Concept Formation

Lions1. Why do lions have loose belly skin?

It's not because they are out of shape! It's an adaptation for their protection. Loose belly skin allows animal to be kicked by prey with little chance of injury. 2. What is the purpose of the mane on a male lion?

Thick mane helps male look bigger and protects the throat.

Concept Formation

3. Why are the eyes of a lion set in the front of its head rather than on the sides?

Eyes in front allow for depth perception and ability to judge distances when stalking or ambushing prey.4. A lion has heavily muscled forelimbs and shoulders. Why? Heavily muscled forelimbs and shoulders add strength for capturing large prey.

Concept Formation

5. Why do they have forepaws equipped with long, retractile claws?

Forepaws equipped with long, retractile claws which help to grab and hold prey. 6. Why do they have a rough tongue?

Rough tongue designed to peel skin of prey animal away from flesh, and flesh from bone. 7. Why are lions a sandy colour?

Sandy coat colour camouflages animal and young among scrub vegetation.

Concept Formation

Rock deserts and sparse grasslands.Lizards Leopard Gecko

What special adaptation do lizards have for survival when being attacked by a predator?

Many lizards, like the leopard gecko, have a tail, which breaks off readily when grabbed by a predator. This emables the lizards to escape if attacked.

Concept Formation

What is the disavantage of losing a tail?A lizard's tail is used as a fat storage for

times when there is not much food for them to eat in the desert. By losing its tail is is losing a valuable food source.How do lizards protect them from the suns heat?

They are strictly nocturnal. This means that they only come out from their holes and crevices at night time to hunt for food

Concept Formation

What adaptation does a lizard have to prevent drying out in the desert?

Lizards have extra-thick skin to help prevent drying out in the desert.How are animals living in the polar region adapted to the conditions in which they live in?

Animals of the Arctic have many adaptations to help them survive in often inhospitable climate.

Concept Formation

Polar Bears A polar bear lives in the cold,snowy Arctic lands. They are thelargest land carnivores.

How has a polar bear adapted to its Arctic environment?

Why are polar bears white?Their white fur helps them blend in with

the snow and ice.

Concept Formation

How does a polar bear keep warm?A polar bear has a layer of fat under its

skin which helps it stay warm. It also has a thick layer of fur.

Why does a polar bear have very wide, large paws?

The wide, large paws help apolar bear to walk in the snow.

Concept Formation

Why does a polar bear have nostrils which it can close?

When a polar bear swims under water it closes it nostrils so no water can get in.

Why will we not find a polar bear living in a desert?

Polar bears are adapted to suit a cold environment.

Concept Formation

Arctic Conditions

Animals of the Arctic have many adaptations to help them survive in often inhospitable climate.

Concept Formation

PenguinsSome Penguins live

In the Antarctic, where it is extremely cold, and the water temperatures neverrise above freezing. Others live further North, but all penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.

Concept Formation

Penguins are flightless birds, but are excellent swimmers. They live on pack ice and in the oceans around Antarctica. Theybreed on the land or ice surfaces along the coast and on islands.

Concept Formation

How are penguins adapted so they can swim fast?

Penguins have webbed feet for powerful swimming. Their bodies are streamlined to reduce drag in water. Their wings, shaped like flippers, also help them "fly" underwater at speeds up to 15 mph.

Concept Formation

How do penguins keep warm?Penguins have to keep high body

temperatures to remain active. They have thick skin and lots of fat (blubber) under their skin to keep warm in cold weather.They also huddle together with their friends to keep warm. Emperor penguins have developed a social behaviour that when it gets cold, they huddle together in groups that

Concept Formation

may comprise several thousand penguins.The dark coloured feathers of a penguin's back surface absorb heat from the sun, so helping them to warm up too.What is the job of penguins feathers?

Penguins tightly packed feathers overlap to provide waterproofing and warmth. They coat their feathers with oil from a gland near the tail to increase

Concept Formation

impermeability. Waterproofing is critical to penguins' survival in water, Antarctic seas may be as cold as -2.2°C (28°F) and rarely get above +2°C (35.6°F).(-2°C is the freezing point of sea water, below zero because of the salt).

Concept Formation

How do penguins stay under water?Penguins don't have all the extra

airspaces in their bones that normal birdshave. Their heavy, solid bones act like a diver's weight belt, allowing them to stay underwater.

Concept Formation

Dolphins Streamlined to move fast, to catch food and to escape from predators Excellent hearing to protect itself from predators Very intelligent mammal Swims with other dolphins for company and protection

Concept Formation

FrogsWhat does a frog eat?

Frogs are carnivores. They eat insects, spiders, worms, snails, fish, and even small rodents like mice.How does a frog eat?

When a frog spots a tasty meal, it flicks out its long, sticky tongue. The tongue lassos the meal/creature and pulls it back into the frog's mouth.

Concept Formation

Do frogs have teeth?Yes, frogs do have teeth, however,they

are small and so not really good for chewing. Frogs mostly use their teeth just to hold their prey in their mouths, and then they swallow their prey whole.What is so special about a frogs head?

A frog's head has adaptations that help it to swallow prey. Unlike a human's eyes which are fixed in our heads in bony circles

Concept Formation

called orbits, the orbits surrounding a frog's eyes do not have bottoms. This means that when a frog swallows large prey, it can close its eyelids and drop its eyeballs down into its mouth. Yuck! Then the eyeballs help push the prey down the throat of the frog. (Incredible as it may sound, this is true!)Not all frogs look or act the same. Frogs have adapted to the environment around them.

Concept Formation

A Dyeing Poison Tree Frog is brightly coloured to warn enemies of lethal nerve toxins. Its finger and toe tips have glandular adhesive pads that enable the animal to climb.

Application

a. Why will we not find a polar bear living in a desert?b. If a polar bear was adapted to live in a desert:

• What colour would the polar bear be so it was camouflage?• Would it still have thick fir?• What would it eat?

Evaluation

Describe how the following animals survive/adapt themselves to an environment for protection and survival:

Animal Environment where they live

Protective Adaptation

horsedeertiger

Assignment

Cut pictures of animals living in different environments paste them in a bond paper and below each animal describe how they

protect themselves for survival.