ACCLIMATISATION IS APROCES IN WHICH AN INDIOVIDUAL ANIMAL ADJUST

TO GRADUAL CHANGE IN IT’S ENVIRONMENT. DISCUSS VARIUOUS WAYS AN

ANIMAL ACCLIMATIZE.

It occurs in a short period of time ( hours to weeks) and within the organism’s lifetime compared
to adaptation, which is evolution taking place over many generations. For example, when
mountaineers acclimate to high altitude over hours or days.
Organisms can adjust their morphological, behavioral, physical or biochemical traits in response
to changes in their environment.
Animals acclimatize in many ways. Sheep grow very thick wool in cold, damp climates. Fish are
able to adjust only gradually to changes in water temperature and quality.
when an animal migrates to a higher altitude than it is accustomed to, then in order to adjust to
the lower oxygen levels at the new altitude, the body increases the number of red blood cells
circulating in the blood to ensure adequate oxygen delivery to the tissues. Another example of
acclimatization is animals that have seasonal changes in their coats: a heavier coat in the winter
ensures adequate heat retention, and a light coat in summer assists in keeping body temperature
from rising to harmful levels.

Drosophila melanogaster develop at cold temperature hence a greater cold tolerance and heat
tolerance increases over time.
In hot summer,acclimztized birds and mammals often rest in the shade and in winter cold some
animals become dormant.
Some species of frogs that live in temperate climates tolerate freezing of their bodies and other
tissues by allowing 65% of their bodies to freeze solid, stop breathing and stop their heart when
the temperature drop below freezing.
During spring as temperature rise the frogs body thaws and basic motor functions restart
allowing them to survive incredibly harsh winter conditions.
Birds often increase their organ size to increase their metabolism. This take the form of an
increase in the mass of nutritional organs or heat producing organs like pectorals.
As result of cold, winter weather( stimulus) some animals will hibernate. Hibernation is a state of
greatly reduced body activity, used to conserve food stored in the body. Some animals hibernate
for part or all of the winter, the animals body temperature drops, its heartbeat and breathing slow
down and it uses its little energy
Examples of hibernating animals may be ants, snakes, black bears, beavers and ground squirrels.
Migration
Is the movement of animals from one place to another in response to a seasonal changes.
Animals travel to other places where food is available. The cycle is control by changes in the
amount of daylight and the weather. Examples of animals that migrate are monarch butterflies,
orcas, ducks and salmon

Courtship
In animals is usually a behavioral process whereby adults of a species try to attract a potential
mate. It ensures that males and females of the same species recognize each other. Environmental
stimuli such as seasonal changes stimulate courtship.
Grouping
This is a social behavior that occurs when animals travel together in groups to protect individuals
within the group or to fool a predator into thinking the group is one large organism. Examples
include herds( buffalo, zebra, cattle), packs (wolves, or school of fish.
Smells
Skunks use an offensive odor in response to fear. The skunk turns the predator’s sense of smell
against it by issuing a stream of oily foul-smelling musk.

References
Houghton Mifflin harcourt, the American heritage dictionary of the English language, Houghton
Mifflin harcourt, archieved from original on September 25, 2015, retrieved January 31, 2017.
(2009) ‘acclimatisation” (n.d) The unabridged Hutchinson Encyclopedia retrieved November 5,
2009 from http:/encyclopedia.farlex.com/acclimatization.