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All animals have to be able to meet certain basic life functions in order to grow and reproduce. Animals need food, water, shelter and protection in order to meet these necessities. Animals can have several different adaptations to meet their needs.
Click on one of the links below to find out more about these kind of adaptations.
Basic Life Functions Obtaining Food and Water Shelter and Protection
Animals may have adaptations such as a strong beak or keen eye-sight to help them get food. Some animals, like the raccoon have paws that work like hands. A frog has a long sticky tongue it uses to catch food. A butterfly uses it long curly tongue to drink nectar from a flower.
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There are all kinds of these type of adaptations. A skunk has a fowl smelling scent gland to drive away a predator. A turtle can pull its head, legs, and tail into its shell. A mouse flattens its body so that it can fit into small cracks.
An animal can an adaptation that allows them to move quickly, such as the rabbit's muscular legs that allow it to hop away. A goose will migrate when the seasons change.
These kinds of adaptations allow animals to live in a certain kind of habitat. For example a fish has gills that enable it to breathe in water. A water scorpion uses its "tail pipes" to pierce the surface of the water.
All animals need to grow. A snake sheds its skin as it gets bigger. A tadpole becomes a frog.
Animal adaptation examples cited on this page from (HCPS Curriculum Guide, 2002).