Adaptations in Animals Chapter Notes | Eureka Plus Class 5: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

Introduction

Animals, like all living organisms, require food, water, and shelter to survive. However, these basic necessities are not always readily available in their natural environments. To cope with this challenge, animals have developed various adaptations that allow them to thrive in their specific habitats. A habitat is the natural home of an animal, providing it with the essential resources needed for life. Different animals are suited to different habitats, which have the right conditions for their survival.

Examples of Adaptations

1. Cold Mountainous Regions:

• In the cold, mountainous regions of the Himalayas, animals like yaks and snow leopards have adapted to the harsh conditions. These animals are specially suited to live in the cold climate, where other animals would struggle to survive.

2. Warm Open Grasslands:

• In contrast, open grasslands in warmer regions are the natural habitat for animals like blackbucks, cheetahs, and Bengal floricans (a type of bird). These animals are adapted to the warm climate and the specific conditions of the grassland environment.

Types of Habitats

Animals can be classified based on the time they are active. For instance, owls, bats, lorises, and nightjar birds are all nocturnal animals because they are adapted to being active at night.

• Terrestrial Habitats: These include places like forests, deserts, and grasslands. Each of these habitats is home to different kinds of animals due to their unique environments.
• Aquatic Habitats: These include bodies of water like lakes and oceans. Just like terrestrial habitats, aquatic environments also support different kinds of animal life.

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How Animals Adapt to Their Habitats

Animals possess specific body features and behaviors that enable them to thrive in their particular habitats. These are known as adaptations. Let’s explore how animals are adapted to their environments.

Adaptations in Animals Living in Very Cold Regions

The polar regions of the Earth are extremely cold. They remain covered with ice throughout the year. Few plants grow in these regions and food becomes very scarce in winter. Animals that live here are adapted to survive in extremely cold conditions. The polar bear is one such animal. It lives in the North Polar region.

Adaptations in Polar Bears

Body Insulation:

• Thick Fur: Polar bears are covered with a thick layer of fur, which provides excellent insulation against the cold.
• Fur on Feet: Even the soles of their feet have a layer of fur, helping them walk on cold, slippery ice.
• Fat Layer: Underneath their skin, polar bears have a thick layer of fat (blubber), which further insulates them and keeps them warm.

Energy Conservation:

• Winter Sleep: During winter, polar bears can sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day. This long sleep helps them conserve energy and reduces their need for food when it is scarce.
• Energy Use: When polar bears are awake and active, their bodies use more energy. By sleeping a lot in winter, they save energy for when food is hard to find.

Swimming Ability:

• Summer Swimming: Polar bears are strong swimmers. When the ice melts in summer, they can swim long distances to find food, such as seals, on floating ice.

Adaptations in Animals Living in the Mountains

Animals in the higher regions of mountains have adapted to survive in cold weather with less air. The mountains have thinner air at higher altitudes, which requires special adaptations.

Yaks, snow leopards, llamas, and mountain goats are examples of animals that live in these harsh conditions.

• Thick Fur: These animals have a thick layer of fur that keeps them warm in the cold temperatures of the mountains.
• Increased Red Blood Cells: They also have more red blood cells in their bloodstream compared to other animals. This adaptation helps them absorb enough oxygen from the thin air at high altitudes.

Adaptations in Desert Animals

Camels are the most well-known animals in hot deserts, and they have various adaptations that help them survive in such harsh conditions.

• Long Eyelashes: Camels have long eyelashes that protect their eyes from strong, sandy winds.
• Nostrils: Their nostrils can be closed and opened at will, which helps protect them during sandstorms.
• Hump: The hump on a camel's back stores excess food as fat. This fat provides energy when they have to go long periods without food.
• Thick Skin: Camels have thick skin that protects their bodies from intense heat.
• Toes: Their toes are joined together, which prevents them from sinking into the sand.
• Long Legs: Long legs help keep their bodies away from the hot sand.

In addition to these physical features, camels have certain habits that help them survive in the desert:

• Water Conservation: Camels can go without water for many days. When water is available, they drink a lot to replenish what they have lost.
• Food Storage: Food is scarce in the desert, so when camels find food, they eat a lot of it. The excess food is converted into fat and stored in their hump. This stored fat is used for energy when food is not available.
• Chewing Thorny Plants: The inner part of a camel's mouth is tough, like leather. This allows them to chew on thorny desert plants that other animals might find difficult to eat.

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Adaptations of Animals in Open Grasslands

• Animals such as deer, wild dogs, cheetahs, and lions are well-suited to living in open grassland environments.
• These animals have strong legs that allow them to cover long distances in search of food and water.
• The colour of their body coat blends in with the dry grass, which helps animals like deer avoid detection by predators.
• For instance, the body colour of a lion helps it remain unnoticed until prey is close enough.
• Lions and other predators have adaptations such as a keen sense of smell, sharp eyesight, sharp teeth, strong legs, and claws that assist them in hunting.

Crows are found all over the world because they have the following adaptations:

• They feed on a wide range of food, such as insects, garden lizards, birds' eggs, dead animals, and leftover food.
• They can live comfortably in warm, cold, and wet conditions.

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Adaptations in Fish

Fish are animals that live in water. They are specially built to live only in water. The shape of a fish is streamlined, which means it is narrow at both ends and wider in the middle. This shape helps fish swim easily through water. Fish are also covered with scales, which keeps their bodies from getting too wet. They have fins that help them swim. Fish breathe by taking in oxygen that is dissolved in the water using their gills.