My adaptation padlet by Ratna Narayan

Elephants

2021-11-12 00:29:55 UTC

Location:
Elephants are found in deserts, swamps, and highlands in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.

Adaptations:

Elephants have many adaptations that allow them to thrive in their warm habitats. Their big ears and wrinkly skin help them stay cool. They also have tusks made of ivory that can help them eat and protect themselves. In addition, they can also spray water on themselves and roll in the mud.

https://youtu.be/nyku0Ok_5Po

Elyssa Mills- Cheetahs

2021-11-12 00:31:06 UTC

Cheetahs can be found eastern and southern ranges of Africa. South of the Sahara Desert.

Structural Adaptations: Cheetahs have evolved many adaptations that enhance their ability to sprint. Such as, longer legs, elongated spine, non retractable claws and special paw pad for traction, and long tail for balance.

Behavioral: Cheetahs are very sophisticated animals and think everything well through. For example, they have adapted to the fact that some animals will escape when they are being hunted. So, the cheetah's hunting tactics change depending on the characteristics of the prey they are hunting in that moment. This allows them to anticipate their prey's escape.

Physiological: Another adaptation that cheetahs have acquired is that they move their prey to a secluded spot and eat quickly to avoid losing their prey to a bigger predator. They are also more likely to hunt during the day when other predators are likely sleeping.

Camoflauge: Cheetahs' 2,000-3,000 spots help them blend in when hunting or hiding from predators.

Instinct: A cheetah's number one instinct is to hunt. They are born with this instinct however, cubs do not know how to sneak up on their prey. That is what they learn from their mothers.

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Carnivora
Infraorder: | Cetacea
Suborder: | Feliformia
Family: | Felidae
Subfamily: | Felinae
Genus: | Acinonyx
Species Name: | Acinonyx Jubatus

https://youtu.be/icFMTB0Pi0g

Koalas

marthacarreon51 — 2021-11-12 00:31:40 UTC

Location:
Koalas are found in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. The majority can be found in the four Australian states: South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales.

Adaptations:
Behavioral- Koalas live in a community. When one community dies another doesn’t just take over, it takes a year for the scent of the previous community to fade, and only then will another koala move into its place.

Physiological- Despite no tail, the Koala has an excellent sense of balance. In the skeletal structure of the koala, there is an indication that at some point in its history a tail was present.

Structural- Even though eucalyptus leaves are tough, low in nutrients, and toxic the koalas have developed a stomach that is able to cope and remove the toxins that are then filtered out by the liver. The caecum which is similar to the human appendix concludes the process by changing the eucalyptus leaves into digestible nutrients.

Camoflauge- The gray and white coloring of the koala bear is another tool for protection. This color combination allows them to hide in the treetops away from land predators. When predators look into the treetops, the koala's coloring looks like the sky. The leaves of the trees used as the koala habitat also hide the bear from predators.

Classification- Mammal

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI3ADcDH0Uc

Wood frog "Frogsicle" ( Viviana Rosales)

2021-11-12 00:32:06 UTC

Location: North America from Boreal Forest to The Appalachians. These frogs typically return to the same ponds to breed every year and migrate within the same area their entire lives. While they gather in large numbers during mating season at breeding pools, they are mostly solitary creatures.

Frozen But Still Alive

Wood frogs are commonly around 3 inches long and feature rust red, brown, grey, or tan skin with bumps. The most recognizable feature of the wood frog is the black “robber’s mask” on its face and the yellow to greenish-white belly with a stripe on its upper lip.

Camouflage
Given their color, wood frogs tend to blend in well with their surroundings, especially in the forest.

Physiological adaptation
Wood frogs have a really cool adaptation that lets them have up to 65% of the water in their body freeze and still survive! Most other frog species have to stay underwater or below the frost line (the depth to which the groundwater in soil is expected to freeze), but wood frogs produce antifreeze in their bodies and superload or concentrate the antifreeze in certain organs of their bodies. The antifreeze, glucose, prevents ice crystals from forming that would damage the wood frog.
They also deter predators with their shrill noises (high pitched and sharp) and poison glands.

Structural adaptation
A wood frog’s most distinct characteristic is the black marking across its eyes, which has been said to resemble a mask.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPeehsXAr4&t=164s&ab_channel=SmithsonianChannel

Clasification
Wood frogs fall in the Animalia kingdom
Chordata phylum,
Amphibia class,
Anura order,
Ranidae family,
Lithobates genus. Their scientific name is Lithobates sylvaticus which means amidst the trees.

Camel - Mariah DeLeon

2021-11-12 00:32:44 UTC

Camel, Mariah DeLeon

Location found:Deserts. They can be found in the Middle East, The Sahara Desert, and Afghanistan.

Structural Adaptations: wide feet for walking in sand, extremely long large intestine that absorbs every last drop of water from the foods they eat, Camels will not damage their mouths if they eat thorny twigs and other items which might cause injury to other animals, A camel’s nostrils are amazing. They retain water vapor which can be returned to the body when necessary, but they can also be closed if there is too much sand or wind blowing

Behavioral Adaptations: Camels don’t just spit for fun. If they feel threatened, they will use it as a defense mechanism.

Physiological Adaptations: The camel's thick coat insulates it from the intense heat radiated from desert sand, camels have a rete mirabile. This is a complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other which utilizes countercurrent blood flow to cool the blood flowing to the brain.

Migration: Camel herds spend the majority of their days moving from one place to another grazing. During the snowy winter months Bactrian camels migrate to the Gobi desert steppe, a broad ecotone that borders many rivers. When the snow melts in the spring, Bactrian camels migrate back to the desert.

Video:https://youtu.be/H9nyYar_6mM

White-tailed deer (Esmerelda Mendez)

2021-11-12 00:34:57 UTC

Location:
They are found in North America from southern Canada through Central America.

Structural Adaptations: They have long legs, with strong muscles and ligaments, adaptations that help them sprint up to 30 mph through wooded terrain and jump 10 feet high and 30 feet wide in one bound. This means, while predators may have to run around large obstacles such as fallen trees, the deer are able to leap over them and escape. White-tailed deer are also good swimmers and sometimes enter lakes to make their getaway. Deer’s coats have hollow hairs that help to keep them insulated in cold weather.

Behavioral Adaptations: Their changing coat colors help them to camouflage in different seasons, and the spotted coats of fawns help them to hide on the forest floor. Deer have good senses of smell and hearing to help them notice danger.

Physiological Adaptations: As ruminants, deer have four-chambered stomachs that allow them to chew their food quickly and then store it for further chewing and digestion later.

Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)

Phylum: Chordate

Class: Mammal

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Cervidae

Genus: Odocoileus

Species: O. virginianus

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8eCgl6JG7k

Leslie Guerrero - Dolphins

2021-11-12 00:36:06 UTC

Location: Ocean, they inhabit a wide variety of habitats, including harbors, bays, gulfs, and estuaries, as well as nearshore coastal waters, deeper waters over the continental shelf, and even far offshore in the open ocean.

Structural Adaptations:
Swimming Ability, dolphins are among the fastest and most agile swimmers in the world, this adaptation increases hunting skills and ability to avoid predators

Echolocation, dolphins bounce sound off objects to ascertain their shape and properties. Dolphins also have very tight skin and adults have no body hair, both of which help to reduce drag as the dolphins move through the water.

Behavioral Adaptations:
Dolphins' size increase with water depths, for survival they use bottlenose by bitting, chasing, jaw clapping, and smacking their tails on the water. The bottlenose are active in the day and night, also echolocation helps dolphins track down prey.
Physiological Adaptations:
Dolphins go through a process called thermoregulation, the decreased surface to volume ratio, the dolphin's fusiform body shape, and reduced limb size decrease the amount of surface area exposed. They also have increased insulation and go through a heat exchange system.

Migration:
Dolphins do migrate but not in large numbers but regular defensive patterns. They are known to move seasonally the migration can also occur because of water temperatures.

Camouflage:
Dolphins camouflage by countershading and having a dark and light blue belly. They do this by blending into the sunlit surface waters as well as the dark ocean depths.

Mimicry:
Dolphins can mimic other dolphin's behaviors. They can be trained to do so by "do as I do" They have the ability to mimic by sound and even blindfolded.

Special Defense Mechanism:
Dolphins use many different defense mechanisms to defend themselves, their intelligence, speed in the water, ability to communicate, and echolocation. Dolphins have the ability to scare off sharks by swimming in large groups.

Classification:
Kingdom - Animalia (Animal)

Phylum - Chordata (Vertebrate)

Class - Mammalia (Mammal)

Order - Artiodactyla

Family - Delphinidae

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bnur3gHJ0s

Kangaroos (Khadijah)

khadijahgilmore59 — 2021-11-12 00:36:15 UTC

Location: Australia

Adaptations:

Structural- A kangaroo has adapted feet and a long, large tail to help with their balance while hopping. The legs of Kangaroos are much stronger than those of other animals in their class. They have thicker bones and more elasticity in their ligaments and tendons giving their legs a similar effect of a trampoline.

Behavioral-During hot weather Kangaroos lick their paws for evaporation. the kangaroo also crouches into a smaller position so less of it is heated up by the sun during cold weather the fur is used as insulation, they also shiver producing heat.

Physiological-Mother kangaroos can produce 2 different types of milk to suit the needs of two different aged joeys. During a dry periods, male kangaroos will not produce sperm, and females will only conceive if there has been enough rain to produce a large quantity of green vegetation.

Migration: Male kangaroos typically move large distances in search of mates and to establish territories far from where they were born, while females remain closer to home.

Camouflage: The coloring closely resembles the red soil of the Australian desert outback, giving them natural camouflage.

Instinct: Like many animals, one of the biggest maternal instincts is to protect her young. A mother kangaroo is adapted to do just that. Female kangaroos have a special pouch in front. Think of it like a built in stroller! The baby kangaroo, or joey, lives inside the pouch until it's grown.

Mimicry: Do not have any

Special Defense Mechanisms: Kangaroos fight with each other by boxing with their front paws, but defend themselves with powerful kicks from their hind legs. When danger approaches, they warn other kangaroos by stomping the ground with their hind feet or thumping it with their tail.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Diprotodontia

Family: Macropodidae

Video: https://youtu.be/8BbZTCdB2X4

Axolotls-Priscilla Lopez

2021-11-12 00:36:17 UTC

Location:
This amphibian lives in the trash-infested streams of Lake Xochimilco in Mexico.

Structural Adaptation:
This amphibian has the capability of regenerating lost body parts. If an axolotls spends long periods of time in shallow water, their gills may be absorbed and they can begin using their lungs on land. However, if Axolotls are in deep water, they will keep their gills.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS:
An Axolotl has to do a lot of things to survive. One very important thing an axolotl has to do is stay at the bottom of lakes because axolotls are top prey in their habitat so they have to stay at the bottom to survive from birds and herons. Axolotls require less food which helps them survive in harsher conditions like in Mexico where there can be a lot of pollution.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS:
Axolotls have also had to adapt their means of transportation because of their aquatic life. By a process called neoteny, the inability to metamorphosize from larva to an adult, the Axolotls is able to retain its larval tail. This, along with having four limbs, improves mobility.

MIGRATION:
Axolotls are native to the Valley of Mexico and can only be found in the Lake Xochimilco region. In the past, they could also be found in Lake Chalco, but every acre of land in that area is now dry in order to prevent flooding, so these creatures had to migrate.

CAMOUFLAGE:
Axolotls have four pigmentation genes, giving rise to a wide range of colors. The wild-type coloration is olive brown with gold speckles. Mutant colors include pale pink with black eyes, gold with gold eyes, gray with black eyes, and black. Axolotls can alter their melanophores to camouflage themselves, but only to a limited extent. Scientists believe axolotls descended from salamanders that could live on land, but reverted to water because it offered a survival advantage.

INSTINCT:
Aggressive toward one another, they will bite off each others gills, feet and tails. Body parts of the Ambystoma mexicanum will regenerate. Axolotls are amphibians, their body and gills must remainmoistsotheycanbreathe. TheAxolotl differs from other amphibians as it spends its entire life in the water, in larval stage. Should the Axolotl undergo metamorphosis, it is transformed into the Mexican salamander. It is one of the amphibian species exhibiting neoteny, which means that it can live out its life and successfully breed as a larva

SPECIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMs:
The anatomy of an axolotl really has no defenses set up for them to make use of, their gills are protruding externally, they do not have eyelids, and their body is soft throughout.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Urodela

Family: Ambystomatidae

Genus: Ambystoma

Species: A. Mexicanum

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeEf8L2PrU

Emperor Penguin(Jacqueline Vega)

jackievega54 — 2021-11-12 00:36:21 UTC

LOCATION FOUND: Can be found around the Antarctica coast

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS: The emperor penguins also have special fat pockets in their feet to prevent them from freezing. They also contain sharp claws that help them from slipping off the ice. Penguins are considered scaled animals because they are constructed with multiple layers. It takes about 110 miles to hour winds to ruffle their feathers.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS: They have large fat reserves. They need those reserves to survive during the winter months. They do something similar to hibernation but they do not go to sleep. Emperors incubate their eggs during the long dark southern winter months. Courtship displays are intricate but copulation is quick and the female lays a single egg in May or June. She then passes it over to her mate to incubate - and she’s off. She spends the next nine weeks at sea, feeding. The male carefully balances the egg on his feet for between 65 – 75 days to keep it warm in a specially adapted brood pouch, and off the snow surface, before it hatches. Then out pops a fluffy chick. The male penguin stands upright and incubates a single egg on top of its feet under a loose fold of abdominal skin called a brood patch.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS: Male emperor penguins will not eat for up to four months, from the time they arrive at the colony to breed until the egg has hatched and the mother returns to feed. They lose almost half of their body weight during this time. They need to rely entirely on the reserve of body fat that they built up during the summer feast to survive the long winter.

MIGRATION :The magnificent Emperor penguins migrate each austral autumn in March from the coast, which constitutes their rich feeding grounds, inland across the thick sea ice over a distance of some 100 miles.

CAMOUFLAGE: The distinct black and white coloring of penguins is a type of camouflage called countershading, which helps penguins hide from predators and hunt prey. The countershading observed in penguins generally consists of black feathers distributed atop their heads, backs and flippers to help them blend in with the darkness of the ocean when viewed from above. With white undersides and underbellies, penguins blend in with the bright surface of the ocean when viewed from below.

INSTINCT: They are not territorial animals which is very important because they huddle to keep warm during the winter months and during their mating season.

MIMICRY: They mimic the ocean with their camouflage.

ANY SPECIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS: During times of exposure to the harsh Antarctic winds, penguins form a huddled circle. The youngest members stay in the middle, where it’s warmest, while adults form the outer areas.

They slowly turn and rotate members in and out, somewhat like a radar image of a hurricane, taking turns being at the coldest outermost layer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUlG_PKzpvc

Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)

Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrate)

Class: Aves

Order: Sphenisciformes

Family: Spheniscidae

Genus: Aptenodytes

Species: Aptenodytes forsteri

Common Degu: (Chaney Clements)

2021-11-12 00:36:27 UTC

Location:Degus are native to northern and central Chile and can be found living at high elevations (1,200m) in the Andes mountain range. They're also diurnal animals which means they're active during the day and sleep at night.

Physical Adaptations: They have excellent vision and can actually see ultraviolet (UV) light – an adaptation that likely has a social function in the wild, as their urine and the fur on their stomachs reflect UV light. Degus are very gregarious and energetic, forming close bonds with their owners and with other degus. It is suggested that territorial urine marks are visual as well as pheromone cues for UV-sensitive species and hence may have favored the evolution of UV-cones in rodents.

Behavioral Adaptions:Degus may vocalize in greeting, to defend territory or young, to identify one another, when afraid or hurt, for mating or when unhappy. Degu “happy” sounds will seem more like a warbling noise. Degu “unhappy” sounds will seem more like a chittering or chattering noise.

Defensive Adaptations:The outer sheath of the tail skin is designed to slip off if grasped (and part or all of the tail itself may detach as well) leaving a section of exposed bone that can be dangerous to your degu.
Camouflage Adaptations:

Structural Adaptations:Degus need a strictly controlled temperature for comfort since they cannot sweat to regulate their own body temperature. You will want to provide a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 23 degrees Celsius). Baby degus are even more temperature-sensitive. For a baby, a constant temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) is ideal

Mimicry:N/A

Migration: N/A

Class: | Mammalia
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Order: | Rodentia
Family: | Octodontidae
Genus: | Octodon
Species: | O. degus
Video: https://youtu.be/a-6lb7SI5rk

Octopus - Jessica Guardiola

2021-11-12 00:37:09 UTC

Location:
Octopus are found in the ocean, they are in various parts of the ocean such as, coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the seabed.

Structural Adaptations:
Octopus have many unique structural adaptations, they have suction cups that help them grab onto surfaces and pull apart prey. Octopuses have three hearts: one pumps blood around the body; the other two pump blood to the gills. The three hearts help to compensate for this by pumping blood at higher pressure around the body to supply the octopuses' active lifestyle. Octopus also have no bones which makes it possible for them to fit into almost anything. Octopus also have the amazing ability to regrow their arms.

Behavioral Adaptations.
Some behavioral adaptations that octopus have are defense features like camouflage. They are able to change colors and hide from predators. They are able to use poison to kill their prey. When in fear, the octopus can release a cloud of ink and use its siphon to jet away. The octopus can also use special skin cells to change colors to warn potential predators that it is angry and might attack.

Physiological adaptations
These include the ability to produce ink, the suction cups, the special skin cells that gives them the ability to change color, and the ability to regrow their arms.

Migration
It is believed that medium to large octopus may migrate vertically depending on the season. Migration towards shallow waters tends to occur during the colder months of the year while deep sea migrations typically occur during the warmer months.

Camouflage
Octopuses are highly intelligent animals, masters of camouflage that have evolved an array of tricks over tens of millions of years to avoid or thwart would-be attackers. They can match the colors and even textures of their surroundings, allowing them to hide in plain sight.

Instinct
Octopus have ink that they release when alarmed or startled. By observing their behavior and how they do this, we can tell that it is pretty instinctual, but they release ink at times other than being attacked.

Mimicry
Like other mimics, the octopus changes its coloring to disguise itself. More unusually, it can also contort its body to take on the appearance and behavior of several animals, including the lionfish, jellyfish, sea snake, a shrimp, a crab, and others.

Special Defense Mechanism
Three defensive mechanisms are typical of octopuses: ink sacs, camouflage and autotomising limbs.

Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopod
Order: Octopoda
Family: Typical Octopuses
Species: Cephalopod

Video:
https://youtu.be/oSyEZAm8nb8

Nine-banded armadillo

bgarcia024 — 2021-11-12 00:37:53 UTC

Location: Armadillos originated from South America, and have now traveled to ranges as far north as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Louisiana.

Structural adaptation: The central claw of these armadillos is enlarged, to help tear into termite mounds. They can balance on their strong hind legs and tail, and stand up to get high into termite mounds. The bony scales on the carapace protect it from predators. This kind of armadillo actually gets its name from the number of movable bands in their armor.

Behavioral adaptation: Armadillos are nocturnal animals and typically do not interact with other armadillos. They are usually seen alone and live a solitary life.

Physiological adaptation: Armadillos can hold their breath up to six minutes, which is an adaptation that originally developed due to their snout being submerged in soil for long periods of time. Because of that adaptation the nine-banded armadillo is able to float across rivers by inflating its intestines.

Migration: The nine-banded armadillo are non-migratory. However the armadillos that we see in North America are actually descended from a group of armadillos that migrated from South America.

Camouflage: The nine-banded armadillo exterior color is brownish green which helps them hide themselves from predators in grassland areas.

Instinct: When the nine-banded armadillo is scared, their reflex instinct is to jump and are able to jump up to four feet in the air. This instinct helps scare off predators but also cause many armadillos to be injured by jumping underneath moving vehicles.

Defense mechanisms: The nine-banded armadillo is unable to curl itself into a ball like other armadillos, and so they defend themselves by burrowing their feet in order to anchor themselves to the ground.

Video: https://youtu.be/iq_FBLI13zc

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Cingulata

Family: Dasypodidae

Genus: Dasypus

Species: Dasypus novemcinctus

Polar Bears- Abigail Estevane

2021-11-12 00:39:32 UTC

Location: Polar bears live in the Artic, on ice-covered waters.

Structural Adaptations: Polar bears have two layers of fur that prevent almost all heat loss. In fact, the fur can keep them so warm that adult males can quickly overheat when they run. Polar bears have huge paws that measure up to 30cm across. This helps the bear walk on thin ice without falling through. They also have powerful, thick, curved, sharp, strong that can measure up to 5 cm. Polar bears use their claws to catch and hold slippery seal prey and to gain traction on ice. Polar bears ears are small and round, and their trails short and compact, to prevent heat loss and conserve the most warmth as possible.

Behavioral Adaptations: Polar bears are not territorial, but some aggression does occur between makes competing for breeding females, in mother's protecting cubs. They tend to use their body language and vocalizations to communicate with one another. Only pregnant polar bears hibernate during the winter. They also give birth while hibernating.

Physiological Adaptations: Polar bears are able to process body fat to gain metabolic water. Polar bears can store a lot of fat which they use for energy in the process combining it with oxygen to release carbon dioxide and metabolic water. Polar bears are strong swimmers. They swim using their front legs to reach out with the leg and pull at the water with their large paws, the back legs usually trail behind.

Migration: Polar bears are known to migrate to follow a North to South migration pattern and have been on the ice packs found all over the Artic Ocean. Polar bears are frequently seen in locations with heavy ice packs such as Norway, Labrador, and Newfoundland.

