by two species of venomous snake-the Mojave Desert sidewinder in the southwestern United States and the Namib Desert viper in Africa. Not only does it help the serpents keep traction on shifting sands, but it ensures that only two points of the animals' bodies are touching the hot ground at any given time.

When facing a predator, this large lizard will scurry under a rock crevice and inflate the loose folds of skin along its body, making it difficult to pull from its hiding place-a perfect escape plan in the rocky deserts of the U.S. and northern Mexico that the chuckwalla calls home.

The fennec fox of North Africa has large ears which Schwartz points out "serve a dual purpose": they are great for listening for bugs to eat that may be moving around underground, but they are also loaded with blood vessels, allowing the animals to dissipate excess body heat. Schwartz points out that while big ears are wonderful radiators during hot days, the fox's thick fur coat also acts as insulation during cold desert nights.

Native to the driest areas of southern Africa, this borrowing rodent can actually use its bushy tail as a sort of parasol-a function I think we all envy from time to time.

No discussion of desert survival is complete without a mention of the camel. You know that the hump stores fat, which can be used as both a food and water source for the animal when the going gets tough. But Schwartz points out that camels also have thick hairs in their ears for keeping out sand, and the same can be said of their eyelashes-"there's not a model out there that wouldn't want eyelashes like that," Schwartz says. Camels also sport closable nostrils, a nictitating eye membrane, and wide feet that act like snowshoes in the sand.

The Gila Monster-one of only two venomous lizards in the world-spends most of its life underground and can go months between meals by living off of fat stored in its tail. This is a handy little survival trick during the dry season in their Sonoran Desert habitat.

The peccary, or javelina, has a tough mouth and specialized digestive system which enables it to chomp down on prickly pear cactus pads (one of their favorite foods) without feeling the effects of the plant's thousands of tiny spines. "I can't imagine biting into the paddle of a cactus, but these animals definitely have found ways to do that," Schwartz says. As an added bonus, using cactus as a food source is a great way to supplement water intake as the spiny succulents are absolutely loaded with the stuff.

This bird, found mainly in the deserts of Asia and North Africa, has specialized feathers on its belly that are able to soak up small quantities of water. Males of the species will use these feathers like a sponge to carry water back to their nests, which they then share with their female counterparts and offspring.

Though they will drink water when it is available, this small species of North African antelope can get all of the water it needs from the food in its diet. When water is unavailable, the Dorcas gazelle can concentrate its urine into uric acid, which Schwartz describes as "a white pellet" instead of the hydraulically expensive liquid waste. "That's water conservation," he says, "and they need to hold on to whatever they get."

The Namib Desert in Africa has very little fresh water to speak of, but due to its proximity to the sea, it receives a daily dose of fog in the cool hours of the early morning. Fogstand beetles have learned to stand still in order to let the fog condense on their bodies in the form of water droplets, which they then drink.

As Schwartz points out, the metabolic processes of the body all have outputs which often occur in the form of mineral build up. "Animals that live in an environment where water is readily available will just [get rid of those minerals] through their urine," he says. "When you have animals that live in these extreme environments where they don't want to excrete any fluids, the body will find other ways to get rid of those minerals." The greater roadrunner of North America, which like the Dorcas gazelle can survive its whole life without drinking water, has developed a unique way of dealing with this problem: it secretes excess salt from a gland near its eye.

Not only are these animals able to close any wounds through a special process of contraction, but the exceptionally weak skin of these mice means it is also much easier to regenerate, allowing wounded spiny mice to heal from superficial wounds much faster than other species-a process which minimizes blood loss.

With subspecies in Africa, Asia, and Australia, this freaky legless lizard has developed an ingenious method of dealing with high desert surface temperatures-simply staying out of them. Blind skinks have lost their legs and eyes through evolution and, like the sandworms from Beetlejuice, prefer to stay hidden underground where they can tunnel in search of creepy crawlies to munch on.

Scorpions are able to go up to a year without eating thanks to their specialized metabolisms. Unlike other animals that experience a seasonal hibernation, though, a scorpion is still able to react to the presence of prey with lightning quickness even while in this state of nearly suspended animation.

