Category :
4th Class
Animal Life - I (Adaptations in Animals)
Synopsis
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Tit Bits
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Spiders produce silk to make their webs. They trap prey in the web, but do not get caught in their own webs because the tips of their legs are oily.
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- Animals which live on land or in the burrows or below the surface of the ground are called terrestrial animals. Most of these have legs, lungs to breathe and well developed sensory organs like eyes, ears, skin and nose.
e.g. Human beings, lions, rabbits, etc.
- Animals which spend most of their time on trees are called arboreal animals. They have strong arms, legs and claws to hold the branches firmly and support their body weight when they sit on trees.
e.g. Monkey, lizard, chameleon, etc.
- Animals which fly in air are aerial animals. Aerial animals, like birds and bats, have wings to fly.
- Animals which live in water are called aquatic animals. These have modified limbs like fins and flippers which help them to swim. They breathe through gills and lungs.
e.g. Fish, crabs, whales etc.
- Animals which can live in water as well as on the land are called amphibians. These have limbs which help them to swim in water and walk on land.
e.g. Frogs, toads and salamanders.
- Animals which live by eating plants are called plant eating animals or herbivores. They have sharp cutting teeth and strong grinding teeth.
e.g. Buffaloes, goats and sheep.
- Animals which live by eating other animals are called flesh eating animals or carnivores. They have strong tearing teeth.
e.g. Tiger, lion and dog.
- Animals which eat both plants as well as other animals are called omnivores.
e.g. Bear, crow and human beings.
- Animals which live inside or on the bodies of other animals are called parasites.
Some of them have sucking tubes to suck food from hosts. They cause damage to the host.
- Animals adapt their body structure to survive in their surroundings. The following are some examples.
Animals like polar bear, silver fox and himalayan rabbit have brown coats and white thick fur on their body help them to merge with their surrounding. They also have a thick layer of fat. This fat keeps their body warm and protects them from cold.
- Animals living in deserts have thick skin with less hair which protect them from the hot sunlight.
e.g. Camels
- Some animals change the colour of their skin to hide from their enemies. By changing colour they merge with their surroundings and it becomes difficult for the enemy to identify them.
e.g. Chameleon.
- Tigers, zebras and leopards have stripes on their bodies. The leaf insect looks like a leaf and the insect's body resembles dry twigs.
- When the weather is too cold and the food is in short supply, some animals go into the burrows and sleep for long time. This is called hibernation.
- The feeding level of various organisms can be represented in a food chain. Plants are called producers since they can produce food on their own. Herbivores eat plants and are called primary consumers. Carnivores eat these animals and are called secondary consumers. Example of a food chain is