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Carnivora
Family: | Ursidae
Genus: | Ursus
Species: | U. maritimus

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vgnXRypc4o

Hippopotamus- Valeria Soto

valsoto0529 — 2021-11-12 00:40:48 UTC

Location: Hippos live in sub-Saharan Africa. They live in areas with abundant water, as they spend most of their time submerged to keep their skin cool and moist. Hippos spend up to 16 hours per day in the water.

Adaptations: Hippos are well adapted to aquatic life. The ears, eyes, and nostrils are located high on the head so that the rest of the body may remain submerged. The ears and nostrils can be folded shut to keep out water. The body is so dense that hippos can walk underwater, where they can hold their breath for five minutes. In addition to having a very large stomach, hippos eat a lot in a daily, so if they ever have, they can survive without eating for a certain period of time. Hippos stay in the water all day and go out at night because they prefer to eat ground plants rather than aquatic plants.

Video: https://youtu.be/SDOcXYSSn5w

Tigers - Stephanie Villegas

2021-11-12 00:41:12 UTC

Location: Around 3,890 wild tigers roam forests and savannas today. Tigers can also be found in Siberian taiga, swamps, grasslands, and rainforests. They can be found anywhere from the Russian Far East to parts of North Korea, China, India, and Southwest Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Behavioral adaptations: Tigers move into dense vegetation areas because that is where they will mostly find the animals they eat.

Physiological adaptation: Tigers have nocturnal habits with excellent vision, hearing, swimming, sharp teeth and claws, a flexible spine, and the ability to quietly and quickly pounce on a predator since they hunt during the night. Tigers have striped coats that help them blend in well and seamless camouflage to their surroundings. Tigers sense of hearings is sharp in that they are capable of hearing infrasound, which are sound waves below the range of normally audible sound (20 hertz). Tigers use infrasound to communicate over long distances or dense forest vegetation because the sound is capable of passing through a variety of mediums such as trees and mountains. Tigers can also mimic the call of other animals.

Structural adaptation: Tigers have very flexible spines and long hind legs, which enable them to jump up to 33 feet (10 m) high. They are incredibly strong, which allows them to swim, as well as run incredibly quickly and leap great distances to catch prey.

Camouflage: Tigers have striped coats that help them blend in well and seamless camouflage to their surroundings.

Migration: Male tigers migrate as part of a natural process, to find a habitat to assert their dominance.

Instincts: Tigers have instinctive behaviors that allow them to protect themselves from danger since they are territorial and solitary as they can hide easily from harm.

Mimicry: Tigers can also mimic the call of other animals.

Special mechanism: Tigers are on top of their food chains because they are powerful predators as a special mechanism.

Classification:
Kingdom - Animalia (Animals)
Phylum - Chordata (Vertebrates)
Class - Mammalia (mammals)
Order - Carnivora (carnivores)
Family - Felidae (cats)
Genus - Panthera (big cats)
Species - Panthera Tigris (tiger)

Video:
https://youtu.be/FK3dav4bA4s

Brown Bears (Reina Herrera)

2021-11-12 00:42:46 UTC

Location:
Brown bears can be found in many habitats, from the fringes of deserts to high mountain forests and ice fields. In Europe, the brown bears are mostly found in mountain woodlands, in Siberia it occurs primarily in forests while in North America they prefer tundra, alpine meadows and coastlines.

Adaptations:
Behavioral:
Hibernation is a behavioral adaptation that brown bears have. In the winter, when the brown bear'd food is covered in snow or unavailable, bears enter their dens and hibernate throughout the winter. Hibernating lowers the bears' body temperature, heart rate, and need for energy.

Physiological:
As winter approaches and their food supplies start to dwindle, brown bears forage and hunt more often so that they can build up body fat. Using their long, sharp, claws and powerful digging strength, they dig dens for themselves where they nest through winter. In their dens, brown bears enter their hibernation state, during which their body temperature and heart rate drop. During this period, they do not need food or water, nor do they need to relieve themselves, they simply sleep. Nevertheless, during hibernation, female bears reproduce.

Structural:
Brown bears have a distinguishing shoulder hump that is actually a mass of muscle, which enables brown bears strength to dig. Also, their claws are long, making them useful in digging for roots or digging out burrows of small mammals. Brown bears also have a range of teeth that have evolved to manage the variety of foods these bears eat. They have some sharp canine teeth, but also fat molars that are well suited to eating and grinding vegetation. Their thick fur and layer of fat help to insulate them against the extreme cold temperatures of their habitat.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: U. arctos

Video:
https://youtu.be/LuImCh7wL2I

Noenna Holmes- Great White Shark

2021-11-12 00:44:17 UTC

Mary Moss - Coyotes

2021-11-12 00:44:23 UTC

Location:
Coyotes are found in most of North America. They are becoming popular in large cities such as Los Angeles and Dallas.

Physiological Adaptations:
Its varied autumn diet prepares its muscles, flesh, and even fur for the hard winter. Its ragged summer coat falls away and a thicker winter coat takes its place. With its long, coarse guard hairs and thick undercoat, the 30 to 50-pound canine assumes a much heftier appearance.
Coyotes have many special features. They have narrow snouts, lean bodies, yellow eyes, bushy tails, and thick fur. Labeled "wily" by humans, coyotes are intelligent and versatile creatures. These traits have helped coyotes spread across North America and even adapt to living alongside people in cities.

Behavioral Adaptations:
If a coyote doesn't have enough food in its habitat, it will try to attack pets or livestock. These animals are not their natural food source, but if they succeed the first time they try, they will come back again for more. The only way to get them to stop is an effective deterrent or punishment, such as if they are hurt by a guard animal or blocked by a coyote-proof fence. This is a good quality for coyotes to have because it means they can adapt well to the invasion of their habitats. This is why they have survived while other animals have gone extinct due to human impact. To prevent coyotes from eating livestock, farmers have been known to put out mutton and beef spiked with lithium chloride. This makes the coyotes sick when they eat it and induces vomiting. This method doesn't harm the coyote, but it conditions it into thinking that mutton makes it sick so those coyotes did not eat it anymore. This is useful because if a coyote eats a poisonous frog or toad, they will not do it again, and this prevents further poisoning.

Structural Adaptations:
The thick fur of the coyote helps to keep it warm throughout the winter. Its color blends in with the environment, providing the coyote with excellent camouflage.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOvrk54ftMM

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Scientific Name: Canis latrans

Cuttlefish

salinasbianca87 — 2021-11-12 00:44:38 UTC

Bianca Salinas
Location: Cuttlefish are exclusively marine species and can be found in most marine habitats from shallow seas to deep depths and in cold to tropical seas. Cuttlefish typically spend the winter in deep water and move into shallow coastal waters to breed in the spring and summer. There are around one hundred species of cuttlefish around the world.

Structural Adaptation:

Camouflage: Cuttlefish have a highly specialized skin that allows them to easily change color. This is probably one of the cuttlefish's more widely known adaptations. The way it works is that muscles with different pigments expand or contract to display colors. Cuttlefish also have the capability of changing shape.

Propulsion: Each cuttlefish has a pair of undulating fins that span the length of their body and help the creature to swim and maneuver; for any quick movements, it propels itself by shooting water from its gut.

Fast Tongue: Cuttlefish have extremely fast tongues that shoot out to grab prey and pull them quickly back to a beak and tentacles.

Tentacles: Cuttlefish have eight tentacles with suction cups that allow them to grasp prey. Cuttlefish also have two longer tentacles, with a single suction cup at each tip. They use these elongated arms to grab their prey.

Beak: In the middle of eight forward-reaching tentacles, there is a small beak which cuttlefish use to break open the shells of mollusks, crabs, and other crustaceans.

Cuttlebone: The cuttlebone is found in all cuttlefish and contains gasses that make it float, allowing it to swim.

Good Eyesight: Cuttlefish have really good eyesight. This allows them to accurately use their camouflage and spot prey easily.

Behavioral Adaptations:

Intelligence: Cuttlefish are extremely intelligent. They are considered as smart, if not smarter, than most fish and octopi. They are even smarter than some mammals. This is surprising because most organisms without a backbone are not that intelligent. Research has shown that cuttlefish can associate certain actions with responses such as pressing a button to get a fish. They can also navigate mazes by learning to respond to complex cues.

Pretending to Be a Different Gender (During Mating): During mating, larger males usually get the first opportunity to mate with smaller females. To get past larger males without a confrontation, smaller males change their color and texture to resemble females. The males don't view them as a threat, so they have the opportunity to mate without fighting. Interestingly, female cuttlefish appear to find this approach more attractive. The females are much more likely to accept imitation females for mating.

Flashing Bright Colors and Flaring Tentacles (Flamboyant Cuttlefish): Flashing bright colors and flaring its tentacles is the way this particular cuttlefish chooses to discourage predators from eating it. This serves as a warning to predators that it is poisonous.

Physiological Adaptations:

Ink: Cuttlefish produce ink that they can spray as a kind of "smoke screen" to escape from predators when their camouflage fails.

Poisonous Flesh (Flamboyant Cuttlefish): The flamboyant cuttlefish has poisonous flesh, so potential predators think twice about trying to eat it

Using Camouflage: Changing color helps cuttlefish blend into their environments to hide from predators (most fish). Camouflage also helps the cuttlefish hunt. It usually blends in with its surroundings so that the prey never sees it coming. If the cuttlefish's prey is particularly large and aggressive, it puts on a display of lights that literally stun its prey. The cuttlefish’s highly specialized skin also helps it mate. Males put on a display to try to impress the females. In addition to changing color, cuttlefish can also change their texture slightly to enhance their camouflage, predatory stun, or mating display.

Video: https://youtu.be/pgDE2DOICuc

(Extra) Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Cephalopoda

Order: Decapodiformes

Family: Sepiida

Scientific Name: Sepiida

Flamingos - Marlene

2021-11-12 00:44:50 UTC

Location: Flamingos come from tropical and subtropical areas, meaning that they could be found in places like Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, southern Brazil, western Africa, Cuba, or the Bahamas.

Physiological adaptation: Flamingos can live in lakes that have high salt concentration. They can also drink water that is at boiling point. As flamingos drink salt water, they can also eject the salt through salt glands in their nostrils. Compared to other birds, flamingos are able to wade into deep water due to their long legs.

Behavioral adaptation: Flamingos are known for posing on one foot and having the other foot tucked away. Studies say that flamingos do this to conserve body heat in cold water and temperatures. usually pose with one foot tucked under their bodies. Research also says that this doesn’t cause muscle strains in their legs which means they can do it without physical effort.

Structural adaptation: Flamingos feed with their bills upside down. They dip their head in the water and filter their feed to make it as clean as possible. Their bills have little hairs on the top half which is like a filter to clean the water or feed.

Migration: Flamingos have the most diverse migration patterns. The birds that are inhabited in northern regions migrate to warm areas during winters. Those residing in northern Asia or the Middle East and regions of Africa, generally migrate to India or Iran. They migrate to freshwater habitats.

Defense mechanisms: Flamingo's protect themselves by pecking at their predators if attacked or threatened. They protect themselves by traveling in a large group called a flock. A large flock of angry flamingo's could easily face a lone large predator.

Classification:

Common Name: Caribbean flamingo, American flamingo

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Ciconiiformes

Family: Phoenicopteridae

Genus Species: Phoenicopterus (crimson winged) ruber ruber (red)

Video Link: https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1014399743-flamingos-wade-salt-water-lake-larnaca-cyprus

Tabletop Corals (Andrea Aguilar)

2021-11-12 00:46:51 UTC

Location: Cook Island New Zealand and at American Samoa

Physiological Adaptation: The tabletop coral has key environmental traits such as microhabitat distributions and thermal stress tolerance that have helped the tabletop coral tolerate and slowly adapt to changing temperatures in the ocean. The corals found in Cooks Island carry genetic variants that predispose them to heat tolerance.

Structure Adaptation: Corals have produced a sunblock called a fluorescent pigment to survive coral bleaching. These pigments form a shield around the zooxanthellae, and at high temperatures, they protect them from the harmful effects of sunlight and UV rays.

Behavioral Adaptation: Corals reproduce asexually by budding, in which mature corals send out shoots called buds from their own body that develop into new polyps. In some cases, the new polyp separates; in many cases, the budding is incomplete, and individuals remain joined together in a colony.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)
Phylum: Cnidaria (which includes jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals)
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia (which are stony corals)
Family: Acroporidae
Genus: Acropora
Species: Table Coral

Video:
https://youtu.be/mQ10xBl8XMQ

Zebra (Laura Mejia)

2021-11-12 00:47:07 UTC

Location: Zebras are found in Southern Africa.

Adaptations:
Structural- Zebras have powerful legs that are helpful for running. Zebras also have stripes for camouflage. They also have strong teeth that help them survive in their habitats. Zebras feature several adaptations to their digestive tracts to better use the foods in their environment.

Behavioral- Their stripes help break up their outlines, making it harder for predators to pick out the shape of individual zebras.

Physiological- Their stripes help them recognize each other. It also protects them from the sun. Their strong muscles help them cover great distances without getting tired. Their stripes keep away biting flies that contain deadly diseases.

Classifications:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammal

Order: Perissodactyla

Family: Horses

Genus: Equus

Species: Equus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLEhFFQrNDQ

Spider Monkey -Alleyta D

2021-11-12 00:53:48 UTC

Where is the animal found: Tropical Rain Forest

Structural Adaptions: A major adaptation of the spider monkey is its long, pre-natural tail. A retractable tail is able to grip firmly, allowing the spider monkeys to be specialized. Their body is designed to give them strength, great flexibility, fastness, swinging, capability, and agility.

Behavioral Adaptations:
They have aggressive defending behavior, but they are very social animals and stay in groups. Spider Monkeys are omnivores, and so they eat both animal and plant-based food. Spider Monkeys mark their territories using their urine, by smearing saliva, and also with secretions from their chest glands.

Physiological Adaptations:
Spider Monkey Behaviour. Spider monkeys live in communities of 20-40 members, called a troop. These diurnal (active during the day) creatures cover about one half-mile of distance each day, spending their time eating fruits, nuts, and seeds, as well as grooming each other to remove dirt and insects from their fur.

Migration:
A monkey does not migrate or hibernate. Most monkeys live in a warm, comfortable environment and sleep normal times every day.

The slow development may also play a role: the monkeys may live from 20 to 27 years or more, and females give birth once every 17 to 45 months. Gummy, presumably the oldest living spider monkey in captivity is presumed to have been born wild in 1962 and currently resides at Fort Rickey Children's Discovery Zoo located in Rome, New York.

Defense Mechanisms:
The spider monkey's best defense mechanism is climbing and swinging from tree to tree from their predators. That is their greatest defense mechanism. That is their greatest defense because if predators come charging at it can just climb up a tree really fast. They are also a very good defense mechanism jumping from tree to tree in the wet jungles.

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Primates
Suborder: | Haplorhini
Infraorder: | Simiiformes
Family: | Atelidae
Subfamily: | Atelinae
Genus: | Ateles

Link to video:https://youtu.be/l5aJkU-6zJU

Clown Fish- Blanca Calvillo

2021-11-12 00:57:53 UTC

Location: live in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Red Sea, and the Great Barrier Reef

Structural Adaptations: All clownfish are born male and there will be one female who is usually the largest of everyone. That one female is going to mate with the largest male and leave the other males sexually immature. But in case that the female dies, the male will become female and mate with the largest male to continue the breeding process. This is because clownfishes are both with both organs.

Physiological Adaption: Their unique body mucus gives them the protection they need from their predators.

Behavioral Adaptations: They also have a unique body structure, and they utilize the process of reproduction and early detection of their enemy to live a stable life in a new environment. They use their poison to kill other fish so they can eat them and that they can’t be eaten by other fishes too. That is why when they transfer to another habitat, they can safely live there.

Camouflage: Because they are the same color as anemones, they are able to camouflage especially at night to be less visible by other predators.

Special mechanisms: They have what is called "olfactory stimuli,” which means they can easily detect the correct host species. This unique characteristic allows them to determine the host’s scent and is drawn to it. As well, they have more rounded caudal fins, making them a naturally slow and less effective swimmer. Yet they are able to make quick darting movements to avoid predators by hiding within their host anemones.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Perciformes

Family: Pomacentridae

Genus: Amphiprion

Species: Amphiprion Percula

Video: https://youtu.be/MUMX7u7v2uY

Pink Fairy Armadillo - Chaney Clements :

2021-11-12 01:01:58 UTC

Location:Found only in central Argentina, this is the smallest armadillo species in the world. Like other armadillos, pink fairy armadillos have a shell (carapace), but it's softer, thinner and more flexible and covers about half their body. The shell's pink color comes from all the blood vessels close to its surface.

Physical Adaptations: The armored shell consists of 24 bands that allow the animal to curl up in a ball, and the armor is flattened in the posterior portion of the animal so that it can compress dirt behind it as it is digging.Unique adaptations like an aerodynamic body shape, smooth dorsal shell, and sharp claws mean this creature is able to completely bury itself in sand in a matter of seconds and then navigate underground with ease.

Defensive Adaptions: The Pink Fairy Armadillo can curl up to protect the vulnerable soft underside, covered with dense white hair. The armored shell consists of 24 bands that allow the animal to curl up in a ball, and the armor is flattened in the posterior portion of the animal so that it can compress dirt behind it as it is digging.

Behavioral Adaptions: Similar to a mole, the pink fairy armadillo will spend the vast majority of its life underground.This mammal is nocturnal and solitary with a diet that is primarily insects, worms and snails. In particular, its main food source are ants and larvae. The pink fairy armadillo also eats various plant parts, but will only resort to vegetation when other food sources are not readily available.

Camouflage Adaptions: It’s the tinniest species of armadillo in the world and uses its surroundings not just for habitation, but to hide from many different threats. They are elusive and rarely ever seen by humans, and among the least known and studied armadillo species.

Structural Adaptions: This is dependent on the environment and thermoregulation of the armadillo. Irrigation of the blood can increase into carapace of the shell to help lose heat and increase the ‘pink’ appearance. Conversely, it can drain blood from out of the shell to retain body heat which makes the shell colour paler.

Mimicry: They are very elusive and not much is known about them.

Migration: They do not migrate and are very reliant on a stable climate for survival.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cingulata
Family: Chlamyphoridae
Subfamily: Chlamyphoridae
Genus: Chlamyphorus
Species Name:Chlamyphorus Truncatus

Video: https://youtu.be/CrlQJe16zbI

Shoebill

bgarcia024 — 2021-11-12 01:06:34 UTC

Location: They are native to Africa and occupy the east-central part of the continent. The main populations of the shoebill are found in southern Sudan (mainly in the White Nile Sudd), the wetlands of northern Uganda and western Tanzania and the Bangweulu swamp of northeastern Zambia.

Structural adaptation: Shoebills have specially adapted long toes (up to 18cm heel to toe) with no webbing which helps them to balance on the swampy vegetation while stalking prey. Also the have an interesting peak, which is referred to as a bill, which is sharp-edged with a wide gape to capture larger prey such as tilapia or eels.

Behavioral adaptation: Shoebills are birds who seek isolations. It is rare to see these birds in groups, even after the mating season, the male and female birds will split ways, moving to opposite sides of their territory.

Physiological adaptation: They also have a nictitating membrane, a translucent layer that protects their eyes, which is used when hunting and preening. Preening refers to how a bird cleans its feathers with their beak.

Migration: Shoebills are non-migratory birds.

Camouflage: Shoebills use their stature and surroundings to their advantage. They usually catch prey in areas with shallow water and tall vegetation in order to camouflage themselves when staking their prey.

Instinct: Their instinct is to stand and wait for their prey, lurching in the tall vegetation for the perfect time to stretch forward to the water to capture their prey.

Mimicry: At times the shoebill will mimic the movement's of their keepers, such as bowing and head shaking.

Defense mechanisms: The shoebill can use it’s sharp-edge bill to decapitate it’s prey.

Kingdom: Animlia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Pelecaniformes

Family: Balaenicipitdae

Genus: Balaenicipitidae

Species: Balaeniceps rex

Video: https://youtu.be/4ArjlPAU_X4

Aardwolf -Chaney Clements

2021-11-12 01:10:50 UTC

Location: The Aardwolf is an insectivorous carnivore that resembles a small striped hyena. The shy, mainly nocturnal aardwolf lives on the arid plains of Africa. There are two geographically separate populations, one centred in South Africa and the other in East Africa.

Physical Adaptations: Aardwolves do not have strong jaws and teeth. Their molars are like small pegs to assist them in feeding termites and other insects.The long, sticky tongues and the slender muzzles of these mammals are some useful adaptive feature to help them catch their prey.

Defensive Adaptions:They often scare away other animals by raising their long manes which makes them look much larger than they actually are. This often helps them to avoid being preyed on as many predatory animals run away from the Aardwolves, mistaking them for some large and aggressive species.

Camouflage Adaptions: Their tawny-brown coloration provides an excellent camouflage, making it difficult for predators to spot them.

Behavioral Adaptions:They form mating pairs and help raise their young together, but males may mate with other females within neighboring territories. Males and females care for their offspring together for about their first year. When pups are small, the males guard the den while the female leaves to forage for food. Aardwolves have areas within their territories that they use for urination and defecation, called middens. Each time they visit a midden, they dig a hole, do their business, and then pile dirt on top to cover it up.

Structural Adaptions: A mating pair of aardwolves has a home range of up to four square km. Both sexes mark their territories with secretions from their anal glands. Aardwolves are nocturnal and spend their days in underground burrows. They usually use the abandoned dens of aardvarks, porcupines, or springhares.

