Animals

Animals need Air Food Water A suitable place to live

Animal have different physical characteristics Body coverings: feathers, fur, scales, skin Body shapes: one, two, three body parts Appendages: two legs, four legs, six legs, eight legs, no legs Methods of movement: swimming, walking, flying, swinging, crawling

Characteristics WildTame Water homesLand homes

Some animals go through distinct stages during their lives while other generally resemble their parents.

Life cycle of the frog. Eggs Tadpoles (polliwogs) gills and a tail Frogs- no tail and lungs

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Egg Stage Caterpillar or Larvae Stage Pupa or Chrysalis Stage Adult Butterfly

Weather and seasonal changes affects animals and their surroundings. Key concepts: migration, estivation, hibernation, camouflage, adaptation, dormancy

Migration Migration, in biology, is the movement of animals to a place that offers better living conditions. Many kinds of animals regularly migrate to avoid unfavorable changes in weather or food supply, or to take advantage of better living conditions elsewhere.

Estivation Estivation is a dormant state that occurs in the life of some animals during hot, dry periods.. Animals that estivate are protected from dryness. When an animal estivates, its breathing, heartbeat, and other body processes slow down. This reduction in activity decreases the need for water. The animal can thus survive hot, dry periods in which it otherwise might die.

Many amphibians and reptiles estivate, as do some insects, snails, and fish. Fish that estivate live in ponds and streams that evaporate during the dry season. Some estivators, including various kinds of frogs, lungfish, and salamanders, form a cocoon just before entering estivation. The cocoon helps prevent water loss from the skin. The animal awakens from estivation after the dry season and emerges from its cocoon.

Hibernation Hibernation is an inactive, sleeplike state that some animals enter during the winter. Animals that hibernate protect themselves against the cold and reduce their need for food. A hibernating animal's body temperature is lower than normal, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down greatly. An animal in this state needs little energy to stay alive and can live off fat stored in its body. Thus, hibernating animals can more easily survive cold winters when food is scarce.

Camouflage Camouflage Many animals have the means of blending into their natural background for protection. The fur of some small animals of northern countries turns white in winter, to blend with the snow. The fur of these animals is brown in summer, to enable them to hide from enemies in woods or brush.

Adaptation Adaptation is a characteristic of an organism that makes it better able to survive and reproduce in its environment. No two organisms of the same species are exactly alike. Every trait, such as size, color, and personality, shows some variation. Additionally, in nature, organisms produce more offspring than can survive. The offspring most likely to survive and reproduce are those with adaptations best suited to the environment.

Dormancy (inactive) Some species of bats are dormant each day and active each night. Some birds, such as hummingbirds, are active during the day and dormant at night. These types of dormancy are known as diurnal torpidity. Some animals become dormant in the summer to protect themselves from heat and drought. This type of dormancy is called estivation. Many insects experience diapause, a period of inactivity and lack of growth. Diapause can occur in any season. When it occurs during the winter, it is sometimes called hibernation.

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