Adaptations for Movement: classroom presentation

Adaptations for Movement

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What is Adaptation? “...the way in which a species becomes better suited to living in its environment.�

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Movement • There are many different methods of movement • Different habitats present different problems to movement that need to be overcome • Specialists vs. Generalists Leopard seal – aquatic specialist

Good in water...

...cumbersome on land

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Why move?

American pika collecting food

Grass snake hatchlings dispersing

Common warthog fleeing from cheetah

Radiated tortoises mating

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Bornean orangutan

Snow leopard

Rainforest

River Polar

Desert

Which habitat?

Ocean

Woodland

Mountains Open grassland

Nile crocodile

Red squirrel

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Bornean orangutan

Snow leopard

How are they adapted to move in their habitat?

Red squirrel

Nile crocodile

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Movement on Land Adaptations to moving on land • Things to think about: • Speed vs. agility – Move to catch prey or to escape predators – Land may be open or have obstacles such as trees

• Moving over different substrates e.g. sand, snow, mud 7

Cheetah • Open plains specialist • Adapted for speed

Spanish ibex

• Rocky habitat specialist • Adapted for agility

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Polar bear

• Habitat generalist – can move over land and in water • Adapted to polar habitat 10

Legless movement • Movement without limbs • Adapted to overcome friction

Sidewinder

Leopard slug

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Arboreal Movement Adaptations to arboreal movement Things to think about: • Forested areas may not be continuous • Moving from one tree to another • Balance and grip

• Fossa

• Habitat generalist – can move quickly through trees as well as on the ground • Adapted to jump between branches

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White-handed gibbon

• Master of agility • Adapted to swing between branches14

Sugar glider

• Arboreal specialist • Adapted to glide between trees

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Aquatic Movement Adaptations to aquatic movement • Things to think about: • Friction – causing drag • Buoyancy – saline vs. freshwater • Currents and tides

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Great white shark

• Aquatic specialist • Adapted for speed

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Spotted handfish

• Aquatic specialist • Two different methods of moving through water 18

Aerial Movement Adaptations to aerial movement • Things to think about: • Overcoming friction • Use of air currents • Hot air vs. cold air

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• Common swift

Peregrine falcon

• Aerodynamic body shape • Adapted for speed 20

California condor

• Aerial movement using thermals • Adapted for gliding

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Wild Journey - You will be given an ‘Adaptations for Movement’ worksheet.

- Write in the adaptations that each species has for moving through its natural habitat.

Once you have finished the worksheet, you can begin your ‘Wild Journey’ • Get into groups of 5 or less • Each group will need: • 1x Wild Journey board game • 5x Species characters - use as your playing pieces on the board • 5x Species fact files - explains how your particular species is adapted to moving through its natural habitat • 1x Rules sheet - read before beginning the game

• If you land on your natural habitat square: roll the dice again.

• If you land on your least suitable habitat square: miss a go!

Habitat Species Natural

Least suitable

African savannah

Polar

Rainforest

African savannah

Polar bear

Polar

Rainforest

Sidewinder

Desert

Rocky cliffs

Rocky cliffs

Desert

Cheetah White-handed gibbon

Spanish ibex