Mimicry: They raise their manes to make them look like larger more dangerous predators like their cousins the Hyena.

Migration: They do not migrate but there are two separate populations in South and East Africa.

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordate
Class:Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Hyaenidae
Species: P. cristata
Genus: Proteles

Video:https://youtu.be/a4J6NsM2Cco

Jellyfish - Jessica Guardiola

2021-11-12 01:14:24 UTC

Location:
They are found in oceans all over the world. They can be at the surface, deep beneath the sea, in warm water, and in cold water.

Structural Adaptations:
Jellyfish bodies are transparent, or see-through, which allows them to be less visible to potential threats. They have long tentacles, which are flexible limbs, that have multiple purposes, including acting as arms to grab food. Their tentacles have nematocysts, which are stinging cells that can be used to attack

Behavioral Adaptations:
Their behaviors include swimming up in response to somatosensory stimulation, swimming down in response to low salinity, diving in response to turbulence, avoiding rock walls, forming aggregations, and horizontal directional swimming. These are not simple reflexes.

Physiological Adaptations:
Jellyfish adapt their venom to accommodate changing prey and sea conditions. Jellyfish, have tentacles, while others, like bees and snakes use stingers and fangs to inject their prey with venomous toxins.

Migration:
The jellies need sunlight to sustain algae-like zooxanthellae within their tissues; the zooxanthellae in turn sustain the jellies. ... Eventually the jellyfish complete one round-trip migration from west to east and back, each day between sunrise and sunset.

Camouflage
Jellies have adapted their body color to camouflage in the darkness. Most are nearly colorless and transparent, so they can be difficult for predators to see.

Instinct
Jellyfish do not have a brain, they act solely on impulse or instinct.

Special Defense Mechanism
Jellyfish protect themselves from predators with the shocking, stinging cells, nematocysts, on their tentacles.

Video:
https://youtu.be/9z8ujpPgUjI

Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Order: Semaeostomeae
Family: Ulmaridae
Genus: Craspedacusta
Species: Cnidaria

Mantis Shrimp

bgarcia024 — 2021-11-12 01:18:56 UTC

Location: Unlike most crustaceans, they sometimes hunt, chase, and kill prey. Although some live in temperate seas, most species live in tropical and subtropical waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans between eastern Africa and Hawaii.

Structural adaptation: The adaptation that the peacock mantis shrimp are known for is their two limbs called dactyl clubs. With their clubs they are able to use them against their prey and they are able to even smash through shells. Also their eyes can work independently from one another, which allows them to better locate their prey.

Behavioral adaptation: The peacock mantis shrimp practice something called social monogamy, which is unusable behavior for crustaceans. This just means that the mantis shrimp chose one single partner during their lifetime. They are also very territorial and will attack anything.

Migration: The mantis shrimp do not follow any kind of migratory patterns. They prefer to stay in water temperatures of 20-28°C and the bases of coral reefs.

Camouflage: There is a kind of mantis shrimp that camouflage with the seafloor but the peacock uses its striking coloration to scare predators away.

Instinct: Peacock mantis shrimp have killer instincts, attacking their prey with their dactyl clubs.

Defense mechanisms: Unlike other crustaceans with claws or pinchers, the peacock shrimps have a different set of evolved pinchers. The peacock shrimp have arms that extend out rapidly to attack their prey.

Video: https://youtu.be/E0Li1k5hGBE

Kingdom: Animlia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Stomatpoda

Family: Odontodactylidae

Genus: Odontodactylus

Species: Odontodactylus scyllarus

Piranhas - Jessica Guardiola

2021-11-12 01:22:48 UTC

Location:

Piranhas have been found mostly in South America. They are native to the central and southern river systems of South America, where they inhabit tropical rivers and streams and are often found in murky water. They have also been found in ponds, lakes and rivers in the United States.

Structural Adaptations:
The adaptation that piranhas are most well known for are their extremely sharp teeth. These triangular shaped teeth can tear through all types of plants and animals! Piranha lose their teeth periodically, and new teeth grow in that are just as sharp as the old ones.

Behavioral Adaptations:
Piranhas spend most of their time hunting for food. These communal feeders hunt in packs or shoals of up to 30 or more individuals, hiding until they attack their prey. The presence of blood in the water turns the feeding into a frenzy.

Physiological Adaptations:
They have fast beating hearts to help them move quickly. They have extra muscles in their fins for speed. They have stronger stomach acids then ours that helps them digest the meat they eat

Migration:
Piranha are a non migratory fish, they will live in one river system throughout their entire lives.

Camouflage:
Some piranha can have shades of yellow, green and black. This provides a form of camouflage in the muddy waters these fish live in.

Instinct:
Piranha have defense instincts and swim in packs.

Mimicry:
Piranhas and their associated forms use a form of mimicry to keep from being eaten. Juvenile piranhas are able to blend in well with small characins (tetras) that it sometimes takes an expert to separate the harmless from the wolf in sheep's clothing! They take on the colors and fin markings common to many of our smaller favorite tetras. Juvenile Piranhas also play dead on occasion. Many hobbyists have been startled to see their new baby piranha float motionless on the bottom of their tank.

Special Defense Mechanism:
Many experts believe they are actually timid fish, and shoal for protection. Even the most aggressive are thought to be not really dangerous until they are trapped and confined, and then attack in self defense

Video:
https://youtu.be/fHrM6vr-Cfk

Kingdom: Animal
Phulum: Chordate
Class: Ray-finned fishes
Order: Characiformes
Family: Characidae
Genus: Pygocentrus
Species: Ray-finned fishes

gorilla- Marlene

marlenemartinezmendez3 — 2021-11-12 01:25:56 UTC

Location: Gorillas are found in tropical and subtropical forests in the equitarol of Africa. However, there are two gorilla species and they are the eastern and western gorilla. These gorillas have two subspecies which are the mountain and eastern lowland gorilla that is from the eastern gorilla. The western gorilla has the Western lowland and cross river gorilla.

Physiological adaptation: Thanks to the long and thick fur, gorillas adapt to cold environments they are in. The fur helps them stay warm and protects them from sickness such as the flu or pneumonia. The fur also protects them from insect bites.

Behavioral adaptation: Gorillas are known by socializing with their body language and vocalization. They are able to express themselves through facial expressions that help humans understand their needs and emotions.

Structural adaptation: Gorillas are plant eating animals and benefit from microscopic bacteria that live in their colon because it changes to digestible carbohydrates.

Mimicry: Gorillas can mimic noises, face expression and are quick to copy certain movements they see from others. For example this video shows a gorilla mimicking a zookeeper in China. He was washing his hands and trying to put a mask on. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/foodanddrink/news/gorilla-mimics-keeper-by-washing-hands-and-attempting-to-put-mask-on-in-southern-china/vp-AAMYFoj

Migration: Gorillas do not have to travel far to look for food since the rainforest is well vegetated.

Defense mechanisms: When scared, gorillas will stand up to look taller and intimidate predators and beat on their chest. They will create a big dramatic scene to warn their families or call for help. They are capable of biting very deep and causing serious harm or death.

Classification:

Family: Hominidae

Genus Species: Gorilla & beringei

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Video Link: https://youtu.be/rHhSCO5-3Pg

squid- Marlene

marlenemartinezmendez3 — 2021-11-12 01:45:59 UTC

Location: Squids are found in oceans all over the world in different sizes and similar shapes. All squids are different and range from a tiny size to a humongous size. Squids can be found at the very bottom of the ocean, however, at night it decides to swim upward and hunt for fish for a couple of hours.

Physiological adaptation: Squids have torpedo shaped bodies like a rocket. They also have an ink sac that contains ink until it is released when they need to get away quickly. They have large eyes that are equipped with light organs that help them hunt in dark areas. Their tentacles have suction cups that help attack others as they are hooked. Squids also have beaks that are not used to chew, but are rather used to crack hard shells they want to eat.

Behavioral adaptation: When squids are encountered with dangerous predators such as sharks, sea turtles, dolphins or humans, they tend to escape by sucking on a huge amount of water and expelling it so it can propel them through the water and away from predators.

Structural adaptation: Squid have gills used for breathing (which pull oxygen from the water) and are highly adapted to their oceanic environment, making them excellent swimmers.

Mimicry: Instead of the normal grabbing techniques, the squid can flap their tentacles to mimic a prey organism. The movement can also stimulate organisms locally and attract animals to the area, but the vibrations would also attract several prey species.

Camouflage: They can create color patterns that closely match the underlying seafloor. Color changes also occur when the animal is disturbed or feels threatened. They can also produce light and control its intensity.

Migration: Squids migrate during mating season. The Common Squid spends the winter off the coasts of Portugal but in the summer travels to the North Sea to spawn. Squid favor clean waters and can survive in a midwater low oxygen environment where most animals cannot.

Defense mechanisms: Dark ink is the first line of defense for the squid. They use the ink to escape from a predator quickly, and apparently fight with predators on the tentacles too.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Cephalopoda

Order: Teuthida

Family: Loliginidae

Genus: Loligo

Species: brevipenna

Video Link: https://youtu.be/DY8PmkSsxyE

Callosciurus erythraeus - Alleyta Dotsy

2021-11-12 01:48:30 UTC

Where is the animal found: They are found mainly in Southeast Asia, though a few species also occur in Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh, and southern China. Several of the species have settled on islands but most of them live in Tropical Rain Forest.

Physiological:

Red-bellied squirrels are valuable for their ecosystem roles, particularly as seed dispersers.

Behavioral:

Home ranges of adults overlap, with the extent of overlap being less among females than males. When these squirrels do encounter each other, a chase may ensue until the possible "intruder" is moved off the territory, or the territory owner may show indifference and continue normal activity. A fixed dominant hierarchy does exist especially at locations of common feeding and includes both sexes. It appears to be correlated with age.

Most squirrels in Callosciurus live in tropical rain forests, but some individuals live in parks and gardens in cities. In the trees, they build their nests out of plant material. They are solitary and give birth to one to five young. Their food consists of nuts, fruits, and seeds, and also of insects and bird eggs.

Structural Adaptations: Adaptations: Callosciurus (Provost) is a genus of squirrels. They have several adaptations abilities one is their ability to adapt to a wide range of foods. Secondly, Callosciurus have active foraging skills, and hoarding behavior happens to be the key factor in their ability to survive outside of their native habitat.

Camouflage:

Callosciurus finlaysonii, is distributed in lowland forests through-out South-East Asia. Its pelage colour is conspicuous and polymorphic (red, black, white and a mixture of these colours), which is characteristic of the species, with 16 subspecies described based on pelage colour patterns.

Migration:

There is no threat to this species as they have been widely introduced from their ancestral home ranges to new localities such as Tomogashima Island. Numbers there have increased profoundly and these squirrels had colonized the whole island by 1959, only 5 years after being first introduced.

They are found mainly in Southeast Asia, though a few species also occur in Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh, and southern China.

Defense Mechanisms:

Most species nest in holes in tree trunks or branches. These animals make a nest of dried leaves, twigs, and softwood. Tree shrews are territorial, meaning they protect their own territory. They release droplets of urine and scent to mark their territory.

Classification:

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Metazoa

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Family: Sciuridae

Genus: Callosciurus

Species: Callosciurus erythraeus

https://youtu.be/5ByZ9Q0rnA8

Hedgehog -Alleyta Dotsy

2021-11-12 02:06:18 UTC

Where is the animal found: Throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and New Zealand.

Physiological:

Hedgehogs were included in the list of pests by the New Zealand authorities, along with rats. The struggle with these animals is complicated by the fact that many cannot overcome the psychological barrier. Hedgehogs look so cute that people cannot destroy them. Scientists have even come up with a very exotic solution to the problem. Hedgehogs have voracious appetites. They pose a threat to native weta, skinks, and the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds. Hedgehogs are abundant throughout New Zealand and pose a significant threat to many of our native species.

Behavioral:

When the hedgehog is frightened it tightens this muscle, that acts as a drawstring, and it enables the hedgehog to hide its head, belly, feet, and legs in a prickly coat of erect spines. This unique hedgehog activity is made possible by the orbicularis muscle, which runs along the edges of their body
When hedgehogs are nervous, a balled-up hedgehog also may snuffle, snort.

Structural Adaptations: These spiny animals have adapted to their environment by developing several defense mechanisms and a heightened sense of smell to detect food. Using these adaptations, hedgehogs can survive in a myriad of conditions. Coloring, in order to blend in with its surroundings, especially rocks and trees, a hedgehog features brown or gray coloring with a light gray belly. Habitat, the ability to climb allows hedgehogs to adapt to their surroundings with the ability to both burrow underground for safety and climb trees to escape predators. Hibernation, because of the climate in Europe, hedgehogs enter a state of hibernation to avoid extreme coldness and make up for the lack of food during the winter months. This ability to hibernate has allowed the hedgehog to adapt to various climates.

Camouflage:

Hedgehog coloration is generally believed to be a form of passive defense, through camouflage. Hedgehogs are not very fearsome, and mostly rely on their size, camouflage, and their spines for defense against natural predators

Mimicry:

Hedgehogs make a range of different sounds. They can grunt and snuffle like little piggies, but can also make chuffing and chugging noises much like a steam train. Not only this, but hedgehogs can also make chirping and tweeting sound very similar to the noises that small or baby birds make.

Migration:

The reason is simple, as climate changes, wild hedgehogs will always migrate from place to place, in search of a comfy place to either seek shelter or to hibernate. This usually happens in the colder countries, likewise, if your garden is well-kept and maintained, it would seem very much inviting to hedgehogs and other wildlife too.

Defense Mechanisms:

Close-up of the last 5 mm of a hedgehog spine (SEM microscopy) A hedgehog that feels threatened can roll into a tight ball. All species of hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball in self-defense, causing all of the spines to point outwards. The hedgehog's back contains two large muscles that control the position of the quills.

Classification:

Kingdom: | Animalia

Phylum: | Chordata

Class: | Mammalia

Order: | Eulipotyphla

Family: | Erinaceidae

Subfamily: | Erinaceinae

Video:https://youtu.be/lkzjazg1Zfo

Leslie Guerrero - Chimpanzee

2021-11-12 03:24:23 UTC

Location: Chimps have the widest geographic distribution of any great ape, with a range of more than 2.6 million kilometers. From southern Senegal across the forested belt north of the Congo River to western Uganda and western Tanzania. Tropical rainforest to woodlands and grasslands.

Structural Adaptations:
Its most distinguishing characteristics are its arms, legs, pelvis, hands, and feet. Its arms are longer than its legs, making swinging and climbing much easier with longer, better-adapted arms. The legs are shorter, but adapted well for walking, running, and standing. Having no tail, the pelvis is better adapted for sitting. The use of sensory helps them in seeing, hearing, and smelling leading to becoming aware of predators and the food search.

Behavioral Adaptations:
At night chimps construct nests of leaves and branches 18-29 feet high in a tree. Hunters, males will hunt cooperatively for baby monkeys or bush pigs. They use sticks to help them catch food to eat, They also use a large number of leaves as sponges to soak up or gather drinkable water.

Migration:
Chimpanzees are mammals therefore they do not hibernate or migrate. They tend to stay in the same location their entire lives unless they must move.

Camouflage:
Chimpanzees camouflage to survive by the dark colors that help them survive from predators such as leopards, lions, and crocodiles. They are also able to hide and protect themselves when under attack.

Instinct:
Chimpanzees have social behaviors that have extraverted dispositions, they are very social and live with large groups or communities. They are very associated and are identified to be the closest animal to humans.

Mimicry:
Chimpanzees do mimic others' expressions or actions, just like humans. Based on studies it has been noted that it occurs when sharing of focuses attention between their own species. The mimicry consists of subtle and autonomic signals such as pupil dilations.

Special Defense Mechanism:
Chimpanzees use their strong bite and fangs to fight with an opponent. Very Intelligent, using muscles to slam, wrestle, hit, kick, stop, and pull to defend themselves.

Classifications:
Kingdom - Animalia (animal)
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Order - Primates
Family - Hominidae

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2TBicMRLtA

Llama- Valeria Soto

valsoto0529 — 2021-11-12 03:24:45 UTC

Location: Their habitat is high plateau covered with shrubs, stunted trees and grasses. Llamas' usually are in the Andes Mountains of South America, primarily Peru and Bolivia.

Adaptation: The high concentration of hemoglobin in their blood to help them survive in a high-altitude environment where there is little oxygen. The thick fur helps to protect them against animal bites. Llamas’ eyes are on the sides of their heads, so they are able to see all directions. Llamas can escape predators by running very quickly, at speeds of up to 40 mph. The ability to spit can help the llama to scare their predators.

Video: https://youtu.be/AxrslX3YdGs

Lynx - Stephanie Villegas

2021-11-12 03:32:18 UTC

Location: Most Lynx are ranged to be in forest and tundra regions across Canada and into Alaska, as well as some parts of the northern United States.

Behavioral adaptation: Lynx store their leftover meat to keep it somewhere safe. They are naturally aggressive and territorial. They become independent to not rely on anyone for survival.

Physiological adaptation: Lynx also have remarkable night vision that helps them to hunt at night. Their whiskers and hearing also help them hunt at night. Their whiskers are sensitive muscles that allow them to feel things in the dark. Its ears help them hear quiet and high-pitched sounds, especially from hares, which are their primary source of food. The lynx's sharp claws and bristly tongues allow them to remove meat from bones after they make a kill. Its tongue is made up of unique bumps that not only help in grooming and drinking water but also scouring meat from bones.

Structure adaptation: Lynx adapt to cold weather as they have thick winter coats, they also have wide, padded, furry paws that work like snowshoes to help survive winter’s difficult conditions.

Camouflage: Lynx can camouflage in their environment through a seasonally color-changing fur coat. Their fur changes from brown in the summer to all white in the winter.

Migration: Lynx are adapted to their cold environments and endure cold weather climates.

Instincts: Lynx fight as instincts if they feel threatened and pounce.

Mimicry: Lynx mimics domestic cat behavior.

Special mechanism: Lynx are skilled predators and have impressive hunting skills. they have tufts on their ears as hearing aid and their eyesight is so strong that a lynx can spot a mouse 250 feet away.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata (vertebrates)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

Family: Felidae (cats)

Genus: Lynx (big cats)

Species: Lynx lynx (Eurasian Lynx)

Video:
https://youtu.be/swiSMSWgbKE

Leslie Guerrero - Moose

2021-11-12 03:34:11 UTC

Location: Moose are found in the northern regions of the United States, from Maine to Washington, throughout Canada, and into Alaska. Due to their large size and insulating fur, moose are limited to cold climates. Forested areas with streams and ponds are ideal moose habitats.

Structural Adaptations:
Moose can survive very cold weather as their fur is an excellent insulator. Moose are well-suited for spending time in the water. Long, strong legs allow moose to walk easily in shallow waters and swim in deeper waters. Male moose grow antlers that usually measure between 4 and 5 feet in width although they can be as large as 6 feet wide. Antlers are chiefly used to attract female mates, but can also be used as communication tools, to assert dominance over other males, and to fight. Smell and hearing can help detect and sense predators.

Behavioral Adaptations:
Moose do not migrate or hibernate in fact during winter their large bodies reduce heat loss due to a low surface area. They do look for a sheltered area where they can look for food.

Physiological Adaptations:
Fur, Moses survives winter storms with what is considered one of the thickest and insulated hair coats of any land mammal. For spring they shed their winter coats due to stress from the heat on summer days. As low as 57 degrees Moses get stressed from the heat and it leads to not building enough stored fat to help them survive the winter storms.

Migration:
Moses doesn't migrate or hibernate, they can find food all winter.

Camouflage:
They vary in colors from almost black to very light brown, in wintertime, they turn a grayish color that helps camouflage them in the snow.

Instinct:
Moses tilts their head while they run through vegetation and flatten their antlers to prevent them from catching on shrubs and bushes.

Mimicry:
Unique sounds that are made by a female moose (cow) or imitating a male moose (bull).

Special Defense Mechanism:
The moose Antlers and hooves help moose defend themselves from predators such as bears or wolves.

Classifications:
Kingdom - Animalia (animal)
Phylum - Chordata (vertebrate)
Class - Mammalia (Mammal)
Order - Artiodactyla
Family - Cervidae
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deMT4g6oKSY

Leopards - Stephanie Villegas

2021-11-12 03:51:51 UTC

Location: Leopards live in woodland, grassland savannas and in the forest. They are found in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.

Behavioral adaptation: Leopards can carry their prey up to trees, so other animals won’t steal it from them. Leopards hunt antelope, pigs, and deer.

Physiological adaptation: Leopards are nocturnal, They have strong and fast bodies with enormous heads and jaws and sharp canine teeth and claws that allow them to attack and capture prey to eat. They are comfortable in the water where they hunt for crab and fish.

Structure adaptation: Leopards are highly adaptable, with a diverse diet.

Camouflage: When being in a tree canopy, leopards' spotted coats provide camouflage to help protect them from predators and scavengers that want to steal their prey. Leopards use the tall grasses of the savannah to stalk their prey.

Migration: Leopards are territorial solitary animals and migration for a long distance is very rare.

Instincts: Leopards will growl when angry and purr when content.

Mimicry: Leopards can mimic through having a distinctive call and skilled climbing.

