Plant and Animal Adaptations

Each seed comes from a different plant, and is an adaptation used to make more plants. Some seeds can blow with the wind. Some fall from the trees. Some are eaten by birds. Some seeds stick to animals or even people, and some are washed away by The Rain. That is how the seeds are spread all around so more plants can grow. Now there is something I would want to touch, thorns, ouch. Did you know that the thorns are there to protect the plants so animals won't eat them? That's right, it's an adaptation for protection. With all the growth and a forest, it can be hard for a plant to get any sunlight from the ground. As you know, plants need sunlight to make food, so some plants have an adaptation to help them get closer to the sun. They are vines. They just wrap around the tree and keep on going into their reach the top and voila. They have sunlight. Yikes, do you see those snakes? Sometimes they can be hard to see when they are hidden among the plants. Snakes have a great adaptation that helps them hide for protection and to hunt for food. It is called camouflage. Hidden in the forest, its enemies can't see it, and when a tasty meal comes by, they just grab it without the creature even knowing it was there. Many animals use this adaptation. 

Camouflage is used by lizards and other animals like different types of fish, birds, and mammals. They all use their environment to help them hide from danger, and help them catch the food they need to survive. Frogs have many adaptations. They have really long tongues for catching insects, and long back legs to leap quickly and high into the air. They can swim in the water, or hop across the land. They lay hundreds of eggs at one time to make sure some will survive, and then there will soon be new frogs. Many frogs taste bad to animals. So even if they pick one up to eat it, they will spit it back out, yuck. Some frogs are poisonous, and their colors make sure other animals stay away. Wow. What sharp teeth he has, and it is a great adaptation for catching and eating dinner. See that long, powerful tale? Well, it helps the alligator steer through the murky water, and it is a great weapon to help protect it. The alligator has nostrils on top of its mouth, so it can remain hidden in the water, yet still be able to breathe because its nostrils are above the water, and its eyes are above the water. 

He is always watching and waiting for his next dinner, and is on the lookout for predators, too. Hey, it is a school of fish. Well, they really aren't in school. That is what you call a group of fish swimming together. These fish are well adapted to their environment. They have gills that take the oxygen they need right out of the water. The tails and fins steer and push the fish through the water. The colors on the fish help them to be camouflaged, said they are hard to see. That is for protection or for hiding while waiting for your lunch to swim by. Some colors trick other animals into thinking the fish is poisonous or make it look bigger than it really is. Then the predators will leave them alone. Colors also helped attract mates, which is an adaptation for reproduction. Oh, how beautiful and intelligent dolphins are. They live in oceans, where they swim using their powerful tails to glide quickly through the water. They are mammals, and must breathe air, so they rise to the surface, and use their blowholes to breathe. They can dive down and stand a water for a long time, giving them time to find food, or just have a little fun. They use their noses for protection, and will butt away predators protect themselves and their herds. 

Look at those long legs and those long beaks. These birds are just perfect for living near the water. Some birds that live near the water will have long legs for standing in the water, and long beaks for catching those yummy fish to eat. These beautiful swans also live near the water. They don't have long legs, or long beaks, but they do have webbed feet which are perfect for pushing along in the water, and a wide beak for catching those yummy fish for dinner. Some birds like geese have another type of adaptation. They migrate. That means they fly from one region to another during the winter. They fly to a place where it is warm, so they can find food, and back again where they started. I guess you could say they have two homes, and each is perfect in the spring. They don't have to be taught this. They just do it. Now that is a beautiful eagle. It has sharp eyes to conceal its prey from about a mile away. Strong wings to carry his prey to his nest, strong talons for holding the prey, and a sharp, curved beak for eating the food. 

Predator birds, or birds that hunt, have these type of adaptations to help them survive. Predator birds, like the hawk and falcon, have these features, too. What a cute little red bird. It has a small beak and claws. Those adaptations are perfect for living in wooded areas like a forest, the small beak is great for eating fruits, seeds, insects, and worms. The claws are perfect for landing on and living in trees. The colors on some birds make excellent camouflage so they can hide from their enemies. The colors are also used to attract mates. Oh wow, I just love bats. They are amazing creatures. They hibernate or sleep through the winter when it is hard for them to find food. They have an echolocation adaptation that helps them find food without even seeing it. They are very helpful to all of us because they eat insects that bother us. They also like to eat fruit. They are mammals that can fly, the only mammals that can fly. 

Amazing adaptations indeed. Now there is an animal you don't want to disturb a bear. It has great adaptations for survival. It has sharp claws for climbing, protection, and catching food. It can also hibernate or sleep through the winter when there is less food around for it to eat. Its coloring makes it easy for it to disappear into the Woods unnoticed by others. Do you remember the word for that adaptation? You are correct. It is camouflage. Don't scare them away, or they'll disappear into the Woods, and we won't be able to see them with that great camouflage. The deer can run and jump quickly with those long legs. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing. 

Those adaptations keep them safe from predators. They have nice long necks for enjoying the plants they like to eat, and to get a cool drink from a nearby stream. Insects have adaptations too. Look at those butterflies. They blend in well with their environment so predators have a hard time seeing them. Also, those spots on their wings make it look like great big eyes, so other animals will want to leave them alone. The Luna moth has two big spots on his back that look like two big eyes. The other animals will leave it alone because they see those big eyes and think it is a large animal. Well, I hope you have enjoyed this great story on plan and animal adaptations, and I hope you have learned a lot from it too.