To survive the harsh Australian summers, kangaroos will cool off by licking their forelegs. A special network of blood vessels in the legs allows the animals to reduce their body temperatures quickly through the evaporation of saliva since kangaroos lack regular sweat glands.

The black circles around the eyes of these social African mammals is often compared to a natural pair of sunglasses, though Schwartz says that the pattern actually functions by "absorbing the sun and preventing it from reflecting back into the eyes." This means that the pattern works more like the eye black used by professional athletes than actual lenses. Still, says Schwartz, it allows them "to see more clearly" while awake during the day, compared to nocturnal predators such as lions, whose eyes have no special markings whatsoever.

Another creature native to the Sahara Desert, the Addax antelope rarely if ever needs to drink water to survive. To cope with the unforgiving desert sun, the Addax sports a white coat in the summer which reflects sunlight, but in the winter the coat turns brownish-gray so as to better absorb heat.

What better way is there to silence your competition than by eating them? The common kingsnake is so specialized to that end that not only do they hunt by clamping down on a snake's jaws before constricting it to death, they have also developed an immunity to rattlesnake venom, making the vipers one of their favorite food sources.

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20 Amazing Animal Adaptations for Living in the Desert

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Without the benefit of modern technology, animals that make their home in the heat have had to come up with their own ways of staying cool and hydrated.

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Animal adaptations for winter

It's easy for humans to put on more layers or go inside to stay warm in the winter, but how have animals evolved to handle the cold and snow?

Arctic foxes adapt to winter by growing a thicker, white coat that better insulates them and serves as camouflage.

As temperatures drop, the days grow shorter and perhaps even the snow begins to fall, humans have a multitude of ways to stay warm. We can put on more layers of clothing or a big coat - hats, gloves and scarves can cover areas of skin that may be more exposed to the elements - or we can seek shelter in a warm building. These actions help keep humans safe and healthy during a season that can post varying health risks because of low temperatures. Most animals cannot seek out these same methods of keeping warm and thriving in winter, but they have evolved amazing adaptions to survive through frigid temperatures. Michigan State University Extension explores some of the ways animals cope with winter weather.

According to the National Park Service, there are three major strategies for animals, as well as insects and plants, to survive through cold temperatures: migration, hibernation and resistance (tolerance). Let's explore each of these in more detail.

Migration

Migration is the movement of a group of animals from one location to another, typically in order to change habitats or living environment. We might often think of birds "flying south" for the winter, but migration can be much more than that. It might involve travel east and west, changes in altitudes up or down a mountain, or even a round trip to multiple locations at different times. The length of time will vary based on the distance traveled. It could take several hours to days or even weeks for animals or insects to complete their journey.

Many factors may impact when the animals "know" it is time to move, including the length of daylight hours, changes in available food and how much energy it takes to stay warm. Examples of migratory animals are Clark's Nutcracker, elk and mule deer, all found in Glacier National Park in Montana. All three of these animals live high in the mountains during summer, but travel to the mountain base in winter for better access to food and milder weather conditions.

Although migration might seem like a very good option to avoid winters, it places a great deal of stress on animals because it takes so much energy to travel and once they arrive, there is still competition for resources, like food and shelter, with native species.

Hibernation

Hibernation is the second strategy to surviving cold temperatures. Hibernation is long-term dormancy, or inactivity, while "torpor" is the term to describe short-term inactivity. The definition of hibernation from National Park Service's " Winter Ecology Teacher's Guide " is "...a physical state where an animal's body function slows down in order to conserve energy through a season of no food and water, and cold temperatures." This slower body function is characterized by a decrease in body temperature and reduced respiration, or breathing. The animal will generally curl up into a tight ball to help keep warm, body temperature drops, and respiration and heart rate slow down. These actions reduce the amount of energy the animal must expend to stay alive so it's able to live off of fat reserves it has developed instead of constantly having to seek out food.

Hibernation strategies exist on a continuum from "true hibernators" to a "deep sleep" and finally an "occasional sleep." Examples of true hibernators are Columbian ground squirrels and marmots, both of which experience an extreme body temperature drop (90 degrees Fahrenheit normally versus 39 F while hibernating) and very slow respiration (a breath every four to six minutes). Bears, on the other hand, are in the deep sleep category because they do not experience the extreme body temperature drop; instead, they grow a thick hair coat before winter arrives. Raccoons and gray squirrels fall into the occasional sleep category because they generally stay active during the winter except for extremely frigid temperatures.