Special mechanism: Leopards have a unique spot pattern that is called rosettes. The pattern combined with the yellow, brown, and tan colors helps them blend in, making it an easier way to stalk and prey when unseen.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Chordata (vertebrates)
Class: Mammalia (mammals)
Order: Carnivora (carnivores)
Family: Felidae (cats)

Genus: Panthera (big cats)

Species: Panthera pardus (leopard)

Video: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/eye-leopard/#eye-of-the-leopard

Harp Seal- Valeria Soto

valsoto0529 — 2021-11-12 03:54:16 UTC

Location: Harp seals live in cold waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. They are more popular in the Barents Sea, East Coast of Greenland, and Northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Adaptation: The thick layer of blubber just beneath the skin it helps the harp seal to stay warm in the frigid waters. The blubber also helps streamline the body to make it more efficient for swimming. Also, seals have extremely flexible bodies. They can submerged for up to 15 minutes.

Video: https://youtu.be/8wtfNKy2_oExzx

Wyeomyia smithii the pitcher plant mosquito (Andrea Aguilar)

2021-11-12 16:05:53 UTC

Location:
The pitcher plant is mainly found throughout eastern North America.

Behavioural Adaptation:
The mosquito completes its pre-adult life cycle inside the pitcher plant. The pitcher plant forms a perfect home for winter dormancy because of its small water-filled cavity.
Global warming has dramatically impacted the pitcher-plant mosquito, one of the first animals to be documented to have genetic adaptation. Due to the higher temperatures, the mosquito has emerged from their dormant season and developed earlier in the growing season. One adaptation that has been documented is the change in the mosquito's photoperiod, the day length the mosquitoes use as a cue to grow and reproduce.

Physiological Adaptation: Mosquitos respond to warming temperatures through three primary mechanisms: tracking suitable temperatures through range shifts, avoiding or temporarily coping with stressful temperatures through phenotypic plasticity, shifting biting activity to cooler times, and tolerating warming through evolutionary genetic adaptation.

The pitcher plant mosquito has been a part of scientific studies because of its co-evolution with the purple pitcher plant. The connection between the two species highlights a genetic response to climate change—the genetic response details how the two species can evolve quickly to make accommodations due to climate changes. The water-filled pitcher plant is a suitable home for the mosquito in its habitat range. The pitcher plant has adapted to have fluid with a higher pH than other, more acidic, carnivorous pitcher plants. This adaptation allows the mosquito to inhabit the pitcher plant and prey on the food the plant catches.

Structural Adaptations: Pointy straw-like mouth helps the mosquito extract the blood from its prey.

The pitcher plant and the mosquitos relationship create a mutualism relationship between both species and evolves together. Both species have adapted to climate change and can endure climate change by adjusting to each other, making both species suitable.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Culicidae
Genus: Wyeomyia
Species: W. smithii

https://youtu.be/v9psfW2jJIQ

White- naped Crane (Martha Codrescu

marthacarreon51 — 2021-11-12 20:35:03 UTC

Location:
White-naped cranes are native to northern Mongolia, southern Siberia, Korea, Japan, and central China, and are found in grassy marshes, wet sedge meadows, and reedbeds in broad river valleys, lake depressions, and boggy upland wetlands.

Adaptations:
Behavioral- Largely solitary cranes and come together only during the breeding season. The white-naped cranes form pair bonds and stay with their mate throughout their life. In the case of the Sandhill crane, they are monogamous and form pair bonds. Once their mate dies, the surviving crane begins searching for another mate.

Psychological- These cranes have a set of courtship rituals, including unison calling as well as dancing. Females start the call for the male. The female keeps her wings folded at her sides, and the male lifts his wings over his back. The dance includes multiple displays, namely jumping, running, bowing, and grass tossing. Their breeding season is in the months of April to June. Mating happens by April.

Females lay two eggs per clutch in a period of two to three days. Both males and females are equally involved in building the nests by April for the young and raising them. The nest is not similar to smaller species of bird. Their nest is made up roughly just to provide the chicks with shelter. Nesting sites may change throughout their life. Breeding parents are seen around the nest at most times to avoid attack from any predators near the nest. The eggs are medium sizes, and the incubation period lasts 28-32 days. The juveniles are born featherless and are completely dependent on their parents in the initial few weeks. They learn to fly using their wings gradually.

Structural- They are proficient diggers, excavating the tubers of several species of sedges and feeding on plant matter, such as seeds, roots, and tubers of aquatic plants. They also eat insects and small vertebrates, such as amphibians and rodents. Outside of the breeding season, white-naped cranes consume more grains, seeds, and tubers.

Migration- The White-naped Cranes are migratory. The eastern populations migrate through Korean Peninsula, and winter in the Demilitarized Zone between N and S Korea.
Several hundreds of birds continue southwards to S Japan and join a large wintering population of Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha).
The western populations migrate through C and E China to the wintering areas of Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu Provinces.

Camouflage- Nests are built on the ground like a mound of vegetation. 2 eggs are laid and incubated for 30 days with both parents taking turns to brood. The eggs are dark and mottled to camouflage from greedy eyes.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-vGpEotSVY

Meerkat (Martha Codrescu)

marthacarreon51 — 2021-11-12 20:40:01 UTC

Location:
Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and south-western Angola, and in South Africa.

Adaptations:
Behavioral- Meerkats band together to form what appears to be a giant, hissing animal. This is achieved by grouping tightly together, fluffing up their fur, and surging forward with their teeth bared and tails held high.

Physiological- Meerkats have a well-developed immune system that allows them to eat scorpions and snakes and not be affected by their venom. Whereas a scorpion sting or snake bite could paralyze an adult and potentially kill a child.

Structural- Meerkats have dark patches around their eyes which reduce the glare of the sun, helping them being able to see far into the distance, enabling them to be effective lookouts for predators. They also have long, horizontal pupils that give them a wide range of color vision without having to turn their heads around.

Migration- Packs typically migrate among multiple burrows within a single home range. Migration is influenced by several factors including resource availability, population density, flooding, and predation threats. Males typically migrate to other groups while females remain in their natal pack. Aggressive behavior between packs has been observed, suggesting that packs are highly territorial

Camouflage- Their skin and furs imitate the natural surroundings around them. Meerkats’ coat resembling the color of the desert helps them to avoid any incoming threat. Whatsoever, they have always a few sentries to look around and communicate about any impending danger.

Classification: Mammal

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8JKXlTY70g

Cape Buffalo (Reina Herrera)

2021-11-13 05:41:05 UTC

Location:
The cape buffalo is a distinctive African buffalo in South and East Africa. They prefer to graze close to water and are only found within 2 km of a water source. The African buffalo, also known as the cape buffalo, has two distinct subspecies which look so different they could almost be different species. The savanna and forest buffalo, as they are known, live in different habitats. Because of this, the animals have developed physical and behavioral adaptations to survive in the various habitats. Both subspecies also share several adaptations.

Adaptations:
Behavioral:
The buffalo has adapted a relationship with some African bird species, such as the oxpecker. These small birds sit on the large animal's back and pick ticks, lice and flies from the skin and help give relief from these biting insects. Although the animals have poor hearing, they do communicate with grunts and bellows. Male buffalo use the large horns to fight each other to establish dominance. The male's horns are connected by a boss, while the female's horns are separate.

Physiological:
Living out on the open plains, the savanna variety of cape buffalo has adapted to be large and powerful. The forest buffalo is smaller, living in a more space confined habitat. The forest buffalo also has adapted its horns to face backward instead of forward like the savanna buffalo. This helps it avoid getting tangled in tree branches. A large tuft of hair at the tip of the tail serves as a fly swatter to keep biting insects off of the animal's hindquarters. Hearing and eyesight is weak in the animals, but the sense of smell is well-developed. The powerful leg muscles in adult buffalo means they can sprint at speeds of 37 miles per hour. As a member of the Bovidae family, the African buffalo is a well-adapted herbivore. The animal has flattened molar teeth that help crush and chew fibrous plant materials that make up its diet. Specific bacterias, fungus and protozoa within the animal's digestive system help to break down the cellulose in the plants. They also have a four-chambered stomach, which helps to extract every last bit of nutrition possible. Almost constant grazing is also important to meet the energy requirements of such a large animal.

Structural:
The Cape buffalo’s curved horns add to the stature of an already imposing animal, which can reach seven feet from tip to tail. Horns can help distinguish age and sex. In large adult males, the horns meet in the middle of their heads and are joined by a hard shield called a “boss.” This creates a helmet-esque formation. The horns are used for defense and to determine dominance for mating. Females also have horns that are narrower and smaller.

Predator defense:
Living on a continent with so many large, powerful predators, the African buffalo has to adapt to survive. The pure size of the animal and its protective horns are a major adaptation against predators. Aggressive personalities against predators also help to ward off danger. Behaviorally, the herding nature of the animals is also beneficial, with some herds numbering in the thousands. If a member of the herd is in danger, it will bellow and the rest of the herd will run to try and help.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Genus: Syncerus
Species: S. caffer

Video:
https://youtu.be/JBVwZFiTM9

Centipede (Reina Herrera)

2021-11-13 06:03:05 UTC

Location:
Centipedes live all over the world, in South America, North America, Africa, and Europe. Some of the largest centipedes are located in South America. Centipedes prefer moist, dark, and cool habitats. The centipede is mainly a nocturnal creature, but may be seen during the day.

Adaptations:
Behavioral:
Centipedes have adapted successfully to a wide range of environments. For example, the giant desert centipede (Scolopendra heros) and the common desert centipede (Scolopendra polymorpha) live in the desert. They hide from the heat and scorching sun during the day, then hunt for food at night. Other centipedes, such as the wood centipede (Lithobius forficatus) have adapted to cold weather by developing a tolerance to freezing. Wood centipedes could inoculate themselves against freezing to survive the winter. A centipede’s first line of defense is to use its speed to escape an attacker -- if this doesn’t work, they will use their venom. Centipedes deliver venom using their first pair of legs, which are highly modified and function like the fangs of a spider.

Physiological:
All centipedes have one thing in common: their forcipules. No other creatures have these distinctive adaptations. The forcipules are modified legs found right behind the centipede's head. They operate as pinchers that grab prey and inject it with venom that passes from glands into a tube in each of the legs. These forcipules can take down many types of prey, including spiders, insects. Because these are not really part of the centipede’s mouth, if you are “bitten” by one of these creatures, you are actually just being pinched by its forcipules and, possibly, injected with its venom. Centipede venom contains a number of different chemicals, including serotonin, histamines, and acetylcholine. In humans, the histamines can cause an allergic reaction, particularly in people who have sensitivity to the venom of insects. The serotonin causes intense pain, particularly when the venom comes from one of the larger centipede species, such as the Amazonian giant centipede, which can be over 12 inches long. This venom serves as another adaptation that allows centipedes to easily kill prey larger than itself. The Amazonian giant centipede, for example, eats frogs, mice and bats.

Structural:
Most centipedes stay in dark, moist areas where food sources are plentiful. They tend to have simple eyes or no eyes at all. Even the species that have compound eyes do not have very good vision. Instead, centipedes rely on their antennae to sense potential prey. The sensitivity of their antennae is more effective than their eyes would be at locating food in these dark environments, and this adaptation allows them to hunt for prey without exposing themselves to their own predators.

Migration:
If the outside weather becomes too hot or dry, centipedes will migrate inside homes and other structures or other environments in search of water.

Camouflage:
The common colors of centipedes are found in nature: greens, browns, reds and yellows. These colors allow the centipedes to blend in with their environments. Centipedes camouflage themselves in their habitats, hiding from prey and predators under rocks, logs, mulch, leaves and wood piles.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)
Phylum: Arthropod
Class: Chilopoda (Latreille)
Order: Scolopendromorpha
Family: Scolopendridae

Genus: Scolopendra
Species: Scolopendra gigantea

Video:
https://youtu.be/TzF0GKfOvRY

Noenna Holmes- Okapi

noennah — 2021-11-13 19:26:45 UTC

Location: Native to the Ituri Rainforest of Central Africa at the north-eastern regions of the Congo

Adaptations:
Migration: The Okapi does not migrate or hibernate as a species, but is a solitary animal that does not move around much.
Camouflage: Their brown coat with the white stripes allows them to hide amongst the forest.

Behavioral- These animals are not gregarious at all. They tend to be alone unless its a mother and her young. Okapi will sometimes eat in a group but this is a rare sight. These mammals are diurnal which means they are awake and eating during the day. These animals also rely on their hearing because they are in a densely wooded forest and cannot see their predators coming. Okapi are a territorial animal by nature or instinct, and because they spend most of their time in solitary its not hard to distinguish whos area is whos. The male okapi usually mark larger territories than the females. Okapi mark their territory by spraying urine, secreting a black tar-like substance from scent glands on each foot, and rubbing their necks on trees. The males mark territory but urine or rubbing their necks on trees surrounding them. The neck of the okapi is dense and used for fighting off predators or other males during mating seasons.

Structural-
The Okapi is closely related to the giraffe although the okapis neck is shorter they have the same head structure, okapis heads are a bit smaller in size. The Okapi's coloring is dark on the body and the back of the hind legs are striped with a little bit of white coloring, their striped hindquarters break up any outline, making it difficult for predators to spot them. They have this distinction so that in the heavily wooded areas they can stay safe. Another great adaptation these animals have is their large ears, they need these because they cannot see very far due to the woods so hearing is their primary source for detecting predators.

Physiological- They spend their waking hours foraging for food. They feed on leaves, fruits, grasses and some species of fungi. They also eat a reddish clay that provides essential salt and minerals. The Okapi has a narrow almost pointed muzzle which is well suited for the types of plants that they eat. Their tongues are also long, they can even use their tongue to clean their ears. their tongues are Dark-bluish colored with pointed extremity, smooth base, and papillae on surface. The tongue can be extended 25 cm beyond snout to groom whole body, even wiping the eyes, cleaning the ears and nostrils. Like their close relative the giraffe the okapi have skin-covered horn-like ossicones.

Fun Facts:
Okapis have unusual chromosome numbers; rather the normal 46 chromosomes, numbers may be 45 or even 44

In other animals such variations are abnormal or fatal; okapis with such numbers are otherwise normal.

https://youtu.be/_bUULAuqy_s

Noenna Holmes- Millipede

noennah — 2021-11-13 20:23:53 UTC

Location- Millipedes are found in every U.S. state, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Moist soil beneath decaying leaf litter or mulch is a millipede's prime habitat

Adaptations:
Migration: In the fall, millipedes often migrate. They move out of their normal habitat. Scientists suspect they may be trying to get ready for winter. However, millipedes have also been seen migrating after a heavy rain has flooded their habitat. During these migrations, millipedes often find their way into homes.
Camouflage- Millipedes live very long lives. They are extremely good at camouflage, and they can effectively evade predators by staying buried underground.

Behavioral- Like centipedes, millipedes spend most of their time in cool wet places and become active only at night or after rains. Many millipedes defend themselves by rolling their bodies up into a ball or spiral, this is part of their instincts. This behavior protects the legs and delicate underside of the animal, leaving only the hard plates of the body segments exposed. Some species also protect themselves by producing toxic or bad-smelling chemicals through a series of openings on the sides of their bodies. Some larger tropical species can actually squirt their attackers with a defensive spray.

Structural:
Millipedes belong to the class Diplopoda or Arthropods which means they have the presence of a jointed skeletal covering composed of chitin, a complex sugar. These millipedes have diplosomites which are trunk segments formed from the fusion of 2 segments. Millipedes of up to 200 pairs of legs in some species. But the head is legless and the next three segments only contain 1 set of legs. Each segment of the invertebrate has 2 sets of internal organs, for example two pairs of ganglia and two pairs of heart arteries. Their heads have eyes, antennae, and one maxilla. Millipedes can be anywhere between 2-28 mm long or 0.08-11 inches. Depending on the species millipedes can have anywhere from 11-100 diplosomites or segments on their bodies.

Physiological-
Millipedes are not defensive, they do not usually bite humans but instead tuck their heads and curl into a coil. This maneuver exposes the exoskeleton and some species release a pungent toxic liquid or even a gas from their lateral glands. Millipedes have very unique matting techniques, one species the males make a web and deposit their sperm into it and then the females come by and put it into their own reproductive systems. Another species called the pill millipede the male coaxes the females' by rubbing its legs against his body making a squeaking noise and when the female comes over he grabs her and then a sperm packet is released behind the males head, The male then transfers the sack by conveyor belt form using one set of legs to the other until it reaches the females' reproductive system. These are strange tactics because usually the male has to directly deposit the sperm into the females reproductive system but in their case most species the females do it themselves. most of the time there is not courtship with this Arthropod.

Link:
https://youtu.be/6yWUz-SFD-Q

Noenna Holmes- Great White Shark

noennah — 2021-11-13 22:38:37 UTC

Location Found: Along the Coastal and Offshore Waters Temperatures between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius ( 54-75 degrees Ferin height).

Adaptations- Sharks use four senses to hunt down their food, Sight Smell, Hearing, and Electro sense. Great white sharks also have Gills and nostrils. The sharks nostrils are only for smelling since they have gills to breathe under the water. Sharks also have a special set of organs called ampullae of lorenzini which helps them sense the electric fields of other animals moving around them. Great white sharks mouths can be up to 4 Ft. wide with razor sharp teeth to shred their prey, with their 7 rows of teeth adding up to about 300. The sharks move in the water using their fins to propel them in a stealthy fashion.

Migration: Great white sharks are known to be highly migratory, with individuals making long migrations every year. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, great whites regularly migrate between Mexico and Hawaii. In other ocean basins, individuals may migrate even longer distances.

Camouflage: The color of the shark acts like an invisibility cloak dark on the top and light underneath. This is called countershading- if you look down into the water the dark color of the top of the shark is camouflaging it into the dark water but from underneath the white part matches with the lighter shades of the water. The below video explains this adaptation.
https://kera.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nat16.sci.lisci.countershade/animal-adaptations-countershading-camouflage-and-great-white-sharks/?student=true

Link:
https://youtu.be/yp9YKEO9e1w

Diving Bell Spider

salinasbianca87 — 2021-11-14 19:43:49 UTC

Bianca Salians
Location: Found in northern and central Europe and northern Asia up to latitude 62°N. It is the only spider known to spend its whole life under water. However it breathes air, which it traps in a bubble held by hairs on its abdomen and legs

Structural Adaptation: Water-repellent hairs on its body trap a thin layer of air whenever it returns to its bubble. The trapped air acts as scuba skin. It stays with the spider as it moves about to hunt, allowing it to breathe while swimming. Their web is unique as they weave a silk bubble that is dome –shaped amidst the underwater vegetation known as diving bell. The egg sac is also constructed by the female spider within this bell.

Behavioral Adaptations: Argyroneta aquatica is the only known spider to live out its entire life underwater. Females and males build separate underwater nests or “diving bells” in which each spider stores surface air. This diving bell is used for digestion of prey, molting, deposition of sperm and eggs, copulation, and as a brooding chamber. The diving bell is usually attached to water plants and has been said to resemble a short, wide-based thimble in structure. The spiderlings remain with their mother for a while after birth till they mature, post which they disperse to lead a life of their own.

Physiological Adaptations: It is able to breathe underwater the same as it would on land. It is able to use the specialized openings on its body like plastrons in other insects to put oxygen into the bell for later use. Though they are not known to cause much harm to humans, the diving bell spiders have a painful bite which might result in mild fever, vomiting, localized pain and inflammation that would subside in a few days.

Special Defense: Argyroneta aquatica displays a silvery appearance due to the presence of the air bubble surrounding its abdomen. Outside of the water, the water spider has a brown cephalothorax and a dark velvety abdomen. Like other spiders, the abdomen is covered with hairs, however the water spider uses these hairs to capture a bubble of air around its abdomen. Since the respiratory organs of spiders are located on their abdomens, the bubble serves as a supply of oxygen.

Video: https://youtu.be/TsXN7ZMi7mE

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Araneae

Family: Cybaeidae

Genus: Argyroneta Latreille, 1804

Species: A. aquatica

Stick Bug

salinasbianca87 — 2021-11-14 19:44:52 UTC

Bianca Salinas
Location: Found predominantly in the tropics and subtropics although several species live in temperate regions, stick insects thrive in forests and grasslands, where they feed on leaves. They mostly live in temperate and tropical regions. Within these areas, the stick insect usually inhabits woodlands and tropical forests, where it hides on trees in plain sight.

Structural Adaptation: physical features that give an organism a better chance to survive in their particular environment and include: skin coloring and markings that camouflage the insect and make it look like a leaf or stick. Should a bird or other predator grab hold of its leg, a stick insect can still make an easy escape. Using a special muscle to break it off at a weak joint, the imperiled insect simply sheds the leg in a defensive strategy known as autotomy. Juvenile stick insects regenerate the missing limb the next time they molt. In some cases, adult stick insects can even force themselves to molt in order to regain a lost leg.

Behavioral Adaptations: in stick insects is the ability of the insect to play dead. This is called thanatosis. Stick insect mothers aren't the most maternal. While some stick insects females actually make an effort to hide their eggs by sticking them to leaves or bark or placing them in the soil they typically drop eggs randomly on the forest floor, leaving the youngsters to whatever fate befalls them. Don't be so quick to judge mama stick insect, though. By spreading her eggs out, she lessens the chance of predators finding and eating all of her offspring at once. It's also helpful that the eggs resemble seeds, so carnivorous predators are less likely to take a closer look.

Physiological Adaptations: Their twig-like body, long, thin legs and long antennae help them blend in with the twigs and branches where they feed. Their brownish-green color also acts as camouflage and makes it hard to see them when they are feeding on leaves in the trees. These physical adaptations help them survive in their forest habitat.

