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New Trends in ICSE Science - 4

5. Adaptations in Plants
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Adaptations in Animals (✔)

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Adaptations in Animals

EVERGREEN PUBLICATIONS CLASS - 4TH NT I…

I…

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 You wear warm clothes to protect yourself from cold and take hot drinks. If Dinosaurs could
wear warm clothes and take hot drinks, they would have survived and never got extinct.

Scientists believed that there was a sudden change in earth’s climate. It became very cold, the
dinosaurs could not adjust to the cold conditions and died. Thus, they became extinct.

Adaptation

The process in which an organism changes itself to suit its surroundings is known as
adaptation.

Living things that adapt to their surroundings survive. Those that cannot adapt die. Animals are
well adjusted to one particular type of environment. This environment is known as its habitat.

Need for Adaptation in Animals

1. Animals need to adapt themselves according to the climatic changes.

2. Adaptation helps them to survive in adverse conditions.

3. Animals also adapt themselves according to their food habits.

4. Animals need to adapt themselves according to the habitat where they live.

5. Animals develop special features to protect themselves from their enemies.

Reasons of Adaptation

As the environment changes, animals that cannot adapt die out and only the adapted ones
survive and produce babies. The babies are adapted to live in the changed environment. Thus,
the main reason for adaptation is ‘to survive’. Other reasons of adaptation are :

(i) To protect themselves from enemies.

(ii) To protect themselves from harsh climatic changes.

(iii) To help them to survive in their habitat.

(iv) To help them in locomotion.

(v) To help them to consume the food properly.

Habitat

The natural home of an animal is called its habitat.

Adaptations according to Environment

Animals can be classified according to the natural environment or its habitat.

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Terrestrial animals

Animals like horse, lion, deer and giraffe live on land. These animals are called terrestrial
animals. These animals have the following features that help them to adapt well on land.

These features are :

• legs to move

• lungs to breathe

• hairy skin to bear cold

• thick skin to bear heat

• well developed nervous system

Snakes have plates or scales that help them to crawl.

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Polar bear have fur on their bodies to keep them warm. The fat layer under the skin is used as a
source of energy in severe winters.

Mountain goat has small hooves that help it to climb up and down the hills. Its thick coat on
back protects it  against the cold.

A camel has padded feet to move on sand. Camels have  humps on their back which have
stored fat. This fat gives them energy when they do not get food or water. They are also known
as ‘Ship of the desert’.

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A deer has long and thin legs which help it to run fast and escape from its enemies.

Aquatic animals

Animals that live in water are called aquatic animals. The distinct features that help them to
live in water are :

• Most of the aquatic animals have gills to breathe.

• Many of them have streamlined bodies.

• Many water birds have webbed feet or paddle-like flippers.

The gills in a crab help it to breathe in water.

The paddle like limbs of a turtle help it to swim.

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Fish have fins which help them to move in water.

Amphibians

Animals that can live both on land and in water are known as amphibians. The distinct features
which help them to live both on land as well as in water are :

• Gills and lungs to respire in water and land respectively.

• Limbs to move and fins to swim.

Frogs and toads are cold-blooded animals. They cannot bear very cold weather. So they
undergo a long winter sleep called hibernation.

Salamander have limbs for swimming, moist skin to breathe in water and lungs to breathe on
land.

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Aerial animals
Animals that fly are called aerial animals.

• These animals have hollow bones and wings to fly.

• They have streamlined bodies which help them to fly. Most birds have wings to fly. They have
light and hollow bones.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly.

Arboreal animals

Animals that spend most of their time on trees are known as arboreal animals.

Squirrels and tree lizards have claws and broad hip girdles to support their body while climbing.

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Monkeys have long and curly tail that helps them to swing from branch to branch.

Adaptation according to Food Habits

Herbivores : Herbivores have wide flat teeth to grind plant material properly.

They have large specially designed stomach for proper digestion of plants.

Carnivores : Carnivores have sharp teeth and claws which help them to tear the flesh.

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They have strong legs which help them to run fast to catch their prey.

Omnivores : Omnivores have special set of teeth which can help them to tear flesh as well as
grind plant matter.

They have a number of enzymes to digest the type of food they consume.

Adaptation for Protection

Animals protect themselves from their enemies in different ways. They develop special features
which help them to escape from their enemies.

Stick insect looks like a dry small twig, as a result they are  mistaken for a twig.

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Chameleon change their skin colour to blend with their surroundings in order to escape from
their enemies. This property is known as camouflage.

Birds like ostrich, emu and snake run very fast to escape from their enemies.

Animals like turtle, tortoise and snails have hard shell to protect themselves from their
enemies.

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Porcupines have spines to protect themselves from enemies.

Some snakes and scorpions have poisonous venom to kill their enemies.

Arctic foxes have brown coats in summer but grow white fur in winter. Their colour merges with
their surroundings and it becomes difficult to spot them.

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Care and Concern for Animals

Animals can be broadly classified into two types : (i) pet animals (ii) wild animals. The care of
both the types varies.

Wild Animals

Often government takes care of wild animals by preserving their habitat. Government converts
the forest area into :
(i) National parks

(ii) Sanctuaries

(iii) Biosphere reserves

These are the areas where animals live freely and have no risk of being hunted by man. Many
trees are planted in these areas specially so that animals get proper shelter and food.

Pet Animals

Pet animals have to be taken care by the owner. Following are the ways to keep concern for
animals and take care of animals.

1. Provide clean place to them which should be free from flies and insects.

2. By providing them fresh water.

3. By giving them proper meals.

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4. By taking them to veterinary doctors periodically.

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