Resistance

The final evolutionary adaptation is resistance or tolerance of the cold. There are many, many ways this adaption has evolved in different species. Animals that live in cold climates tend to be larger so their body mass-to-surface ratio is higher. For example, cold weather bears like polar bears are larger than bears found in tropical areas like sun bears. Birds will fluff out their feathers to keep a layer of air around their bodies, huddle together to keep warm or roost in tree cavities.

Tiny ears and tails are another adaption that animals have, like the pika, a relative of the rabbit. Small appendages that are close to the body stay warm and resist frostbite compared to having large ears or long tails. Thicker coats of either fur or hair grow in to act as an additional layer of insulation. Mountain goats have very heavy wool undercoats and hollow hairs that keep air trapped close to the body, keeping the cold and wetness out. Similar to mountain goats, moose also grow a coat with hallow hairs to keep them warm.

Shorter daylight hours help to trigger responses of the "master gland" of the body, the hypothalamus, to change behavior or appearance to prepare for the cold. Some animals will increase their food intake to build up fat reserves, allowing them to survive with a decreased food supply. Other animals, such as beavers or red squirrels, create a food cache, meaning they collect extra food when it's available, store it and then have a supply for the winter.

Snowshoe hares, weasels arctic foxes and ptarmigans all change color as winter approaches. Their fur or feathers change from brown to white, which provides them two major advantages: The new fur or feathers are thicker and act as a better insulator than the brown summer coat, and the color change allows these animals to be camouflaged in the snow to avoid predators and hunt prey.

For more information on winter adaptations, check out the videos and information from the National Park Service.

Did you find this article useful?

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It's easy for humans to put on more layers or go inside to stay warm in the winter, but how have animals evolved to handle the cold and snow?

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Antarctic animals are exposed to some of the coldest environments on earth. These animals have physical adaptions (generally evolved over many generations) and patterns of behaviour that help them survive the extreme conditions.

Physical adaptations

Thick, windproof or waterproof coats

Many Antarctic animals have a windproof or waterproof coat.

Emperor penguins are a very good example. These birds have 4 layers of scale-like feathers. The layers overlap each other to form a good protection from the wind, even in blizzard conditions.

Fat (or blubber) layers

Whales, seals and some penguins have thick layers of fat (or blubber). These fat layers act like insulation, trapping body heat in. The effect is like wrapping yourself in a blanket.

When blood circulates close to the skin, precious body heat is lost. Some animals can selectively reduce the flow of blood to their blubber layers. This reduces the amount of energy it takes to stay warm by keeping blood further away from the skin surface.

Blubber layers can also be used as an energy reserve. Male elephant seals can live off their fat reserves during summer.

Small extremities

An extremity is a limb or appendage of the body. In humans, our hands and feet count as extremities. These are often the first places to feel the cold. The same applies for animals.

Emperor penguins have small extremities. They have a very small bill and flippers, which means less blood is required for these areas. Keeping blood flow away from the skin surface means that less body heat is lost.

Specialised adaptations

Emperor penguins have special nasal chambers which recover heat lost through breathing. They also have closely aligned veins and arteries. These adaptions enable emperor penguins to recycle their own body heat.

Antarctic krill must survive the dark winter months when food is scarce. They do this very successfully, surviving more than 200 days of starvation. They do this by shrinking their body size. 'Downsizing' enables Antarctic krill to use their own body proteins as a source of fuel. All species of krill seem to share this adaptation.

Behavioural adaptations

Antarctic animals have unique behavioural adaptations that help them survive the harsh winter.

Emperor penguins form large huddles. Huddles allow them to share body warmth, and shelters many of the penguins from the wind. The huddle constantly moves so that all the penguins have a turn in the middle. Huddling can reduce heat loss by up to 50%.

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Antarctic animals are exposed to some of the coldest environments on earth. These animals have physical adaptions (generally evolved over many generations) and patterns of behaviour that help them survive the extreme conditions. Many Antarctic animals have a windproof or waterproof coat. Emperor penguins are a very good example.