Mimicry: Walking sticks are adept at confusing predators into thinking they're sticks rather than prey. These insects are proficient not just at remaining still but at swinging their bodies back and forth to mimic tree shoots moving in a breeze. It's rare for animals to feed on sticks, so this unique adaptation is an effective one.

Video: https://youtu.be/Nxs0Q7ktaKU

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Cohort: Polyneoptera
(unranked): Anartioptera
Magnorder: Polyorthoptera
Superorder: Orthopterida
Order: Phasmatodea

Slender Loris- Melinda McClellan

2021-11-16 18:08:09 UTC

The slender loris is a species native to India and Sri Lanka.

Behavioral adaptation: they have is that they sleep in social groups. They do this to protect each other from predators.

Physiological adaptation: they balance very well despite the fact that their arms and legs are so skinny. They are still able to support their body.

Structural adaptation: their eyes and hands. Their hands have joints in their little fingers that allow them to grip onto and climb trees even on very thin branches. Their ability to balance on these is quite amazing, especially without a tail. Their eyes have also evolved to be very large to support their need to see at night time, which is when they hunt for insects, berries, plants, and sometimes bird's eggs. Their grayish brown fur allows them to camouflage with their surroundings as well as they hunt at night time.

Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)

Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrate)

Class: Mammalia (Mammals)

Order: Primates

Family: Lorisdae (Type of primate)

Genus: Loris

Species: Slender Loris

https://youtu.be/OuuTFvNtA80

Monarch Butterfly- Melinda McClellan

2021-11-16 18:20:51 UTC

The monarch butterfly can be found across North America.

Camouflage: When they are resting or "roosting," their wings are closed showing the underside of their wings. The underside of their wings reveals their camouflage that looks just like dried up leaves. The colored orange and black on their wings tells predators that they are poisonous to eat.

Behavioral adaptations: They also do something called puddling where they sip water from puddles or soil after the rain to drink but also get salts which help fertility. Their straw like tongue called a proboscis allows them to eat nectar.

Migration: The monarch butterfly migrates every fall to Mexico, which is their breeding grounds.

Kingdom: Animalia (animal)

Phylum: Anthropoda (Invertebrate)

Class: Insecta (bug)

Order: Lepidoptera (butterfly/moth)

Family: Nymphalidae (butterfly)

Genus: Danaus (tiger butterfly tribe)

Species:D. Plexippus (Monarch)

https://youtu.be/OuuTFvNtA80

Japanese Squirrels - Mary Moss

2021-11-17 03:07:17 UTC

The Japanese squirrel, as the name suggests, is only found on the island nation of Japan. It now occupies the main island of Honshu and the smaller southwestern island of Shikoku, but it may have disappeared from the western island of Kyushu. The Japanese squirrel shows a preference for lowland mixed forests and the lower slopes of forested mountains. It’s also found in suburban and even urban environments that harbor enough tree cover.

Behavioral adaptations:
As these squirrels run near the treetops, they become prey to owls. However, they run very fast and are quite agile and quick, making them less vulnerable to being caught. At times, many individuals of the same gender are found to be sitting together in a tree. During the mating season, individuals of both genders are found sitting together.

Physiological Adaptations:
Owing to the color of their fur, Japanese dwarf flying squirrels are quite undetectable when they sit on trees. This camouflage makes them look inconspicuous against the tree bark, confusing predators into thinking that it is just a bump on the bark. This enables them to forage for food at night without any danger. Females leave their young at night in the nest to gather food.

Structural Adaptations:
Their large, dark eyes are specially adapted for night vision; they see as well at night as humans can see during the day. A furry membrane unites the front and back legs. When stretched, it acts like a parachute, enabling the squirrel to glide from higher branches to lower ones.

Video:
https://youtu.be/a8AhigMfu0s

Classifications:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Sciurus
Scientific Name: Sciurus lis

Toucan - Mary Moss

2021-11-17 03:33:06 UTC

The Toucan is located in both Central and South America.

Behavioral Adaptations:
The Toucan lives in pairs or small flocks of about six, they are active and loud noises of deep or high loud crock sounds.

Structural Adaptations:
For one, the keel-billed toucan has a long, light beak that takes up 1/3 of its body. The bill is made out of keratin which is what allows it to grow so long, but at the same time be so lightweight It is designed to reach, pick, break apart, and eat almost every tropical fruit in a rainforest, which is good, as the toucan's only source of food in that level of the forest is fruit.
Another adaptation the toucan posses is its four toes on each foot; two of which face forwards and two which face backward. This is designed to give it a better grip on branches, perching spots, as well as climb trees, which are what the toucan spends the majority of its time doing. Another adaptation the keel-billed toucan has is its brightly colored feathers which surprisingly help it blend into its surroundings and avoid predators. Lastly, the toucan has phenomenal eyesight. This allows it to spot predators far before they spot them, which gives the keel-billed toucan time to fly into the air and stay a safe distance away from them.

Physiological Adaptations:
Toucan is a bird, which is found in tropical rainforest and which possesses a long strong, and large beak. Unlike other birds, the toucan’s beak is actually rather soft, so much so that they are unable to use it for conventional methods like fighting or digging. This bird is adapted to the tropical rainforests in several ways. The long and large beak helps Toucan to reach the fruits attached to the ends of even thin branches of a tree that are weak enough to support its weight. Toucans manage their body temperature by adjusting the blood flow to their beak as more blood means more heat release. Due to this, the creatures sleep on their beak to conserve heat.

Video:
https://youtu.be/4nqcSUmjVUg

Toucan Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Ramphastidae
Genus: Ramphastos

Kākāpō

khadijahgilmore59 — 2021-11-17 16:13:47 UTC

Location: New Zealand

Adaptations:

Structural- The kakapo has soft moss-green feathers barred with black on its back, pale yellow-green feathers underneath and, hidden away, an unusually soft layer of downy feathers. (Old specimens of pure yellow kakapo are existing in various museums around the globe.) The females are smaller and less brightly colored than the males. It has an owl-like face with 'whiskers', and a large ivory and pale blue beak. The kakapos' unique bill structure is adapted for grinding food finely; the gizzard, the organ in which food is ground in most parrots, is small and degenerate.

Behavioral- Kākāpō freeze when they're disturbed, relying on their mottled feathers to camouflage them. It's an excellent defense against predators that rely on sight, such as the now-extinct Haast's eagle and large Eyles harrier. Their nocturnal habits are also an adaptation to avoid flying daytime predators.

Physiological- It adapted to life on the ground because New Zealand has few natural terrestrial predators. They are accomplished climbers, using their wings for balance, and their beak and strong claws to pull and grip their way up and down trees. Perhaps due to their slow metabolism, kakapos are long-lived compared to other birds.

Migration: The ancestors of the Kakapo migrated to the islands of New Zealand millions of years ago. It is hypothesized that when they arrived, they were smaller and more like other parrots. Over time, they became larger, heavier, and lost the ability to fly.

Camouflage: As an island species, they originally had few avian predators which hunted during the day. Kākāpō evolved forest colored plumage for camouflage.

Instinct: When faced with a threat, they freeze, making it difficult for predators to spot them from above.

Mimicry: Parrots

Special Defense Mechanisms: One of their defenses is to freeze and hope to blend into the background when danger is near. This worked well when their only predators were eagles that use sight to hunt; it is not so successful with introduced mammalian predators that rely on their sense of smell to find prey.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Nestoridae

Video: https://youtu.be/X3J6YaEc9zo

Pandas-Nancy Perez

2021-11-18 22:26:47 UTC

Location:South and East China and parts of Myanmar and Northern Vietnam

Behavioral Adaptation:1. A behavioral adaptation that giant pandas have is eating at a slow pace. Bamboo has very little nutritional value, so to conserve energy pandas move slowly, even though they are capable of moving very fast.

2. They communicate with other pandas by leaving scent marks.

3. Climbing trees is also an adaptation, because it allows pandas to run away from danger if needed, and it allows them to get food.

Structural Adaptation:
Structural adaptations help Pandas survive,structural adaptations are body coverings and body fur. The Giant Panda has a “sixth toe” that enables it to eat bamboo and pull roots from the ground. The Giant Panda also has strong jaw muscles that enable it to chew the tough bamboo plant.

Physiological Adaptations:Since the giant panda has a strong digestive system it is able to consume bamboo . The lining of the giant panda's esophagus is reinforced so that the bamboo fibers cannot break through on its way down to the stomach.

Migration:
Unlike other bears, giant pandas do no hibernate during winter months, but instead may migrate short distances to lower elevations. The simple answer as to why pandas don’t hibernate is that they cannot stop eating. The low nutritional value of bamboo prevents them from building fat reserves to last them through the winter.

Camouflage: pandas don’t camouflage by changing colors. Instead, they use their black and white markings to camouflage. They use their white markings or patches to hide in snow and their black patches to hide in forests.
Pandas camouflage to protect themselves and catch prey.

Video:
https://youtu.be/dqT-UlYlg1s

Brown Pelican

vivianarosales06 — 2021-11-18 23:10:17 UTC

Viviana Rosales
Location: mostly near the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and into the central regions of North America.

Pelicans are large gregarious waterbirds with a long bill, an extensible throat pouch for scooping up fish, and mainly white or gray plumage. Brown Pelicans make their spectacular dives into the water from as high as 65 feet.

Behavioral adaptation: As they dive, they rotate to the left, to avoid injuring their trachea and esophagus, which run along the right side of their neck

Structural Adaptation: They have special air sacs beneath their skin that they inflate just before impact to protect internal organs.

Migration. After breeding season, flocks move north along both Atlantic and Pacific coasts. These birds return southward to warmer waters by winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfEboMmwAMw&ab_channel=DeepLook

kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Pelicanidae

Large Milkweed bug

vivianarosales06 — 2021-11-18 23:26:07 UTC

Viviana Rosales
Location: It is distributed throughout North America, from Central America through Mexico and the Caribbean to southern areas in Canada.

Physiological adaptation: Similar to the Monarch butterfly, the Large Milkweed Bug protects itself by consuming milkweed sap–which is toxic to most predators. In the course of feeding. these bugs accumulate toxins from the milkweed, which can potentially sicken any predators foolish enough to ignore the bright colors which warn of their toxicity. These are categorized as "true bugs," because they use a sturdy proboscis to pierce the milkweed leaves and pods to withdraw the sap for food and water. They have been specially adapted to be immune from the toxin.

Structural adaptation: They exhibit aposematic coloration. Its brilliant red coloration makes it stand out against the plant and its background. In the case of the Milkweed Bug, that bright red serves as a warning to predators: eat me at your peril.
Aposematic coloration is conspicuous coloration or markings of an animal serving to warn off predators
There is also the Small milkweed bug, both species have red bodies and black wingtips; The Large milkweed bug has a black diamond-ish shape on the thorax, a broad, black belt across their backs, and a jagged, red “mask” on their faces. Male LMBs have two, thick stripes across the underside of their abdomen; females have a single stripe and two black dots. Small milkweed bugs have an incomplete black belt and a black heart inside a red “X” on their backs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5pZ-lrqN8s&ab_channel=NatureatYourDoorFrankTaylor

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Superfamily: Lygaeoidea
Family: Lygaeidae (Seed Bugs)

Snails

2021-11-19 01:33:48 UTC

Location:
Snails can be found in a very wide range of environments, including ditches, deserts, and the abyssal depths of the sea.

Behavioral:
Among the most relevant mechanisms of adaptation to heat stress is estivation (or dormancy) during the summer months. This behavioral adjustment has the consequence that snails not only restrict their activity to favorable daytime periods but to the tolerable seasons of the year

Physiological:
Snails have a mucus-laden, muscular foot adaptation, that flexes and contracts to allow for movement in water and land habitats, with the mucus layer preventing injury and friction along surfaces.

Adaptions:
Their main adaptation is their evolution from aquatic organisms to terrestrial, or land, organisms. They have done this by losing their gills and forming air-breathing lungs. Other adaptations are shell patterns that serve as camouflage and shell thickness that preserves moisture.

Migration: Stream snails are known to exhibit upstream migration in temperate and tropical regions

Video:
https://youtu.be/PVvdrGAiqds

Sloth (Esmerelda Mendez)

2021-11-19 01:53:16 UTC

Locations: Sloths, the sluggish tree-dwellers of Central and South America, spend their lives in the tropical rain forests, spending a lot of time upside down! They move through the canopy at a rate of about 40 yards per day, munching on leaves, twigs and buds. They occasionally drop from their treetop perches into water for a paddle.

Behavioral adaptation: One of their adaptations is camouflage, when animals blend in with their surroundings so they are not seen by other living things. Their fur is around the same color as the trees where they live. Sloths' fur is also almost completely odorless, so they smell just like the trees. This makes it difficult for predators to find them.

Physiological adaptations: Both two- and three-toed sloths have extremely slow metabolism, enabling them to remain in the same tree for several days before descending to seek more food. They sleep 15 to 20 hours daily and spend the rest of their time foraging for leaves or traveling between trees. They also come down to defecate but only need to do that once every eight days, allowing them to save valuable energy and time.

Structural adaptations: They are built perfectly for life in the trees (arboreal) with adaptive traits such as arms that are longer than their legs and curved feet for grasping branches. They cannot walk, but are actually good swimmers when the rainforest floods.

Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class- Mammal
Order- Pilosa
Family- Bradypodidae
Genus-Bradypus

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpV4k3Edr-I

Panther (Alondra Valadez)

2021-11-19 01:54:44 UTC

Location:
Black panthers live chiefly in the hot, dense tropical rain forests of South and Southeast Asia. They are mainly in Southwestern China, Burma, Nepal, Southern India, Indonesia, and the southern part of Malaysia. Black leopards are more common than light-colored leopards. Male panthers travel an average of 25 miles in dispersal, with the maximum known dispersal distance measuring 139.3 miles (with a 145-mile secondary dispersal). Females disperse shorter distances, settling closer to their birth range.

Behavioral:
Black panthers have dark, black fur that help them camouflage at night, so they can hide from their prey. Like many other species of cats, panthers have pads on the bottom of their paws so they can climb on sharp rocks. Panthers have strong, well-built muscles that make them able to climb trees and fight of predators.

Video:
https://youtu.be/6WmeHfbWS1w

Goldfish (Esmerelda Mendez)

2021-11-19 02:31:07 UTC

Location: Native to East Asia in slow-moving, freshwater bodies of water

Behavioral adaptations: Goldfish adapt to their environment with increased sensitivity in hearing and sight, by producing chemicals for temperature and water regulation, and with unique eating habits. Goldfish have to adapt to their environment for survival because of temperature changes, to avoid being prey, to eat, and for changes in a captive environment.

Physiological adaptations: There is a bone that connects the swim bladder, which is used for detecting sound and vibrations, to the ear in the goldfish for advanced hearing. Tiny holes fill canals in the fish with water, and small hair is able to detect further vibrations. There are lots of components working together to improve their hearing abilities.

Structural adaptations: Fish, in general, have fairly expansive eyesight because their eyes are more spherical than other animals. This allows them to see a great range of direction, which we notice as their eyes protrude further than other species. Fish see colors just as humans do, but are also able to perceive ultraviolet and infrared light that makes their eyes sensitive to polarized lights. Along with eyesight, hearing is very sensitive for similar food and prey identifying reasons. Goldfish have inner ears with bones that are able to perceive movement and sounds through vibration.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Cypriniformes

Family: Cyprinidae

Genus: Carassius

Species: C. auratus

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHwdfhth_NE

Maui Dolphin - Melinda McClellan

2021-11-19 04:08:43 UTC

Māui dolphins are most abundant in coastal waters of New Zealand’s north island. Māui dolphins spend much of their time making dives to find fish on the sea floor or foraging in mid water and near the surface. The diet of Māui dolphins consists mainly of small fish. Their main predators are sharks that also live in the area.

Physiological adaptations: include that the Māui dolphins use echolocation to navigate, communicate, and find their food. High-frequency clicks reflect back to the dolphin any objects found in the water. This is unique because other dolphins communicate through whistles rather than clicks.

Structural adaptations: The dorsal fin in the center of their back allows them to swim quickly to catch prey. It is rounded rather than pointed.

Behavioral adaptations: include that Māui dolphins have been observed playing with things like seaweed for example, chasing other dolphins, blowing bubbles, and play fighting. They are very intelligent and social creatures. They also feed in groups.

Camouflage: They are usually found in highly turbid or cloudy waters, and the colors of their flesh is a different greyish blue and pale in contrast to the average grey color of common dolphins. This color helps them blend in with the water they are found in. They are not known to migrate and as they are critically endangered, they have a population close to 50 individuals.

Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)

Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrate)

Class: Mammalia (Mammal)

Order: Artiodactyla (Even toed, probably referring to fin number in this case)

Family:Delphinidae (Oceanic Dolphins)

Genus: Cephalorhynchus (Small blunt nosed dolphins from distinct locations)

Species: C. hectori (Hector’s Dolphin)

Subspecies: C.h. maui (Maui dolphin)

https://youtu.be/88pSGnaSP30

Lions ( Mary Darrett)

mdarrett6331 — 2021-11-20 23:07:33 UTC

Lions are very large animals, nearly all wild lions can be found in Africa and below the Sahara Desert, but a small population of lions exists in Gir forest National Park in Western India.

Structural Adaptation:
Lions have an acute sense of smell, night vision, heavy paws, sharp claws, sharp teeth, rough tongue and loose belly skin. The unique adaptations of lions help them survive in their natural habitats. Lions prey on a large variety of animals ranging in size but they usually hunt medium- to large-sized hoofed animals.

Behavioral adaptation:
Lions stay within the boundaries of their territory and maintain it by roaring, marking it with urine, and chasing off intruders. Their thick mane is a unique trait to male lions. It protects their necks while fighting opponents. They spread their scent by rubbing their muzzle on tufts of grass or shrubs, and they rake the earth with their hind paws, as the paws have scent glands.

Physiological Adaption:

Lions are nocturnal animals they sleep during the day when it is too hot to hunt and awake to hunt at night when it cool and the moonless sky makes it difficult for their prey to spot them.

Migration:

Lions do not migrate, because they like hot dry climates they stay in one area year round but they will follow other herd of animals to maintain their food supply.

Camouflage:
The lion’s golden color provides a camouflage when it is hunting. A thick band of darker hair grows around a male lion’s neck and shoulders makes it easy for the lion to blend in with their surroundings.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRrrpBewz0g

Classifications:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Panthera

Species: Panthera leo

Giraffes

2021-11-22 05:59:40 UTC

Location found: Giraffes can be found in the savannas, grasslands, and woodlands. In the 20th century, they were commonly found in West Africa, south of the Sahara but the populations have decreased. Now they can mostly be found in east Africa.

Structural adaptations: Giraffes have long necks which help them feed off the leaves in the tallest trees and branches, this helps reduce the competition for food with other animals. They have very thick skin that provides protection and insulation. Their long eyelids keep out ants and sense thorns on the branches of the trees they’re browsing. They have a strong and long tongue (18 cm) that helps to easily strip off leaves from branches. Giraffes can survive without water for a long period of time because they get it from food.

Behavioral adaptations: They are very independent, they live in herds with no leader, the individuals in herds are often changing because they can leave and come back with no reason. When females have calves they associate with other females this is to create protection from predators for the young. Becaus3 of how hard it is for them to get back up due to their long legs, giraffes sleep standing up. This helps them be able to run away from predators faster.

Physiological adaptations: Since they’re tall animals that need to bend down when drinking water, they have valves in the veins of the neck that control a huge rush of blood to the head so that they don't become unconscious when they lean their heads down.

Migration: though giraffes are independent animals, they migrate in herds, usually 50 or fewer individuals. If a female is preparing to give birth, it will leave the herd and join calving groups. The reason why they will migrate is the lack of vegetation, they will move to areas with plentiful shrubs and trees.

Camouflage: Their patterned spots and light tan to dark brown coloring help them camouflage in grassland environments. Their fur blends in with the shadows and sunlight when they’re standing in the light.

Instinct: giraffe’s size is what helps them be aware of their predators. They have good eyesight to protect themselves.

Mimicry defense mechanisms: giraffes fight against their predators by kicking with their hind or forelegs. Their hooves break a lion’s back. They’re pretty fast animals, reaching up to 37 mph.

Video: https://youtu.be/MuanfpL1o18

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
Genus: Giraffa
Species: Giraffa

Racoons (Mary Darrett)

mdarrett6331 — 2021-11-23 16:50:16 UTC

The raccoon is native to North America and can be found throughout the United States, except for parts of the Rocky Mountains, and southwestern states like Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. They can also be found in parts of Canada, Mexico and the northern-most regions of South America.

Structural Adaptations:
Racoons have a mask of black fur that covers their eyes and is its most characteristic and familiar feature. One hypothesis for the dark fur is that it may help reduce glare and enhance the nocturnal animal’s night vision. The species has grayish brown fur, almost 90% of which is dense underfur to insulate the animal against the cold. Five to eight light and dark rings alternate on its tail.

Their hind legs are longer than the front legs, a raccoon often appears hunched when they walk or run. The five toes on a raccoon’s front paws are extremely dexterous, functioning essentially as five little fingers which allow them to grasp and manipulate food it finds in the wild as well as a variety of other objects, including doorknobs, jars, and latches. A raccoon’s most heightened sense is its sense of touch. they have very sensitive front paws and this sensitivity increases underwater. When able, a raccoon will examine objects in water.

Behavioral Adaptations:
Raccoons are mostly active at night, as they are nocturnal in nature. They are also most active in the summer, spring and fall seasons and they sleep inside their dens throughout the winter. They reproduce during the late winter and female racoons give birth to the young ones in April and
May.

