Squirrel Island

Purpose
• To explain how adaptations help organisms survive in different
environments

Background
• Mutations are random changes in the genetic information of an organism.
They cause new traits in an organism. Most are harmful, but a few are
neutral or even beneficial.
• There are two main types of genetic mutations: a point mutation and a
frameshift mutation. In a point mutation, one of the bases (chemicals) in
the chain of DNA is replaced by a different base. In a frameshift mutation,
one base pair is "deleted,“ so it throws off the DNA sequence, leading to
different proteins that are usually useless or harmful.
• A beneficial or neutral mutation can quickly become harmful when the
environments change. The environment greatly affects an organism’s
ability to survive, and even a small change can be harmful to some
organisms.
Some Examples
• The panda’s "thumb" is actually an enlarged bone of the wrist. In the panda’s environment, bamboo is
the main food source. It is difficult to handle and break the hard stalks, so an enlarged wrist bone helps
to grasp the bamboo. In another environment where the food source is not plants, an extra ‘finger’
would have little benefit, perhaps even be cumbersome. The mutated hands of pandas have been
beneficial only because of their need for a better grip on bamboo.

• The kokapo is a strange flightless parrot that lives in the brush on the mountains of New Zealand. Before
man reached its shores, the island was almost mammal-free, with no ground predators of birds. As a
result, the many ground dwelling birds lost the ability to fly, because there was no need. Their wings are
small and useless. When man did come they brought mammals, such as cats and weasels. The kokapo
was easy prey for them, and is now nearly extinct. This happened to several other birds, including the
kiwi. These birds inability to fly quickly caught up to them when the environment changed, showing how
their mutation of bad wings was harmful in a different environment.

• The penguin has a similar situation, living in the waters of Antarctica and surrounding places. They have
evolved into flightless birds that are cumbersome and ineffective on land, but are masters of the water.
In Antarctica, the sea is the best place to get food, so that is where the penguin has hunted. It has
gradually lost its ability to fly, attained huge amounts of insulating blubber, and gained mutated legs that
are great for swimming and terrible for walking. If the penguin was not in the environment it is so well
suited for, it would be very vulnerable and helpless. The mutations that have helped it survive in
Antarctica would quickly become useless in a place like the grasslands or mountains. In an environment
without water nearby, mutated wings and legs suited for swimming are useless.
 Procedure
• Based on your LAST name, learn about the island habitat you squirrel has had to evolve
in/adapt to. (See below)
• Based on this information you will
• Draw the island
• Design your squirrel and label at least 4 adaptations
• Describe and explain each of the adaptations
• Be creative but realistic (if it exists in nature, it is fair game as long as it makes sense; laser beams shooting from their eyes is off limits!)
• Neatness and attention to detail matters
• Research (as needed) and identify each entity on your squirrel island as directed in the slides that follow.

E, F, M, N, U, V, W G, H, O, P, X, Y, Z

A, B, I, J, Q, R, C, D, K, L, S, T,
Island 3
Oceanic- Desert Squirrel
Adaptations
• Retina that absorbs more UV rays- The sun is constantly beating down on the island and reflecting
off the ground. To prevent eye damage from this, the squirrel has adapted a retina that absorbs more UV
rays than the typical retina. This allows the squirrel to take in more light without causing damage to the
eye.
• Much lighter fur color (yellow- ish)- There are some predators on the island, the biggest of those
threats being a carnivorous bird that migrates to the island annually. The adaptation of having lighter fur
color allows the squirrel to blend in with the sand and not be seen by these predators. This gives it a
higher chance of survival than if it were seen out in the open.
• Fur- lined cheek pouch- In the desert, there is little to no fresh water available. To keep the water
preserved for as long as possible, the squirrel has a fur-lined cheek pouch, similar to the kangaroo rat.
This pouch will not have salivary glands, which keeps the saliva for a long time. This doesn’t allow the
squirrel to get dehydrated very easily.
• Thick fur soles- The ground in the desert is very warm, to some animals it would be unbearable to
travel on. The squirrel has adapted to have thick fur soles on the bottom of its feet so that it will not feel
the burn of the ground and will be able to walk around freely and for long periods of time.
• Longer, stronger claws- The ground of the desert is dry and rocky, which would be uncomfortable
for the squirrel to walk on. Since it has adapted to have stronger claws, however, it can dig into the
ground and move around easier. The squirrel also digs a burrow into the ground for shelter and storage,
so longer and shaper claws will help with this as well.
Food & Water
• Food- The squirrel eats the different types of cacti available on the
island to get the nutrients it needs. Squirrels actually eat cacti often, so
an adaptation is not needed to allow a squirrel to do this. After it has
eaten some of it, the squirrel will dig the rest of it up and bring it back
to its burrow in the ground. It will store its food there. A squirrel is an
omnivore, so it will mostly have a diet of cacti but will also eat small
bugs on the ground.
• Fresh water- A cactus is 90% water, so eating this would provide a
great source of water to the squirrel. The cacti are located throughout
the island so the squirrel has a variety of places it could go to get
water.
Producers & Consumers
• Producers- There are three different types of cactus on the island: the
tall cactus, the rigid cactus, and the plant-like cactus. These all
produce food that organisms living on the island can eat. The types of
cactus help the squirrel’s ability to survive by providing it with a
source of food AND water.
• Consumers- One consumer on the island is the species of cactus eating
tortoise. This animal does not affect the squirrel's ability to survive too
much, but if anything, it hinders it by taking up the cactus that the
squirrel could be eating. Another consumer is the large bird species
that has its nests located on the rocks of the island. These bird
definitely hinder the squirrel’s survival rate by eating the squirrels if
they can find them.
Predator vs Prey
• A predator/ prey relationship on the island is the large bird species and
the squirrel. The birds hunt the squirrel to feed themselves and their
young. The squirrel has to blend in with the environment to survive
(one of the squirrels' adaptations). The squirrel also burrows into the
ground, which makes it more difficult for a bird to see/ catch them.
This relationship with the birds hurts the squirrel because it lowers its
ability to survive and reproduce.
Habitat
• The squirrel’s habitat is a burrow in the ground, which it uses it’s long,
strong claws to dig. The burrow provides shelter from the squirrel’s
predators, as well as a cooler environment that is out of the direct sun.
By digging burrows away from the nesting large bird species (a
predator), the squirrel’s burrow is a safe haven where it can rest, store
food, and reproduce. The squirrel also digs burrows next to it’s food
source (the cacti) for easier accessibility to that food. The nesting
material is made of the rocks and dirt in the ground.
Citations

Cook, Maria. “Animals That Live in the Hot & Dry Desert.” Sciencing, 2 Mar.
2019, sciencing.com/animals-live-hot-dry-desert-6813301.html.

“Cactus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Jan. 2021,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactus#:~:text=Water%20may%20form%20up
%20to,the%20heating%20effects%20of%20sunlight.

Palmer, Jane. “Earth - The Creatures That Can Survive without Water for
Years.” BBC, BBC, 27 Sept. 2016,
www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160926-the-creatures-that-can-survive-
without-water-for years#:~:text=While%20insects%20and%20cacti
%20might,%2C%20br eathing%2C%20urinating%20and%20excreting.