Behavioral Adaptations of Animals

Life Science - Middle School

1
/
2
Behavioral Adaptations of Animals Similar to physical adaptive traits that help with survival, like camouflage, warm fur, flight feathers, or quills, animals also develop behavioral adaptive traits. Behavioral adaptations are changes in how animals act that occur in a population of animals over many generations. These are inheritable traits that help an animal survive longer so it can have more young (who may also have these helpful behavioral traits). Behavioral adaptative traits also help with food collection, safer homes, escaping predators, or surviving cold, heat or lack of water. Any traits that may increase survival and are inheritable by young are considered adaptative traits. Here are some examples. Some animals survive extreme cold, heat or even drought by going into a deep sleep called torpor (1) or actual hibernation (2) where the body goes into a kind of stasis so it does not need food or water for a period of time. Other animals migrate (3) to warmer climates (or wetter habitats). Nest building is another behavioral adaptive trait. Nests that protect more young are said to have a selective advantage, whether the animal is a weaverbird (4), beaver (5) or termite (6). Some animals, like the frilled lizard (7), enlarge themselves, flash bright colors, or hiss to discourage predators. Others warn off predators with a loud sound, like the rattle of a rattlesnake (8), or even escape by just leaping in an irregular pattern like the kangaroo rat (9). These are all adaptive behaviors. 4 1 3 5 9 6 7 2 8
94-4036 Similar to _______________________ adaptive traits that help with survival, like camouflage, warm fur, flight feathers, or quills, animals also develop _______________________ adaptive traits. Behavioral adaptations are changes in how animals act that occur in a ____________________________ of animals over many generations. These are inheritable traits that help an animal survive longer so it can have more _________________________ (who may also have these helpful behavioral traits). Behavioral adaptative traits also help with food collection, safer homes, escaping __________________________, or surviving cold, heat or lack of water. Any traits that may increase survival and are inheritable by young are considered adaptative traits. Here are some examples. Some animals survive extreme cold, heat or even drought by going into a deep sleep called ___________________ (1) or actual ___________________________ (2) where the body goes into a kind of stasis so it does not need food or _____________________ for a period of time. Other animals _____________________ (3) to warmer climates (or wetter habitats). Nest building is another behavioral adaptive trait. Nests that protect more young are said to have a selective advantage, whether the animal is a ______________________ (4), ______________________ (5) or ______________________ (6). Some animals, like the frilled __________________ (7), enlarge themselves or flash bright colors to discourage _____________________. Others warn off predators with a loud sound, like the rattle of a _______________________ (8), or even escape by just leaping in an irregular pattern like the kangaroo _________ (9). These are all ______________________ behaviors. 4 1 3 5 9 6 7 2 8 Behavioral Adaptations of Animals