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An adaptation is a trait that helps an animal survive and reproduce.  Animals have all kinds of adaptations that help them to survive.  An individual with traits that help them survive and reproduce tends to pass these traits on to the next generation  (theory of natural selection).        

Ultimately, most of the population exhibits these traits. However, animals with particular needs, like those who are adapted to only eat a certain type of food, can become endangered or even extinct.  An example of this is the Delmarva fox squirrel.  This squirrel was very easily found in the forests of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. However, as the forests began to vanish, so did the squirrels and they became an endangered species. (HCPS Curriculum Guide, 2002).

Image on this page from Microsoft Clip Art.