Physiological Adaptations:
Racoons are nocturnal animals they sleep during the day and search for food at night.

Camouflage:
Racoons use their silver-grey color making a great nighttime camouflage for this nocturnal omnivore.

Video:
Meet the Animals 12 | Raccoon | Wild Animals | Little Fox | Animated Stories for Kids - YouTube

Classifications:
Kingdom: Animalia
•Phylum: Chordata
•Class: Mammalia
•Order: Carnivore
•Family: Procyonidae
•Genius Species:
Procyon; 2 subgenera, 7 species

1. Bat-ear fox (Jacqueline Vega )

jackievega54 — 2021-11-25 14:56:10 UTC

One subspecies is found in the eastern part of Africa, stretching from Tanzania to southern Sudan and Ethiopia. The other is found in the southern part of Africa from Cape Peninsula and Cape Agulhas in South Africa to Angola and Zambia, reaching Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS:As their name suggests, these foxes have bat-like ears so as to enhance their sense of audibility. This is for two reasons. The first is, to locate tiny insects like termites and ants that emit very sensitive sounds, while the second reason is that, they live in habitats infested by opportunistic predators, and it is essential for them to sense the vibrations emitted through the movements of an approaching enemy. The lower jawbone is also specially designed to help them open and close their mouth rapidly and munch the insects before they get the chance to escape.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS:As a part of their behavioral adaptation, play behavior among the baby bat-eared foxes displays similarities to escape behavior. This is because, when grown up, this species tends to express escape behavior rather than fighting behavior.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS :Bat-eared foxes are sociable animals, living in pairs or family groups. Family groups of these foxes include mated pair and their young. Pairs of these foxes share the same den, foraging together and protecting each other. They can also rest together and lie in contact, social-groom, and play with one another. Bat-eared foxes are able to dig dens for themselves as well as dig the prey out of holes.

MIGRATION: They do not migrate

CAMOUFLAGE: Their brown coat camouflages with the brown grasslands of Africa.

INSTINCT: They are fast and good at dodging, but their best chance at escaping predation is by fleeing to their underground dens, which have several entrances and multiple chambers connected by tunnels. A bat-eared fox family may have several dens throughout their home range. However, in spite of being excellent diggers, they often prefer using burrows dug by other species such as aardvarks.

MIMICRY: Their ears mimic the ears of the bat. They also work the same; they use them to hunt for insects at night. That adaptation is where their name got their name from.

ANY SPECIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS: They grow 48 teeth which is more than most mammals.

Bat-Eared Foxes Can Astoundingly Hear Insects Digging Underground

Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: : Canidae

Genus: Otocyon

Species:Otocyon megalotis

Red Panda, Jacqueline Vega

jackievega54 — 2021-11-25 15:03:30 UTC

LOCATION FOUND : They are found in the Eastern Himalayas in places like China, Nepal, and Bhutan.

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS: Their small body mass allows them to walk on thin branches, making the panda inaccessible to heavier predators. Red pandas are also excellent climbers, and they have strong, curved claws.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS: They stay warm during winter cold with thick fur coats and by curling their long tails around them while sleeping; they maintain large home ranges that overlap broadly to reduce feeding pressure in any one area.

PHYSIOLOGICAL: It's nocturnal ability helps it hunt only when all of the predators are sleeping. The long bushy tail on the red panda also helps to insulate body temperature, making it warm during cold nights.

MIGRATION: They do not migrate.

CAMOUFLAGE, Their red coat camouflages with the fir trees that are covered with red moss. The marking on their face keeps the sun out of their eyes.

INSTINCT,-Red pandas scent-mark territories using anal glands and urine, as well as scent glands located between their footpads.

MIMICRY - Their coat mimics the color of the moss that grows on fir trees.

ANY SPECIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS- The fluffy/ dense fur is used to protect themselves from the cold harsh weather. The red panda tests odors using the underside of its tongue, which has a cone-like structure for collecting liquid and bringing it close to a gland inside its mouth. It is the only carnivore with this adaptation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0yXVDKf5yk

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammal

Order: Carnivora

Family: Ailuridae

Genus: Ailurus

Species:Ailurus fulgens

Grasshoppers

mdarrett6331 — 2021-11-26 23:19:36 UTC

Grasshopper are some of the oldest chewing herbivorous insects that can be traced back to 250 million years ago.
Grasshoppers can be found around the world except Antarctica.

Structural adaptations:
The grasshoppers have long hind legs that allow grasshopper to jump long distances.

They have a basic insect body with a head, thorax, and abdomen.

Grasshoppers have a pair of compound eyes which allows them an all-around vision

distances. This helps the grasshopper to avoid any predators.

Behavioral adaptations:
Grasshoppers are active during the day. They warm their body with the help from sun to get ready to start a day. Grasshoppers sleep during the night.

Physiological adaptations:
Grasshopper use their long antennas to sense and smell food from a distance. These antennas also help them to sense moisture, which is critical for insects living in a dry and arid desert climate. The grasshopper has ears located on the shins of the front legs

Migration:
Grasshoppers have wings that are used for flying. Grasshoppers occasionally gather in larger groups are then called locusts; they migrate together toward the better sources of food. During the migration, grasshopper can fly in the air for three days without landing. Grasshoppers migrate south to find warmer weather and a mate.

Camouflage adaptations:
To combat predators, grasshoppers have a wide range of adaptations. These enable them to avoid being detected or eaten. Most species of grasshoppers' blend into their natural habitat. Some species such as the Proscopide family of grasshoppers can mimic sticks and twigs.

Classifications:
Kingdom: Animal

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Orthoptera

Suborder: Caelifera

Infraorder: Acrididae

Informal group: Acridomorpha

Video:

GRASSHOPPER | ALIFE WILD | 4K - YouTube

Sea Stars

2021-11-29 18:13:47 UTC

Location found: Sea stars live in saltwater, they can be found in all of the world’s oceans. They live on the seafloor.

Structural adaptations: Sea stars have developed a protective shell and the ability to regenerate lost limbs. The regeneration of limbs can be done because they have all of their vital organs in their arms. They have light-sensing eyespots at their arm tips that help them locate their prey.

Behavioral adaptations: They use their suction-cupped tube feet to pry open the shells.

Physiological adaptations: They eat mussels, clams, and oysters. To do this, their mouth releases the stomach and begins eating the food outside the body, then when the stomach liquidifed the food, the stomach will return to its original place through the mouth

Migration: Sea stars migrate to deeper waters in the winter, they travel about a mile in a week.

Camouflage: Sea stars have spiny skin colors that act as camouflage that helps them blend into their environment. The variation of colors sometimes makes them look like water and light moving over a coral reef

Instinct: They have tiny spots beneath the skin on each arm that serves as eyes allowing them to recognize shapes. They use their nervous system to detect changes in their surroundings such as odors.

Mimicry: Their long arms make the serpent sea star look like a snake, it helps protect themselves from predators.

Defense mechanisms: Some sea stars have chemical-based defenses like slime and toxic chemicals in their body wall. Other sea stars have a bad tasting and they can drop off an arm that’s grasped by a predator.

Video: https://youtu.be/l6dnmLDu6Eg

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Echinodermata

Class: Asteroidea

Order: Forcipulatida

Family: Asteriidea

Genus: Asterias

Species: Forbesi

Red-eyed frog

2021-11-29 20:27:08 UTC

Location found: Red-eyed frogs can be found in the lowlands and on slopes of Central America and far north in Mexico. They make a home in rainforest areas near ponds, streams, and rivers, or any water source that will help tadpoles, young frogs, survive.

Structural adaptations: Their red eyes serve as a way to scare off predators. Red-eyed frogs are nocturnal, meaning they’re actively looking for food at night, their eye color helps them see at night. All of their bodies are full of color; they have orange or red toes and bright, green skin with blue, vertical striped sides. The color over-stimulates their predators' eyes, causing them to be confused and making the frog seem venomous when they’re not. They have long, sticky tongues to ambush insects. Red-eyed frogs have suction cups on their toes that help them climb trees and leaves.

Behavioral adaptations: Red-eyed frogs are nocturnal, they sleep during the day and hunt at night. During the day when they’re sleeping, they will tuck their back legs to cover their blue and yellow flanks and tuck their feet under their belly, they will stick to the bottom of a leaf to hide.

Physiological adaptations: Red-eyed frogs will hatch early if there is a change in their natural environment or a threat from predators.

Migration: These types of frogs only move from the water to the trees once they age.

Camouflage: The frog has green eyelids so once this frog closes its eyes, it will blend with the leafy environment. Red-eyed frogs are able to change their color according to their mood and environment, they use this ability to camouflage and protect themselves.

Instinct: If a predator happens to notice the frog while it is sleeping, the frog will be able to sense the vibration of the approaching threat.

Mimicry: Their red eyes make them seem poisonous like the blue poison dart frog but their eyes are what they rely on for protection the most.

Defense mechanisms: Their big bulging red eyes serve as a defense mechanism, it’s called “startled coloration.” If a predator approaches the frog while they’re sleeping during the day, the frog will suddenly open its eyes and momentarily paralyze the predator allowing the frog a few seconds to escape.

Video: https://youtu.be/FLnV3TCcJj8

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Hylidae

Genus: Agalychnis

Species: A. callidryas

Elyssa Mills: Praying Mantis

elyssamills49 — 2021-12-03 00:26:49 UTC

Location: Southern Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and Australia.

Structural: They can rotate their heads 190 degrees. This gives them great vision when hunting.

Behavioral: Female praying mantis' will eat the male praying mantis during or after mating as a source of direct nutrients for her eggs.

Physiological: When they feel threatened, they will hold out their arms and beat their wings to make their appearance bigger.

Camouflage: They will camouflage with their surroundings, staying perfectly still, until an insect comes near enough. When one does, they catch them with lightning speed. Larger species of mantis have even been seen hunting small mammals or birds!

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Arthropoda
Class: | Insecta
Order: | Mantodea
Family: | Mantidae
Subfamily: | Mantidae
Tribe: | Mantini
Genus: | Mantis
Species Name: | Mantis Religiosa

https://youtu.be/hWEpPSngzXQ

Platypus-Priscilla

2021-12-03 02:36:29 UTC

LOCATION:
Platypuses live in only one, small area of the world. These creatures make their homes in the freshwater areas that flow throughout the island of Tasmania and the eastern and southeastern coast of Australia. While they are in the water a lot, they will also waddle onto the riverbanks to dig burrows with their claws. These burrows are tunnels that have rooms or chambers. Platypuses also live under rock ledges, roots or debris. Though they exist on only one side of one continent, platypuses weather many climate extremes. They have been found in plateaus, lowlands, tropical rainforests, and the cold mountains of Tasmania and the Australian Alps.

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS:
Platypus is well adapted for semi-aquatic lifestyle. Its streamline body and a broad, flat tail are covered with dense waterproof fur, which provides excellent thermal insulation. The Platypus propels itself through the water by using its front, short, webbed limbs, and the partially-webbed hind feet act as rudders. Behind its distinctive bill are the grooves that house the ear openings and the eyes which close when the animal dives. The Platypus uses its tail for storage of fat reserves and the strong claws on its feet for burrowing and moving on land. In addition, males possess a horny spur on their ankles, which is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg, making the Platypus one of the few venomous mammals.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS:
A behavioral adaptation of the Platypus is that it sweeps its bill underwater from side to side 2-3 times a second, sifting its way through the river bed and picking up the electrical impulses.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS:
A major physiological adaptation of the platypus is that it reduces blood flow to parts of its body in cold weather. This keeps the vital nternal organs intact.
The flat, furry tail of the platypus serves two main purposes. It acts as a stabilising and steering rudder underneath the water, but also stores fat. When food is scarce, this fat store supplies the necessary energy for a certain time period. If it did not have a tail that stores fat for winter, it would not survive a winter. the Platypus’ kidney has also adapted to dispose of water rapidly, as there is no water shortage in a platypus’ freshwater environment. However, it retains and absorbs salts with great efficiency to compensate for the lack of salt in its freshwater habitat. This salt is then used in various bodily processes. Another physiological characteristic of the platypus is its oxygen rich blood. An increased amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells enable the platypus to remain underwater for extended periods of time – up to 14 minutes!

MIGRATION:
Platypus have been known to migrate across paddocks and similar land to reach new home waterways. Platypus movements are increasingly understood, particularly the existence of restricted ranges, after potential dispersal phases for male juveniles. This has implications for declining populations given that populations in areas of local declines and extinctions are unlikely to be supplemented by migrating platypuses.

CAMOUFLAGE:
The platypus uses camouflage, it’s fur is colored from a dark brown to a dirty yellow. Those colors help to camouflage the platypus to hide from predators. The colors help the platypus because a dirty yellow is the color of the sand on the shore and at the bottom of lakes and streams. And brown platypi can hide in brownish water and dried leaves.

INSTINCT:
A platypus’s bill has thousands of cells that give it a sort of sixth sense, allowing them to detect the electric fields generated by all living things. It’s so sensitive that the platypus can hunt with its eyes, ears, and nose all closed, relying entirely on the bill’s electrolocation.

SPECIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS:
Male Platypuses have a poisonous spur on the inside of their hind legs. The spur contains a poison that the Platypus uses to defend his territory from other males and enemies.

VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNoQvjlmGdk

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Monotremat
Family: Ornithorhynchidae
Genus: Ornithorhynchus
Species: Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Thorny Dragon/Devil -Priscilla

2021-12-03 02:55:17 UTC

LOCATION:

The thorny devil usually lives in the arid scrubland and desert that covers most of central Australia, sand plain and sandridge desert in the deep interior and the mallee belt. The habitat of the thorny devil coincides more with the regions of sandy loam soils than with a particular climate in Western Australia.Their range covers most of arid Australia – large parts of Western Australia, the southern half of the Northern Territory, South Australia and western Queensland. They live in dry sand country, spinifex grasslands and scrub.

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS:

The thorny devil also has special teeth that are made so they lock into each other to create a shearing tool to get through the hard bodies of their prey, ants. It has spikes on its back to make it harder for their predators to swallow them. They also make it painful if an animal does try to eat them, as well as the rough texture helping them to camouflage. The thorny devil has possibly the most unique way to consume water of all extremophiles. The thorny devil drinks by placing its leg in water or walk through dewy plants to get water on its back, then moving its mouth up and down which pumps water through the grooves in-between its spikes until eventually getting to the mouth.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS:
This gentle desert creature wouldn’t be able to survive without a set of tricks its species learnt over the years like, its movement when threatened, its action when finding food sources, walking patterns, what they do when the temperature is to great and where they hide from predators if they get the chance. First of all its movement when threatened, It doesn’t move. Thorny devils stand completely still to avoid being spotted or to get out of sight of the predators that hunt it, although it doesn’t play dead. Secondly, when a thorny devil finds an ant trail (it’s an insectivore) it waits completely still until the ants arrive then begins its feast. Thirdly, it has an irregular and unique walking pattern of stop starts, side to side to confuse predator watching that might be concealed or unnoticed. Stopping to compliment its camouflage so the predator loses its trail. Fourthly, the thorny devil can only live at certain temperatures so if it becomes too hot the thorny devil digs a burrow to hide from the severe, fatal heat. Finally, the thorny devil has developed the habit of hiding in shrubs if when they spot a predator and the thorny devil is close enough to a shrub. In conclusion, the thorny devil uses a great deal of its instincts and habits to survive as a passive creature in an aggressive environment.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS:
coating of their tongues, food storage in their body, their loss of water and colour changing. Firstly, the thorny devil’s tongue is sticky to stick ants to it so it can eat them with ease, not having to lean down and try to net the ants with its mouth. This is physiological because of the chemical reactions that make the saliva sticky. Secondly, the thorny devil turns its excess food into fat and storing it in a special place, the horns on its head for later use if there is a shortage of food the thorny devil turns the fat into energy. Thirdly the thorny devil is impervious which means that it lets NO sweat through its skin to conserve precious water in its rough, dry habitat. Finally, the most colourful of all its adaptations, the thorny devil can change its colour based on the dryness and temperature of the area which enhances its camouflage.

CAMOUFLAGE:

The variety of red, brown, yellow and white colours and uneven body shape allow the Thorny Devil to effectively camouflage in the desert environment. In fact, their robotic-like movement adds to their camouflage ability , as their frequent freezing makes them harder for a predator to detect.

INSTINCT:
The curious knob on the thorny devil’s neck is actually a “false head” meant to deceive predators. When a devil feels threatened it will curl its real head between its front legs, leaving the false one exposed to attack.

SPECIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS:

They're covered in thorny spines, and sport a 'pretend head' on the back of their neck, thought to warn off predators. If threatened, they tuck their real head between their legs, leaving the false head exposed. The lizard can also inflate its chest to look bigger, and to be more difficult for predators to swallow.

VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoduGti4G_k

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Moloch
Species: M. horridus

Sea Turtle, Mariah DeLeon

2021-12-03 05:31:47 UTC

Sea Turtle, Mariah DeLeon

Location Found: Sea turtles can be found all around the world, from the cold waters off California to the warm beaches of the Coral Triangle

Structural Adaptations: long, paddle-like flippers that hatchlings use to propel themselves through the water as quickly as possible. Their back two flippers act as rudders and help the turtles steer. Sea turtles have bodies that are flat and streamlined, making them hydrodynamic. This allows them to easily maneuver through their aquatic habitats. The mouth of the turtle has no teeth. Their jaws are powerful and shaped like a bird’s beak.

Behavioral Adaptations: Sea turtles use many cues to migrate the oceans; from mating and foraging grounds offshore, to coastal nesting beaches, adult females return to the same region where they were hatched. It is not known exactly how they are able to navigate back to their natal beaches. Researchers think they may use a number of clues including ocean currents, the earth’s magnetic field, and water chemistry.

Physiological Adaptations: Thermoregulation, because most sea turtles are ectothermic or “cold blooded,” it means that they cannot regulate their internal body temperature. Their metabolism is dependent on the surrounding environment. Being ectothermic had some advantages. It enables them to lower their metabolic rate, so they need less oxygen and can stay submerged for longer periods of time, allowing them to both eat and avoid being eaten.

Migration: Most sea turtles migrate between foraging and nesting grounds, and seasonally to warmer waters. Often these migrations take them hundreds and even thousands of miles. With satellite telemetry, scientists can track the movements of sea turtles between areas and even across entire oceans.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rmv3nliwCs

Whale, Mariah DeLeon

2021-12-03 05:58:16 UTC

Whale, Mariah DeLeon

Location Found: Whales can be found inhabiting all of the world's major oceans, from the Arctic and Antarctic oceans to the tropical waters in and around the equator's center.

Structural Adaptations: They have developed a thick layer of fat which is called blubber and is located under the skin.The blubber insulates the Blue Whale from the cold and provides buoyancy so they can stay afloat., their bodies have become streamlined which makes their movement through the water more efficient and they don’t have to use as much energy. Their front limbs have been changed and modified into flippers which help in steering and moving. While their behind limbs have mostly disappeared and tails have broadened to form two large sections which contribute to their movement. The tail moves powerfully up and down compared to a fish who moves side-to-side.

Behavioral Adaptations: A behavioral adaptation of Blue Whales is that when they need to eat they migrate to areas where krill is abundant. They feed about 100 meters under the water as this is where you will find large groups of krill. The Blue whale forms a short term couple during the mating season. Their relationships don't last for very long and average around five weeks. The next season they find another mate.

Physiological Adaptations: Baleen whales, like other mammals, have a slower heart rate while diving. When diving, blood is shunted away from tissues tolerant of low oxygen levels toward the heart, lungs, and brain, where oxygen is needed most.

Migration: Blue Whale migration depends on different climate changes, water temperature, depth, salinity of water and abundance of food. Two major seasons which are mating season and feeding season which for humans are known as winter and summer. Depending on the seasons Blue Whales travel to different ocean environments. The Blue Whale prefers to live in deep cold waters which is possible as they have a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm. There it is easier to find their food.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiPTUy2RqI

Tarsier

khadijahgilmore59 — 2021-12-03 07:18:48 UTC

Tarsier

Location: Tarsiers live on the islands of the southern Philippines, Celebes (Sulawesi), Borneo, Bangka, Belitung, the Natuna Islands, and Sumatra.

Adaptations:

Structural- Incredibly large eyes and hands, padded fingertips, a tail twice as long as their bodies, unusually long tarsal or ankle bones (which is where the name 'tarsier' comes from), and a head that can rotate 180 degrees.

Behavioral- Spectral tarsiers are both crepuscular and nocturnal and are very active throughout the night. At dusk, they travel for about 30 minutes until they find a forage site. During this time, they frequently stop to groom themselves by licking and scratching their fur with their toilet claws. If a heavy rain occurs, tarsiers find a dry area and remain inactive.

Physiological- Tarsiers usually live in pairs or small family groups. They are highly social animals. When two adult group members are in physical contact, they spend all of their time resting and socializing. When less than 10 m apart, they forage and, when they are 50 to 100 m apart, they spend most of their time traveling.

Migration: They do not

Camouflage: Tarsiers have soft, sleek fur, the color of which varies between species but is mainly brown, beige or grey to help camouflage them among the branches and undergrowth.

Instinct: The tarsier's small body, long tail and toes help them move and climb very swiftly. They move at an average speed of 24 mph.

Mimicry: Lemurs and Lorises

Special Defense Mechanisms: That bite, combined with a hiss-like vocalization, sinuous movements, and a distinctive defensive posture in which the loris raises its arms above its head, make the primate look remarkably like a spectacled cobra ready to strike.

