Wildlife Adaptations

1. Wildlife Adaptations Two Rivers Wildlife Park invites you to learn about animal and plant growth and changes…

2. What is Wildlife? • What do you think of when you hear the word wildlife? • Does the word wildlife include only furry animals?

3. Wildlife is….. • Wildlife includes wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. • It also includes fishes, plants, fungi, algae, bacteria, and other wild organisms. • In other words, wildlife includes all living things that are not domesticated, including plants.

4. Habitat is Home! Habitat is very simply where an animal or plant lives — its home. We generally think of habitat as being made up of four main things: food, water, shelter, and space.

5. What is an adaptation? • Animals have special behaviors and body parts that help them get food, keep safe, and live in their habitat. These special behaviors and body parts are called adaptations

6. Physical Adaptations: Adaptations can be physical or behavioral: An example of a physical adaptation is when an animal changes colour to blend in with its habitat or when a leaf changes colour. Arctic fox are blue/grey in the summer and turn white in the winter! Leaves turn colour in the Fall to protect them from the cold.

7. Behavioral Adaptation One behavioral adaptation is hibernation. Some animals hibernate to survive the winter. They slow their heart rate and breathing so much it’s hard to tell that they are still alive! Hibernates... Aestivates… Groundhogs and bats are the only true hibernators in Nova Scotia. Bears aestivate (es-ti-vate), which is not as deep a ‘sleep’ as hibernation.

8. Adaptations you ‘otter’ know about! Are these physical or behavioral adaptations? An otter is home in the water. Their eyes are high on their head to see while swimming just under the water. Their ears close underwater. They have rough patches on their feet to get a better grip on slippery surfaces. They have fur that is insulated and waterproof.

9. Some reasons why wildlife changes or adapts: • They adapt to live in their habitat • They adapt to survive and thrive in their habitat • They adapt to protect their babies

10. Hot Habitats Some plants and animals need to adapt to survive in extreme habitats. To survive in the desert the cactus stores water to use when it is hot and dry for long periods of time.

11. Adapt to the Habitat! Some wildlife adapt to their habitat by moving! This change of habitat is called migration. Many birds migrate south for the winter. Migration is considered a behavioral adaptation.

12. Surviving and Thriving in a Habitat The bracken fern has many adaptations to help it survive and thrive in its habitat. Below are two: 1. The plant encourages fires which burn away competing plants. 2.The plant can be poisonous to animals and other plants. How do you think these two adaptations help the fern survive and thrive?

13. Protect their young in a habitat Penguins have adapted to protect their young in very cold weather. They can cover the egg with their bodies and move it with their beak and feet!

14. How do you Adapt to your Habitat? • Do you dress differently from season to season? How do you get ready for winter? • How do you get around? Do you take a bus? Walk? Have your legs become stronger from walking? • What adaptations can you think of?

15. To Learn More about Adaptations: • We hope you enjoyed this presentation about animal and plant growth and changes. Complete the activity sheets and then visit Two Rivers Wildlife Park to learn more! • Hope to see you soon!