Adaptation Adaptation is the ability of a plant or animal to change in order to survive in their environment. Types of Adaptations Migration Hibernation Camouflage Mimicry Metamorphosis Physical Features Defenses Migration To move from one location to another when the seasons change. Canadian Geese migrate to Mexico or Central America Arctic terns migrate from the Arctic to the Antarctic! Lesser Golden Plovers fly 2,000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii in less than 3 days! Hibernation To spend the winter in a sleeplike state. Some fish sink to the bottom of ponds and lakes to bury themselves in the mud. Bears spend the winter in caves or other hideouts Frogs, toads, and snakes bury themselves under rocks or tree roots. Camouflage Coloring or body structure that allows an animal to blend into the surrounding environment. The Snowshoe Hares fur turns from brown to white to help it blend into the snow. Zebras stripes help them blend into the shadows. The horned lizard is almost the exact color of the desert sand. Mimicry To look or act like something else as a means for protection. The wasp beetle looks and acts like a wasp, but it cannot sting. The walking stick beetle looks like a twig. Some moths have large colorful spots on their wings that look like eyes to scare away predators. Metamorphosis To change body forms as the animal matures and grows older. A tadpole turns into a frog. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Special Adaptations Physical features that help an animal survive in its environment. A polar bear has huge layers of fat to keep it warm. Camels have wide, flat feet to help it to walk on the desert sand. The cottontail rabbits large ears give off heat and help it to stay cool. Unique Defenses Special ways that the animal fights with other animals, or how it avoids a confrontation through physical features or behaviors When attacked, an opossum will play dead until the attacker gives up. A puffer fish will puff up its stomach with air until it is twice its normal size. Skunks give off a terrible odor to scare off attackers.