Video: https://youtu.be/6Jz0JcQYtqo

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Family: Tarsiidae

Asian Longhorn beetle- Abigail Estevane

2021-12-03 14:12:08 UTC

Location: The longhorn beetle can be found in China, Japan, and Korea

Structural Adaptations: Like most other beetles species, their wings are covered with a hard covering called exoskeleton to protect them from enemies.

Behavioral Adaptation: The Longhorn beetle are diurnal (are out during the day). They stay very active all day with their peak activity hour falling 8AM and 12PM. They tend to be more active on warmer and sunnier days, rather than cloudy, dull or cold days.

Physiological adaptations: The Asian longhorn beetle measures 1.7 cm to 3.9 cm in length. Their color is glossy black with about 20 white spots all over their body. The body is divided into three divisions- head, thorax, and abdomen. The longhorn had two pairs of wings guarded by the exoskeleton. The body size and the antennae of the males are larger than those of the females. The rugged tips of their legs help them get a good grip of the branches when they walk.

Migration: Asian longhorn beetles can fly distances greater than 400 yards, migration often depends on the abundance of suitable host materials.

Camouflage: The longhorn beetle have mottled color patterns that can be used to camouflage that enables blending in with natural environments. Their spotted body and antennae help them camouflage among the barks, branches, and dead leaves of forest trees.

Kingdom: Animalia (Animal)

Phylum: Arthropod

Class: Insecta

Order: Beetle

Family: Longhorn beetle

Genus: Anoplophora

Species: Pest

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh6hyMNN0W0&t=3s

Crocodile- Abigail Estevane

2021-12-03 19:03:03 UTC

Location: Crocodiles can be found in tropical habitats of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas. They normally live near lakes, rivers, wetlands, and even some saltwater regions.

Structural Adaptations: Crocodiles have special bony flaps in the throat that allow a crocodile to eat when submerged or breathe when its jaws are open underwater. They are cold- blooded reptiles and have to avoid extremes of temperatures.

Behavioral Adaptation: Crocodiles are mostly nocturnal animals. Crocodiles have developed behaviors to control their body temperature. They bask un the sun when cool and seek shade or water when hot. Crocodiles can go up to a year without eating a meal because their metabolism is so evolved that its body uses and stores nearly the entire ty of the food it consumes.

Physiological Adaptations: Crocodiles are the largest and the heaviest of present-day reptiles. Crocodiles have powerful jaws with many conical teeth and short legs with clawed webbed toes. They share a unique body form that allows the eyes, ears, and nostrils to be above the water surface while most of the animal is hidden below. The tail is long and massive, and the skin is thick and plated.

Camouflage: Their bodies have been designed over millennia to make them experts at hiding in shallow water. Their mottled coloring and knobby backs help them to blend in remarkably well even in shallow, clear water. In muddy wet season and in rivers they become almost invisible.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzSehEBfe9s

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodylia
Family: Crocodylidae
Genera: Crocodylus, Mecistops and Osteolaemus
Species: 13, including C. porosus (saltwater crocodile), C. acutus (American crocodile), C. niloticus (Nile crocodile), C. rhombifer (Cuban crocodile), M. cataphractus (African slender-snouted crocodile), O. tetraspis (African dwarf crocodile)

Elyssa Mills: Skunk

elyssamills49 — 2021-12-03 22:25:12 UTC

Structural: The most common adaptation that skunks have acquired is their musk glands. When a skunk feels threatened, they spray the predator with these that secret a liquid with a nasty smell.

Behavioral: Another adaptation that skunks have is that they are nocturnal animals. This has many benefits like allowing them to save their energy on days that may be too hot. Also, if they hunt at night, they are less likely to be hunted by bigger animals that hunt during the day.

Physiological: Skunks have also adapted to the winters. Skunks are able to fast during the cold winters and conserve their body temperature

Camouflage: Most animals use their color to blend in and hide from predators. However, skunks use their color and pattern to make themselves known to predators and let them know that they should not be messed with.

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Carnivora
Family: | Mephitidae
Genus: | Mephitis
Species: | M. mephitis

https://youtu.be/_VFm7oOq0LE

Ladybug-Nancy Perez

2021-12-04 02:12:19 UTC

Location:
The ladybug species is indigenous to the Palearctic region, but also inhabits the Nearctic and oriental areas. These insects can also be located in areas other than their native regions like Australia, India, South Africa, China, Kenya, Canada, the US, and Chile.

Structural Adaptations:
Some of a ladybugs body parts are a head, antennae’s, a thorax, compound eyes, a abdomen, and legs. If a ladybug did not have these body parts then ladybugs will never survive.

They have a very special pair of wings that protects its body predators and from damaging their wings. These tough leathery wings are called elytra. There elytra are attached to the front of the ladybug and cover most of the set of fragile wings underneath. Most ladybugs and beetles have elytra.

Behavioral Adaptation:
Ladybugs have very bright colors. These colors warn predators to stay away and not eat them. If they do try to eat them, ladybugs spray out a yellow poison liquid that is very harmful to animals.

Physiological Adaptations:
The abdomen contains organs for digestion, respiration, and reproduction. Adult ladybugs breathe air, but the air enters the body through openings, called spiracles, found on the sides of the abdomen and thorax. Ladybugs gather together in large groups to diapause (the insect term for hibernation).

Migration:
Ladybugs can migrate – of sorts, but most strands of Ladybug do not go far. Even though they are capable of great distances. So you will likely only see them migrating to other more local areas. Some types of Ladybug, in particular the Convergent Lady beetle, often migrate into local mountain regions in Colorado for example.

Camouflage:
Colors can also camouflage and warn when there is nothing about the insect that is harmful. Ladybugs can also protect themselves by playing dead. By pulling their legs up "turtle-style", and typically release a small amount of blood from their legs. (This is called reflex bleeding.)

Video:
https://youtu.be/ws_D5nXOAJg

Lizards-Nancy Perez

2021-12-04 02:40:43 UTC

Location:Lizards are found all over the world in almost every type of terrain. Some live in trees; others prefer to live in vegetation on the ground, while others live in deserts among rocks. For example, the Texas horned lizard is found in the warm areas with little plant cover in southern North America

Structural Adaptations:lizard loses their tail they are able to grow their tail back, which enables them to retain balance. (FACT) Blue tongue lizards are able to open their jaws very wide as they have no teeth which makes them capable of swallowing things whole such as a large snail.

Behavioral Adaptation:
Defensive behaviors
Catalepsy, death feigning, tonic immobility
Squirting blood from the eyes and or nostrils
Chameleon color change-dropping from branch

Physiological Adaptations:Physical adaptations are special body parts that help a plant or animal survive, like a lizard's sharp claws, fatty tail and camouflage, which is the ability to use body color to blend into things.

Migration:Frilled lizards migrate when they are supposed to migrate. They migrate during a specific time of the year and migrate to some place and the distance is calculated by a number.

Camouflage:Lizards camouflage themselves by choosing rocks that best match the color of their backs. Other types of lizard, such as chameleons and geckos, are able to rapidly change colour in a matter of seconds or minutes to better match their background environment and avoid being spotted by approaching predators.

Video:
https://youtu.be/dV-1tlvZIho

Fruit Fly (Andrea Aguilar)

2021-12-04 05:29:07 UTC

Location: tropical regions

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATIONS- Flies have rapid reflexes that aid their escape from predators, but their sustained flight speeds are low, with an estimated rate of 25 miles per hour.

Physiological adaptation- Fruit flies ' immunity adapts in bacterial and genetic ways in response to infections. Fruit flies are susceptible to a common parasite that renders its host sterile. However, a bacteria known as Spiroplasma defeats this parasite and keeps infected fruit flies from losing their reproductive capability.

Behavioral adaptation - Temperature is one of the most pervasive factors influencing arthropod development. In fruit flies, temperature-induced developmental plasticity can be beneficial and detrimental. Lower developmental temperatures reduce growth rates, affecting many other physiological factors. For example, development at 77 °F increases walking speed, thermal performance breadth, and territorial success, while development at 64°F increases bodies mass, wing size, all of which are tied to fitness. Moreover, developing at certain low temperatures produces proportionally large wings, which improve flight and reproductive performance at similarly low temperatures. Most adult fly has their mouthparts modified to sponge up fluid. The adults of many species of flies that feed on liquid food will regurgitate fluid in a behavior termed "bubbling," which has been thought to help the insects evaporate water and concentrate food or possibly cool by evaporation.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Diptera

Family: Drosophilidae

Genus: Drosophila
Species: D. melanogaster

Video: https://youtu.be/ZjWGadPO_yc

Owl (Laura Mejia)

2021-12-04 05:46:00 UTC

Location: Owls are located everywhere except Antarctica. They live in deserts, prairies, and trees.

Adaptations:

Structural- The color of their feathers camouflage with trees. Camouflage is crucial for them because it helps them hide from prey animals. Their feathers are extremely helpful because they are soft allowing their flying to be silent. Therefore, it allows them to fly away quietly from being heard from prey.

Behavioral- Owls use tufts to help camouflage or disguise themselves. When the tufts are raised, it is a form of communication that they need to hide from predators and also songbirds. When the birds spot an owl, they make a noise that tells other birds that an Owl is present. Therefore, owls avoid making any type of noise.

Physiological- Owls have extremely huge eyes set forwards on their heads for great depth perception for hunting. They also have sharp talons in order to grab prey. The retinas of their eyes also allow them to see at night because they are packed with sensitive rods. All these adaptations help owls survive in their habitat.

Classifications:

Kingdom: Animal

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Strigiformes

Family: Strigidae

Genus: Strix

Species: Strigiformes

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpBCzzzX6zA

Jaguar (Laura Mejia)

2021-12-04 05:47:54 UTC

Location: Jaguars are often located in Central America or the Amazon of South America. Jaguars can also be located in the dry grassland terrains and seasonally flooded wetlands.

Adaptations:

Structural- Jaguars have large heads and they have jaws that are equipped for piecing the skull of their prey with their canines.

Behavioral- Jaguars are good swimmers which works well for them because it allows them to hunt their food inside the water. They have good hunting techniques which help them survive. Jaguars eat almost everything and they can hunt during the day and night.

Physiological- Their ability to kill another animal because of their strong jaws. Basically, they can kill another animal with just one bite. Meaning their bites are extremely powerful and they are the only cats who practice this skill. Their strong bite helps them because they need to carry down their prey which is heavy weight.

Classifications:

Kingdom: Animal

Phylum: Chordate

Class: Mammal

Order: Therapsid

Family: Felidae

Genus: Panthera

Species: Mammal

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHmDOJrNE0M

Red Fox - Arlene Aguilar

jmwrbzbbfc — 2023-10-29 23:50:46 UTC

Location: The red fox can be found in most of the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. As well as throughout New Hampshire. It has also been introduced to Australia.

Description: The red fox is a slender mammal weighing from 6.4-24 pounds. They have a 2-4 year lifespan if in the wild, however this lifespan can skyrocket to a maximum of 15 years if under the care of humans. They hunt alone and silently as they camouflage through bushes.

Structural: The red fox has fur that’s an orangish-red color. However, its chest and neck have white fur. Their tail is long, bushy, and black but the tip is white. Their ears are black and pointed. Lastly, their legs and feet are black as well.

Behavioral: For the most part, the red fox is nocturnal, but it sometimes comes out in the day. They are also territorial and mark their home range using feces and urine. A dominance hierarchy determines who breeds, and the dominant female gives birth each year to a litter of up to 12 pups. The mothers keep pups in dens, and non-breeding adults help care for the young.

Breeding females don’t usually use a den. Sometimes they will sleep in the open, wrapping its tail around its nose to stay warm. In the case they do use a den, they usually find an abandoned den instead of making their own.

Physiological adaptations: Red foxes bodies are slender because they have a small stomach and they have long legs. This is beneficial to them because it allows them to have faster speed an agility. They can run up to 30 mph. They have sharp teeth to help them tear through meat since they are carnivores. Their eyes work well in low lights conditions, helping them as nocturnal predators. Their ears have the ability to hear low-frequency sounds so when or hears small animals digging underground it digs to catch their prey. To catch prey, they gets as close as they can then pounces and chases it.

Camouflage: The colors of the fox allow it to easily camouflage with its surroundings.

Migration: Red foxes may migrate long distances in search of food. The large distributions of this mammal indicate they can survive in a variety of habitats.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Vulpes

https://youtu.be/mtroFou8Xb4?si=GfdaIooTC8rr0NH4

Kangaroo Rats - Kimberly Balderas

2023-10-30 01:43:35 UTC

Dipodomys merriami or Merriami Kangaroo rats are in the southwestern United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico.

Structural adaptations:

Kangaroo rats have powerful hind legs that allow them to leap forward up to 9 feet with just one bounce, helping them escape predators quickly. Another structural adaptation is their long rudder-like tail. Their tail looks like an underwater blade that we typically see on boats. Given the length and shape of their tail, it helps them change their direction mid-air. This helps them protect themselves against quick-moving snakes. Kangaroo rats also have excellent hearing, allowing them to be on alert for any incoming predators. It is said that they can detect the silent sound of an owl approaching. Kangaroo rats also have fur-lined cheek pouches that prevent the loss of moisture and protect the seeds they are taking back to their burrows. Additionally, kangaroo rats have large eyes that allow them to see in the dark.

Behavioral adaptations:

Kangaroo rats live a nocturnal lifestyle that allows them to minimize water loss through evaporation. They also are seed cachers, meaning that they store seeds in multiple locations, ensuring that they have a reliable food supply. Kangaroo rats build burrow systems for storing their food, to rest, and for waste disposal. The seeds they cache are seeds that have a high water content that helps them stay hydrated. A structural adaptation that is also a part of their behavioral adaptation, is their escape behavior. Their jumping and zig-zagging movements help them evade predators. Additionally, kangaroo rats communicate with other kangaroo rats using a series of foot-drumming signals that convey different messages, such as a warning of a predator coming. Finally, during periods of food scarcity, kangaroo rats enter a short-term hibernation state that allows them to reduce their energy and conserve their resources.

Physiological adaptations:

Kangaroo rats can survive without drinking water. The seeds they cache have high water content so they obtain necessary moisture through that. Their kidneys also are very good at concentrating their urine so they do not lose much water. Additionally, kangaroo rats can produce metabolic water. This refers to the water created inside a living organism through metabolism. They also have a low basal metabolic rate (number of calories needed a day) which helps them conserve energy and reduce water loss. Another thing that helps them reduce water loss is their specialized nasal passages that cool and condense exhaled air. Kangaroo rats can regulate their body temperature by adjusting their activity levels and altering their blood flow patterns.

Migration and camouflage:

Kangaroo rats do not migrate, they usually remain inside of their burrows.

The fur color of kangaroo rats matches the color of the rocks and sand of the southwestern deserts which acts as a camouflage that helps them blend in.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Suborder: Castorimorpha

Family: Heteromyidae

Subfamily: Dipodomyinae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: Dipodomys merriami

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hyKWwiefF8

Turkey Vultures- Amanda Blanton

gazqzj2pqw1 — 2023-10-30 18:50:32 UTC

Location- Turkey Vultures are found in North and South America, from Canada to Chile. We have Turkey Vultures in the Dallas Area. They prefer habitats with a mix of forests, open grasses, shrublands, and farmlands.

Classification- Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order:Accipitriformes

Family: Cathartidae

Genus: Cathartes

Species: C. aura

Structural Adaptations- Turkey vultures have a strong sense of smell and sight to help them locate rotting carcasses to feed on. They also have no feathers on their head. This is because they dig into carcasses to obtain food, and if they had feathers, dirt and bacteria would accumulate there, making them more prone to infection. Their stomachs produce a strong acid that is powerful enough to kill anthrax and influenza. Turkey vultures will vomit to deter any potential threats.

Behavioral Adaptations- Turkey vultures live in large groups, including with other species such as black vultures. They spread their wings, serving multiple functions, including baking off bacteria, drying their wings, and warming their bodies. They usually do this after rain. Turkey vultures defecate on their legs to keep cool, and the uric acid from the feces kills off accumulated bacteria. They fly at lower altitudes with the help of thermal winds. They can only vocalize hisses and grunt because it lacks a voice box or syrinx, so they cannot call or sing.

Physiological adaptations- Turkey vultures have large and well-developed olfactory bulbs and powerful cellular mechanisms that allow them to detect diluted gas molecules from hundreds of feet away while flying. Turkey vultures have double the number of mitral cells than black vultures, even though they have smaller brains. The mitral cells are a part of the olfactory bulbs whose function is to transmit information to the brain about smell. The mitral cells are smell sensors. This means more mitral cells means a greater ability to detect smells. Black vultures will follow turkey vultures because their sense of smell is much stronger.

Migration- Most Turkey Vultures do not migrate; they permanently reside in their habitats.

Camouflage/Predators- Turkey vultures are brown and black, making blending into their surroundings easy. However, they have few natural predators, including bald eagles, golden eagles, great horned eagles, and red-tailed hawks.

Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLTqLp33zeU

Reference: Sil, A. (2022, May 28). Turkey Vulture – Facts, Size, Sounds, Habitat, Pictures. Animal Spot. https://www.animalspot.net/turkey-vulture.html

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Rattlesnakes- Vanessa Lopez

vanessalopez121800_ — 2023-10-31 01:35:18 UTC

Location: Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Typically found in deserts and plains.

Description- Rattlesnakes or Eastern Diamondback are reptiles who only consume other small animals- making it a carnivore. Although rattlesnakes are terrifying to look at and be around, they are generally not aggressive. The only way a rattlesnake attacks is if it feels threatened or gets mishandled. They usually weigh around 5 pounds, measure no more than 5.5 feet, and have a life span of 10 to 20 years.

Behaviors and adaptations- What rattlesnakes are most known for is within their name- their rattling. Their rattle is at the tip of their tail. This well-known rattle is created when hollow and bony doughnutlike segments in the rattle bang together. These segments can fall off overtime but can grow back. They rattle to send a warning to predators to stay back or any other organism which is getting too close. Rattlesnakes do not have the best hearing which is why they rely on vibrations and their vision to catch movement. They also have heat-sensing pits which can pick up thermal radiation emitted by warm-blooded organisms. A rattlesnake’s fangs are also useful to release its venom which helps them better kill and later eat prey.

Migration Patterns- Rattlesnakes prefer to live in warmer weather. During winter, rattlesnakes enter what is called brumation where they stay in a suitable living area with many other rattlesnakes, slow down their reproduction and metabolic rate in order to save energy.

Camouflage- Rattlesnakes often have a brown-tannish color which blends in with grasses, sand, and dirt. They take advantage of their appearance in order to blend in with their surroundings to increase their likelihood of catching prey.

Classification- Scientific name: crotalus cerastes, domain: eukaryota, kingdom: Animalia, Class: reptilia

Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO4IAZycUik

Veiled Chameleon- (Carolina Rodriguez)

2023-10-31 18:23:34 UTC

Location: The veiled chameleon is a species of chameleon native to the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Other common names include cone-headed chameleon. They are born pastel green and without their distinctive casques on their head.

Structural: Chameleons have a long, prehensile tail and a helmet like casque on the head. They have a tremendously long, stick tongue that is longer than their body. Veiled chameleons range from 1.3 to 2 feet (40-60cm) long. They are insectivores, they eat insects. The 2 feet Veiled chameleon is considered the biggest chameleon species in the world. Their life span is 6 to 8 years.

Behavioral:

Veiled chameleons are very aggressive towards each other. They prefer to live a solitary life. Males are very territorial and should always be separated. Females can be in close proximity to each other any time except during breeding season. They do not make distinct or clear sounds or calls, although it has been reported that, they make almost inaudible grunting or purring sounds, which can be felt if touched.

Physiological adaptation:

Chameleons host physical adaptations which help them survive. Their hood heads help them collect water in the form of dew and to also impress mates. Swiveling eyes help them pinpoint fast moving prey. Color changing skin helps them blend in, stand out to potential mates and intimidate rivals. Their horizontal feet help them grip branches to keep from falling and to hold fast against predators that may try to carry them off. They use their color to assert dominance and communicate with each other. Brighter colored animals are more dominant than duller colored individuals. A new study based on genetic analysis of 174 chameleon species, says the migration came from Africa.

Migration

Vast majority of the 195 chameleon species today are found in Africa and Madagascar, both once part of a supercontinent called Gondwana. Fossil evidence suggests the first chameleons only showed up after the breakup but scientists have long disagreed about where. It was concluded the dispersal events more likely was from Africa to Madagascar by ocean currents during those time periods.

Camouflage

The Chameleon changes color by tightening and relaxing their skin which rearranges their Aveda force cells which in turn changes how light is reflected off of them causing them to change color the largest chameleons. They camouflage, blend into their surroundings, to hide from predators such as snakes and birds. But in general, rely on their natural state color, a greenish brown, to blend in.

Classification

Scientific name: Chamaeleo calyptratus

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Order: Squamata

video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC9YALNYrqQ

Leopard Gecko- Jacqueline Garcia

2023-11-01 21:42:14 UTC

Location: Leopard Geckos are found throughout Asia and the Middle East they can be located in areas of Northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran in arid mountainous deserts. These geckos like a rocky substrate and sandy substrate, and that is where they are usually found.

Structure: Adult length is about 8.1-11 in, and they weight about 0.11-0.14lb. Their skin is bumpy with tough skin around their head, back, and neck. My sister actually has three as pets, and I can say their skin feels sort of velvety and soft. Just like all reptiles, they also shed their skin periodically as they grow larger.