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Penguins Survival Skills You Don't Know About | BBC Earth

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Scientific name: Leptonychotes weddellii

Physical description and related species

Weddell seals are large animals. Both adult males and females are about 3 metres long and weigh around 400-500 kg. The head is small relative to body size and the colour is usually dappled grey and black on the back with a mostly white under-belly.

Distribution and abundance

Weddell seals have a circumpolar distribution and are coastal, staying around the fast ice and venturing only 15-20 km into the Southern Ocean to feed. Weddell seals haul-out onto the fast-ice to rest and moult, and for females to pup.

Weddell seals are incredibly placid sedentary animals. They can be approached without much apparent stress to the animal. When they haul-out they remain close to their access hole on top of the ice. Underwater they remain relatively close to their breeding colonies, usually within 50-100 km though occasional migrations of several hundred kilometres do occur, especially by juveniles.

Weddell seals are the most southerly ranging mammal to permanently inhabit the continent. Sightings of the seals have been made in New Zealand and Australia, though they are very rare indeed.

Threats

The under-ice environment is relatively safe from air breathing predators such as killer whales and leopard seals.

Special adaptations

Because Weddell seals breath air and live under the fast-ice, they must breath through cracks and holes in the ice cover. There are many cracks in the ice during the warmer summer months.

During winter these openings freeze over and Weddell seals use their canine and incisor teeth to rasp open the new ice and so maintain holes through which to breathe. Maintaining these breathing holes results in teeth wearing down to such an extent that the animal may eventually be unable to feed or keep the precious holes open. A seal must find its way to the breathing holes before it runs out of oxygen. Their powers of navigation must be highly accurate as they must find these holes even during the darkness of winter.

Conservation status: least concern

Breeding

Weddell seals haul-out onto the stable fast-ice to rest and moult, and for females to pup, returning to the same area each year. Females of 6 years and over give birth in October to 1 pup per year. Pups weigh 25-30 kg at birth and mothers care for them for 6 weeks by which time they have grown to 110-140 kg. Pups learn to swim and haul-out of the water from 1 week old.

During the breeding season males defend underwater territories from other males for access to breathing holes and females. Both male and female seals vocalise, males may do so to maintain established territories. The only observation of mating (Cline et al, 1971) reported that it took place under water for 5 minutes or more. The male maintained rhythmic body undulations at a rate of 160 per minute.

Diet and feeding

Weddell seals are carnivores. Their food varies with time and location but mid-water (pelagic) and bottom dwelling (benthic) fish, squid, octopus and prawns are common. One seal was repeatedly observed to capture a fish weighing more than 40 kg. Weddell seals are very capable divers, remaining under water for up to 45 minutes and reaching depths as great as 720 m in search of prey. Lengthy shallow dives are probably exploration dives for new ice holes and food sources.

Science

The Australian Antarctic Division has undertaken a long-term study of the Weddell seal in the Vestfold Hills near Davis station, Antarctica. The study focuses on:

the ecological position of this seal in the Antarctic through prey studies

population characteristics such as the composition of age classes, dispersion of the animals from their breeding sites and the degree of immigration and emigration of the Vestfolds breeding colony

determining the influence of climate and weather on the life of Weddell seals, eg long-term fluctuation such as El Nino events and short term local climate effects on haul-out behaviour

underwater vocalisations for geographic variation and purpose

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Scientific name: Leptonychotes weddellii Weddell seals are large animals. Both adult males and females are about 3 metres long and weigh around 400-500 kg. The head is small relative to body size and the colour is usually dappled grey and black on the back with a mostly white under-belly.

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The School: Polar Bear Adaptations for Extreme Cold – One World One Ocean

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Sarah BedolfePolar bears are supremely adapted to their extremely cold Arctic environment. Here are some of the ways they stay warm.

