1. Animal Survival
4th Grade Life Science

2. What do animals and plants need to survive? They require basic needs:
Food
Water
Air
Shelter
What happens if these factors are not available?

3. #1 goal for all animals
Animals must reproduce to help their species survive

4. Adaptations
If animals or plants find it hard to survive in their environment, they will adapt
This adaptation happens very slowly over many generations and takes a long time
Humans can adapt very quickly
If animals or plants cannot adapt quickly they may become endangered or extinct

5. What are adaptations?
Adaptations are traits that help organisms survive
Camouflage is one of the most common adaptations in the animal world
It happens naturally

6. Physical adaptations
Gills and fins – fish can breathe and swim underwater
Fur – warmth and camouflage
Legs – Horse’s long legs for running
Neck – Giraffe’s long neck for reaching food
Shell – Turtle’s protection
Trunk – Elephants use this for grasping
Bright colors – male species use this to attract a mate.

7. Mimicry Mimicry occurs when one organism imitates another
Monarch butterfly is bitter to the taste
Viceroy butterfly looks very similar to the monarch and is protected from predators
Eastern coral snake is venomous
Scarlet king snake is non-venomous and mimics coloration of coral snake for protection

8. Inherited behaviors This behavior is not learned or taught
It is automatic from birth
Instincts are complicated inherited behaviors
Examples are migration and hibernation

9. Learned behaviors Behaviors that are not inborn are learned
Learning starts with a need such as food
Teaching a dog to sit, fetch, or roll over
Copying – Newborn ducks follow their mother
Learn from experience – Rats in a maze
We train animals to help humans

10. Quick responses for survival
Many animals have special behaviors
Skunks – odors
Porcupine – quills
Armadillo – rolls into a ball
Puffer fish – blows up to look larger than it is
Opossum plays dead

11. Why it matters
Understanding adaptations helps us learn how animals survive
Animals that are better adapted to the environment live longer, reproduce more often, and pass along the adaptation
Those who are poorly adapted die
This is a process called survival of the fittest or natural selection
Watch and be amazed!