Behavioral adaptations: Leopard geckos are nocturnal and avoid hot temperatures during the day. They are also ectothermic which means they rely on their surrounding temperature to regulate body functions. They spend their days in burrows or under rocks to stay cool. I can see this because when I go see them in my sisters room, they are under the rocks and asleep.

Physiological adaptations: One adaptation is their ability to voluntarily lose their tail and their ability to climb nearly every surface.

Migration and camouflage: These geckos do not necessarily migrate but they do semi-hibernation when the temperature drops to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The leopard has spots on their skin as well as small raised bumps. This gives them a rocky like appearance when viewed from above. This allows them to blend into their surroundings. Fringed flaps on their lower jaws and the sides of their bodies flatten against a surface, obscuring their outline.

Classification: Eublepharis macularius Common Leopard Gecko

https://youtu.be/zI5qBElXI00

Honeybees - Deanna Canchola

deannacanchola54_ — 2023-11-01 21:59:15 UTC

Location: Honeybees are found all around the world, including East Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. Honey bees can thrive in natural or domesticated environments, but they prefer to live in gardens, woodlands, orchards, meadows, and other areas where flowering plants are abundant. They live in bee hives or nests.

Structural adaptations: Branched hairs that help them attract and carry pollen. Two pairs of wings that enable them to fly and visit flowers. Stingers (only in females) that are used for defense. Long tongues that can reach into tubular flowers to collect nectar. Pollen baskets on their hind legs that can store the pollen they collect.

Behavioral adaptations: Honeybees have an interesting behavior adaptation they express through dance. When they want to communicate with others they dance. Scientists have discovered special movements bees do to communicate different kinds of messages to other bees of their hive to communicate the location and quality of food sources to hive mates. This behaviour plays a crucial role in the functioning of a hive, which can sometimes have more than 60.000 bees. Most of the behavioral patterns involve learning which promotes considerable flexibility in response to new situations. Fidelity to area, near-neighbor, and directional foraging have important effects on the genetic structure of plant populations.

Physiological adaptations: Bees have developed physiological adaptations that enable them to be seasonally synchronized with their pollen supply. These adaptations include diapause during unfavorable periods of the year and holding over adverse years. Some species use their shivering mechanism for thermoregulation to enable flying in cold climates, and they occasionally use it to release pollen from buzz-pollinated plants. The ability to recognize ultraviolet patterns that are unseen to humans is one of the identification cues that plants provide to the general visual, chemical, and tactile senses.

Migration: Honey bees do not migrate, Unlike other insects, bees do not hibernate during the winter or lay eggs that overwinter and emerge in spring. Bees are active all winter long. During the winter, the bees have one goal; protecting the queen until spring. They will do whatever it takes to reach this goal, even if it means they die in the process. The colder the temperatures get the tighter the cluster will become. They will shiver and flap their wings to increase the hive temperature to keep the queen warm. They rotate the duty of being on the outside so that everyone can have a chance to stay warm and not get worn out.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Genus: Apis

Species: Mellifera

Video link: https://youtu.be/LOZrNs22FAU?si=8hOye-ibySK3dKw1

Alpaca- Rianne Ordoñez

rianne326 — 2023-11-02 03:58:46 UTC

Location: Alpacas originate from South America and are bred from the wild Vicuna which is now a rare and protected species. The llama is bred from the wild Guanaco, which is still relatively common throughout South America.

Structural Adaptations:

Coat and Fur: Alpacas are thought to have been domesticated more than 6,000 years ago by the Incas, who raised them for their prized fleece. Alpacas have a thick and insulating coat made of fine, soft fibers. This coat provides insulation against the cold, harsh Andean climate at high altitudes. Their fur is well-suited to keep them warm, acting as a natural insulation layer.

Body Size and Shape: Alpacas have a relatively small, compact body size and a slender build. This makes them well-suited for navigating rugged mountainous terrains where space may be limited.

Hooves and Toes: Alpacas have padded, cloven hooves that enable them to walk on rocky, uneven terrain. Their foot structure provides stability and prevents slipping, which is essential in their mountainous habitat.

Behavioral Adaptations:

Grazing Behavior: Alpacas are herbivores and graze on a variety of vegetation. Their selective grazing behavior helps them efficiently utilize available plant resources without overgrazing a specific area, thus allowing the vegetation to recover.

Social Behavior: Alpacas are known for their strong herding and social behavior. They live in groups, which provide protection from predators through collective vigilance and warning signals.

Spitting: Alpacas have a unique behavioral adaptation for defense. They can spit stomach contents when threatened or annoyed, and scare away potential threats such as predators or other alpacas.

Physiological Adaptations:

High-altitude Adaptation: Alpacas are adapted to living at high altitudes, which often have lower oxygen levels. They have developed efficient respiratory and circulatory systems to cope with reduced oxygen, allowing them to thrive in these elevations. Alpacas have a relatively low water requirement compared to other animals of similar size. They have efficient water utilization and can withstand periods of limited water availability, which is essential in their arid, high-altitude habitat.

Migration and Camouflage:

Alpacas do not exhibit long-distance migrations like some other animals. They tend to graze in their local territories. However, they may migrate by moving to higher altitudes during the warmer months and descending to lower elevations in the winter.

In terms of camouflage, alpacas do not have specific camouflage adaptations, but their fur coloration can blend in with their rocky and mountainous habitat. This natural coloration, including various shades of brown and white, helps them avoid detection by potential predators in their environment.

Classification of Adaptations:

The adaptations of alpacas can be classified as follows:

Alpaca

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Camelidae

https://youtu.be/X0bE86akgmw?si=imZjVsJnhepc-D00

Capybara- Marlene Solano

2023-11-02 22:52:12 UTC

Location: South America, Panama to Argentina

Structural adaptations: It's the largest rodent in the world. It is 2 feet tall, short legs, small ears, almost no tail. They have brown fur that looks like hair almost and slightly webbed feet.

Behavioral: They tend to eat around dawn. They live in small groups, made up from one dominant male. They are shy and don't mind being alone.

Physiological adaptations: These features allow the animal to adapt to their natural environment as they spend a large amount of time in water and swamps.One of the Capybara’s most distinctive features is the fact that its eyes, ears, and nostrils are all positioned on top of its head meaning that they still have excellent sight, sound, and smell whilst in the water. They are also one of the only rodents who sweat.

Migration and camouflage:

Capybaras do no migrate as they are very adaptive. They adapt to their environment. They usually just want a place where they can be in water. Their heads are shaped to hide well from predators and they can usually hide all their body and still see the predator.

Classification: Rodents, Scientific Name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Video link: https://youtu.be/fd3q7j_hrRA?si=QruaX22X6kwhkVl4

Bats - Yazmin Vigil

2023-11-06 02:18:38 UTC

Location: Bats can be found in most parts of the world including Africa, Asia, Central America, Eurasia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. Bats can also be found in almost every type of habitat including deserts, woodlands, suburban communities, caves, and cities.

Structural adaptations: Bats are the only mammals that can fly through their lightweight mammalian wings. Bats have long arms with “finger” bones that are thin and light making it easier for them to fly.

Behavioral adaptations: As bats are nocturnal animals who sleep during the day in caves or empty buildings, this behavioral adaptation enables bats to hide from predators while they are asleep and vulnerable. During the night, bats hunt relying on their hearing (echolocation) to navigate and hunt their prey. Flying at night prevents their wings from absorbing excessive amounts of heat. When bats sleep, they sleep upside down as they hold on with their feet rather than their hands. This allows bats to have their wings free and ready to fly.

Physiological adaptations: Insect-eating bats use a natural sonar called echolocation when hunting as they emit a high-frequency sound that bounces off any surrounding objects. When the sound hits an object or an insect, it bounces back for the back to hear giving the bat an audible map of the shape, distance, and location of nearby objects.

Migration: Bats migrate between their summer home and their winter home as bats seek an ideal habitat for hibernation during the winter.

Camouflage: The different colors and designs of bats' fur help them protect themselves against predators as it serves as camouflage to help them hide from danger. The fur of bats helps them camouflage to better disguise themselves as some bats can be found living underneath big leaves, roosting under the bark of trees, hiding in dark caves, abandoned buildings, and/or mines.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Chiroptera

Family: Microchiroptera

Genus: Emballonuridae

Scientific name: Chiroptera

Video link:

https://youtu.be/9FVoTMOorXA?si=UYsw9-8NZDHKtKue

Manatee- Kimberly Rivera

2024-05-02 15:43:32 UTC

Location: Manatees are a migratory species and can be found concentrated in Florida in the winter and in the summer months, they can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts, but summer sightings in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina are more common. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas—particularly where seagrass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish.

Structural adaptations: Manatees rely on unique adaptations such as a four-chambered stomach, paddle-shaped flippers, long intestines, and flexible upper-lip flaps to help them survive in their aquatic habitats. They have hairless, gray skin that is thick and rubbery to help them stay warm in cooler temperatures. On their paddle-shaped flippers, they have tiny tubercles that give them grip in the water. Both the flippers and tail are used for swimming and maneuvering in the water. Manatees do not have claws to help graze on plants. manatees have a four-chambered stomach and a long intestinal tract that enable them to digest their vegetation-based diet. In addition to assisting with digestion, the arrangement of their organs also helps them stay neutrally buoyant in the water, allowing them to drift rather than struggle to swim.

Behavioral adaptations: Manatees are gentle and slow-moving animals. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and traveling. Because manatees are mammals they need to breathe air and they may rest submerged at the bottom or just below the surface of the water, coming up to breathe on average every three to five minutes. Manatees can swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts, but they usually only swim about three to five miles per hour.

Physiological adaptations: Facial whiskers on the manatee's head give it another sensory tool. Called "vibrissae", these facial whiskers may be as sensitive as our fingers. Since manatees don't have hands, their prehensile lips are very important, helping the manatee eat almost like the elephant's trunk helps it eat. They have just one kind of teeth-- hind molars. And they have what's called "hind molar progression". also known as marching molars. This means that their teeth are constantly moving forward.

Migration and Camouflage: Manatees migrate in the winter to warmer climates such as Florida while in the summer they migrate to as far out as Texas. Manatees can camouflage as large rocks because of algae that form on the manatee's back. Algae also helps to block out harmful rays from the sun.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Sirenia

Family: Trichechidae

Genus: Trichechus

Scientific name: Trichechus

Video Link: https://youtu.be/DlJy7HQMgSI?si=ruwVGPrTCaJoOoaq

Rusty-spotted Cat- Cecilia D. Salas

salasceciliacruz — 2024-05-03 21:22:32 UTC

Location:

Rusty-spotted cats can be found in Southern India and Sri Lanka. The cats' preferred environment is dry forests, wooden grasslands, scrublands, bamboo forests, and rocky hill slopes. Furthermore, it has been discovered that cats could live in abandoned houses in heavily populated areas of southern India. The rusty-spotted cat could likely make the abandoned houses their homes as rats or mice roam around serving as food.

Structural Adaptations:

Rusty-spotted cat's height is approximately 20 centimeters as its body is slender and smaller than a domestic cat's body. This slender body allows the rusty-spotted cat to take shelter in gaps of big boulders. Their fur is short with further-up parts that have a brownish-grey color with different degrees of marked rust-brown spots. The legs, chest, belly, and inner sides of the legs' fur are white. This color of fur allows the rusty spotted cat to camouflage from their prey thus making it easier to capture.

The rusty-spotted cat has claws thus they are accomplished climbers and very likely to hunt in trees as well as on the ground for their prey.

Behavioral Adaptations:

As rusty-spotted cats are not strictly nocturnal but mainly hunt during the night while they sleep during the daytime. Since rusty-spotted cats are climbers, they have developed a righting reflex that can sense if their orientation of the body is wrong to be corrected thus almost always having their right feet down when falling from the tree that they are climbing.

Physiological Adaptations:

The rusty-spotted cats are solitary animals living alone in the forests thus they do not travel or live in groups. Furthermore, since they are solitary animals then both males and females spray their urine to mark their territory.

Migration:

Rusty-spotted cats do not make seasonal movements but stay in their native homes all year round.

Camouflage:

Their fur build of brown and dappled coats are similar to the colors of the surroundings of the natural habitat. The fur allows the rusty-spotted cat to disguise themselves in their habitat to increase their stealth to capture birds or small mammals for their diet.

Classification:

Kingdom- Animalia

Phylum- Chordata

Subphylum- Vertebrata

Class- Mammalia

Order- Carnivora

Suborder- Feliformia

Family- Felidae

Genus- Prionailurus

Scientific name- Prionailurus rubiginosus

Video Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwKDIMY8gU0

Star-nosed mole (Jacqueline Caracheo)

jackiecaracheo — 2024-05-05 19:24:48 UTC

Star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata Linnaeus)

Their noses are hairless and ringed by a unique 'star' of 22 pink, fleshy tentacles. The star has 11 appendages per side that vary in length from 1 to 4 mm. This species ranges from 175 to 205 mm in total length and weighs between 35 and 75 g.

Location

Native to eastern North America. This species ranges further north than other New World talpids, reaching about 55°N latitude in Québec and Newfoundland.

Habitat

Areas with moist soil and poor drainage, including ponds, banks of streams, marshes, and forests.

Physiological and Behavioral Adaptations

Star-nosed moles are unique creatures that grow between seven and eight inches, weigh approximately two ounces, and usually appear dark brown or black. They are characterized by their star-shaped noses, which are made up of 22 finger-like appendages that function as extrasensory organs. These tendrils can fold in to cover up the nostrils of the nose, keeping dirt out when the animal is underground, and holding in air bubbles when the animal is swimming.

Star-nosed moles have hairy tails that can swell up to three or four times their normal size, storing fat for the purpose of surviving winter months. They have strong forelimbs that work as paddles, allowing them to swim underwater with alternate strokes of both front and hind feet, resulting in a zigzag motion.

Compared to other moles, star-nosed moles are more active on the surface and use runways, often made by other small mammals, through meadow or marsh vegetation.

Despite the poorly developed eyes, star-nosed moles have an intricate system to detect prey and understand their environment. During exploration, the mole's star-like appendage produces brief touches that compress Eimer’s organ against objects or substrate. When foraging, moles search in random patterns of touches lasting 20–30 milliseconds. Catania and colleagues demonstrated that the tactile organ of the star-nosed mole is preferentially innervated by putative light touch fibers. When the outer appendages of the star come into slight contact with a potential food source, the nose is quickly shifted so that one or more touches are made with the fovea (the two lower appendages; 11th pair) to explore objects of interest in more detail – especially potential prey.

Migration

Star-nosed moles are active throughout the winter, burrowing through snow and even swimming under the ice of frozen ponds.

Instinct

Its nose is used more as a super-sensitive spare paw with 22 toes. The pea-sized organ is extremely perceptive, packed with over 25,000 sensory receptors – compared with 17,000 in the human hand. The mole can identify anything it touches seven times faster than a person can blink. This makes it the most sensitive organ in the animal world.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Eulipotyphla

Family: Talpidae

Genus: Condylura

Species: Condylurini

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u74iVC_wVek

Fun Facts: https://factanimal.com/star-nosed-mole/

Resource

Web, A. D. (n.d.). BioKIDS - Kids’ Inquiry of Diverse Species, Condylura cristata, star-nosed mole: INFORMATION. Copyright (C) 2002-2024, the Regents of the University of Michigan. All Rights Reserved. http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Condylura_cristata/

Aye-aye Lemur - Alejandra Cantu

alejandracan2 — 2024-05-06 02:36:37 UTC

Location: Aye-aye Lemurs are endemic and can only be found widely distributed in the forests of eastern and western Madagascar, making them an endangered species.

Structural Adaptation: The aye-aye's incredibly unique adaptations include a thin, flexible “tapping” finger on each hand that they use to tap on bark to find their food source, bat-like ears that are sensitive to the echoes that the wood makes as the animal taps on the tree, and ever-growing, rodent-like incisors that help tear into trees to get to grubs. The aye-aye also has big, round eyes that help the nocturnal animal see at night. They can also hang from branches thanks to their opposable big toes.

Behavioral Adaptation: Aye-aye's are nocturnal, solitary foragers who spend up to 80% of the night feeding and traveling through the forest canopy. When threatened or excited, their white guard hairs rise and make the animal appear doubled in size.

Physiological Adaptation: Aye-ayes have developed a tapetum lucidum on their large eyes which is a reflective layer on the back of the eye that improves night vision.

Camouflage: Because aye-ayes are nocturnal animals their fur is dark in color.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Family: Daubentoniidae

Genus: Daubentonia

Species: madagascariensis

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zon4Cc77YFw

Reference: https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/spring-2021/articles/meet-the-aye-aye-the-world-s-weirdest-primate

Spotted Hyena- Autrinette Cole

2024-05-07 20:22:43 UTC

Fun Facts:

Spotted hyenas are famed scavengers and often dine on the leftovers of other predators. But these hardy beasts are also skilled hunters that will take down wildebeest or antelope. They also kill and eat birds, lizards, snakes, and insects. Spotted hyenas are the largest of three hyena species. They appear similar to dogs but are closely related to cats.

Location:

They live throughout much of Africa and eastwards through Arabia to India. Spotted hyenas are commonly seen in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and a host of other sub-Saharan countries. They are well adapted to live in savanna, semi-desert, mountainous forests, and acacia bushes at heights of as much as 13,000 ft.

Behavioral Adaptations:

have good hearing and sharp eyesight at night. They are fast and can run for long distances without tiring. Packs work together effectively to isolate a herd animal, sometimes one that is ill or infirm, and pursue it to the death. The victors often squabble over the spoils, either among themselves or with other powerful animals like lions.

Spotted hyenas are quite vocal and make a wide variety of sounds, including the “laughing” that has long been associated with their name. Spotted hyenas live together in large groups called clans that may include up to 80 individuals and are led by females.

Structural Adaptations:

Their brain's large frontal cortex is associated with superior problem-solving skills. Strong jaws, teeth, and digestion allow them to eat entire carcasses including skin, hooves, ligaments, horns, hair, and bones. Four toes on each; all with short, blunt, non-retractable claws · Broad, naked pads on foot bottom

Physiological Adaptation:

Female spotted hyenas are highly masculinized at birth and have no external vagina. Female dominance in spotted hyena clans could be an adaptation in order to successfully compete with males on kills.

Camouflage: They are light, dull brown, with darker dots or spots that have given them their name and help them camouflage in the long grass of Africa's savannah areas.

Classification:

Domain:Eukaryota

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Mammalia

Order:Carnivora

Suborder:Feliformia

Family:Hyaenidae

Genus:Crocuta

Species: C. crocuta

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxPj7ko8Z54

Tasmanian Devil- Marisol Villafana

2024-05-09 04:36:30 UTC

Tasmanian Devil

Location: The Tasmanian devil, or Sarcophilus harrisii, is native to the Australian islands of Tasmania which is its only native habitat. They live in eucalyptus forests, woodlands, coastal scrubland and agricultural areas.

Fun fact: also called the Australian hyena and vacuum cleaners of the forest. The San Diego zoo is one of the very few zoos to care for them in the US.

Structural Adaptation: Tasmanian devils have dark fur that helps them blend into their environment at night when they hunt for food. A powerful jaw that can open very wide to ward off predators. They also have a very keen sense of smell, which helps them scavenge for food at night and to avoid predators.

Behavioral adaptations: the Tasmanian devils travel long distances of up to 2 miles at night. They also give off a foul odor when threatened, in order to ward off predators. They are picky eaters and will make noises to display and assert dominance

Migration/hibernation/camouflage: The Tasmanian devil does not migrate unless there is a reason for competition. Their dark fur helps them camouflage at night. They can go into torpor which is a state similar to hibernation.

Classification:

Kingdom- Animalia

Phylum- Chordata

Class- Mammalia

Order- Dasyuromorphia

Family- Dasyuridae

Genus- Sarcophilus

Species- harrisii

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyvPjn2m240

Lungless Salmander

2024-11-17 15:22:25 UTC

Location: Lungless Salamanders are primarily in North and Central America, with a few species in parts of Asia. The majority of lungless salamanders are found in the United States, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of the southeastern U.S.

Structural Adaptation: The lungless salamander has specific structural adaptations that help it to survive without lungs. Thin skin for respiration through skin. Special mouth that also helps with oxygen absorption. Highly efficient circulatory system. Very small body that helps with surface-area-to-volume ratio.

Behavioral Adaptation: Seeking moist environments so their skin can stay moist for gas exchange. Nocturnal behavior for higher humidity. Slow movement for less oxygen needed. Using long tongue to catch prey so they have to use less energy.

Physiological Adaptation: The lungless salamander has specific physiological adaptations that help it to survive without lungs. Skin as the primary means of respiration. Low metabolic rate and highly efficient circulatory system. Increased blood flow to the skin. Oral respiration through large mouth surface. Minimal and slow movement for energy conservation.

Migration: Lungless salamanders are not known for long-distance migration like some other amphibians. However, they do exhibit seasonal movement and short-range migrations based on environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and availability of food. In colder regions, many species of lungless salamanders undergo a period of dormancy or hibernation during the winter months. They migrate if their enviornment is not moist or humid enough.

Camouflage: Lungless salamanders use a combination of cryptic coloration, disruptive patterns, and behavior to camouflage effectively in their environment. Their earth-toned, mottled skin helps them blend into the forest floor. Their slow movements and tendency to remain hidden in sheltered locations reduce their chances of being detected by predators.

Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Caudata (Urodela)

Family: Plethodontidae

Genera: Includes Plethodon, Eurycea, Desmognathus, Batrachoseps, among others.

Video: https://youtu.be/uC1WoLynU48?si=B0k5EO_76qRqtyuP