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Four species of anteaters can be found living in their natural tropical forest, savanna and grassland habitats in South and Central America. Anteaters are highly adapted to their habitats and diet. Although it is necessary for the anteater to eat a large number of ants and termites to gain enough en…

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Owl Adaptations I Owl Research Institute

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An adaptation is a characteristic that helps give an owl species its best chance at survival. Owls live in many different environments but have evolved in order to stay near the top of the food chain. Owl adaptations include feathers for silent flight, facial discs, asymmetrical ears, tufts, 270 degree head rotation

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Adaptations Of Predators And Prey | Ecology & Environment | Biology | FuseSchool

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Carnivores are predators. They hunt and eat other animals to survive. Mammals that are carnivores have sharp teeth adapted for ripping meat from a carcass.

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Wolverine Frogs & Other Crazy Animal Defenses

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Avoiding Predators: How to Avoid Being Eaten

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Defense mechanisms are crucial to all animal life. Since animals in every biome must eat to survive, prey animals must constantly avoid being eaten. Animals employ adaptations that add to the chances of survival for the species. Some of these adaptations include defense mechanisms-things that can give prey an advantage against their enemies.

There are several ways animals avoid falling prey to a predator. One way is very direct and comes naturally. Imagine you are a rabbit and you have just noticed a fox preparing to attack. What would be your initial response? Right, you'd run. Animals can use speed as a very effective means of escaping predators. Remember, you can't eat what you can't catch!

Camouflage

Another defense mechanism is camouflage or protective coloration. One form, cryptic coloration, allows the animal to blend in with its environment and to mask its identity. Cryptic coloration is important to the survival of many new-born and young animals, as it is often their main defense against being detected by predators. Some animals blend in so well with their environment that it is very difficult to identify them. For example, some insects and other animals can look like leaves; both in their visual appearance and their behavior. It is important to note that predators also use cryptic coloration to avoid detection by unsuspecting prey.

Playing Dead

When faced with danger, some animals pretend to be dead. This type of adaption is known as thanatosis. Opossums and snakes can even emit a fluid that produces a foul smell, thus adding to the pretense. Such behavior tricks predators into thinking that the animal is dead. Since most predators avoid dead or rotting animals, this type of defense mechanism is often very effective.

Trickery can also be used as a formidable defense. False features that appear to be enormous eyes or appendages can serve to dissuade potential predators. Mimicking an animal that is dangerous to a predator is another effective means of avoiding being eaten. For example, some harmless snakes have bright warning colors that resemble the colors of dangerously venomous snakes. Warning calls can also be used by one animal species to trick another animal species. The African fork-tailed drongo bird has been known to mimic meerkat warning calls when meerkats are eating their prey. The alarm causes the meerkats to flee, leaving their abandoned meal for the drongo to finish.

Physical Features

Physical anatomical structures can also serve as a type of defense mechanism. Some animals' physical features make them very undesirable meals. Porcupines, for example, make a very difficult meal for predators because of their extremely sharp quills. Similarly, predators would have a tough time trying to get to a turtle through its protective shell.

Chemical Features

Chemical features can be just as effective at deterring predators. We all know the hazards of scaring a skunk! The chemicals released result in a not so pleasant aroma that an attacker will never forget. The dart frog also uses chemicals (poisons secreted from its skin) to deter attackers. Any animals that eat these small frogs are likely to get very sick or die.

Warning Calls

Some animals sound the alarm when danger approaches. For example, oxpeckers (birds that live in mutualistic relationships with grazing animals) will give a loud warning call when predators get too close. African elephants emit a rumbling alarm call when they hear the sound of African bees. Animals can also give distinctive calls to identify the type of threat. For instance, monkeys have one alarm sound for leopards and a different sound for eagles.

Predator-Prey Relationship

To sum it all up, the predator-prey relationship is important to maintaining balance among different animal species. Adaptations that are beneficial to prey, such as chemical and physical defenses, ensure that the species will survive. At the same time, predators must undergo certain adaptive changes to make finding and capturing prey less difficult.

Without predators, certain species of prey would drive other species to extinction through competition. Without prey, there would be no predators. The animal organisms in such an environment could become endangered or even extinct. The predator-prey relationship ensures that the cycle of nutrients in biomes continues. Thus, this relationship is vital to the existence of life as we know it.

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Defense mechanisms are very important to all animal life. They can give prey an advantage against hungry predators.

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Adaptations Of Predators And Prey | Ecology & Environment | Biology | FuseSchool