Animals Survive

21/11/23, 22:10 Elephango Educational Resources K12 Learning, Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help
Animal Survival
Contributor: Briana Sherbenou. Resource ID: 12970
Have you ever wondered how animals survive in the wild (with no
hardware stores)? It can be a dangerous place with the uncertainties of
nature. Animals have their own unique methods of staying alive.
CATEGORIES SUBJECT
Life Science Science
LEARNING STYLE PERSONALITY STYLE
Visual Beaver
GRADE LEVEL RESOURCE TYPE
Middle School (6-8) Quick Query
Get It!
Have you ever been to a new city that is quite different from your
hometown?
Think of the trip with the following questions:
What did you feel upon your arrival to this new place?
How did you react to the new food and weather?
What were your reactions in dealing with these changes?
https://www.elephango.com/index.cfm/pg/resource/lcid/12970 1/7
If you were not suited to the new environment, how would you
survive?
In order for animals to continue populating the planet, they have to

make it through the toughest of conditions. Nature has an ugly side, and
animals have a few ways of combating this.
How do they do it?
Let’s take a closer look.
Population groups tend to have certain characteristics that are well-

suited to their environment.
Skin color, physical features, and even emotional makeup, suit these
people groups to their environment. However, people can put on and
take off garments, change their diets, build different structures, invent
devices, and otherwise adapt to their surroundings. Animals, on the
other hand, are kind of stuck with what they have, just like humans are
basically the same, with minor differences.
Animal populations survive and thrive when they are suited to their
environment. The characteristics that allow this are generally structural,
or the physical features of an animal. These can be body parts or a
pattern on the animal’s body. These are the characteristics that make
them the unique species that they are.
What are some examples of these so-called features?
Consider the following:
Have you ever wished you could fly like a bird?
It’s no wonder we cannot glue some feathers on and take flight. Sure,
feathers are a necessity for a bird to fly. However, it is the bird bones
that are specially designed for flight. Birds have a lightweight skeleton
made mostly of thin and hollow bones. These are essential for a bird to
fly.
In case you don’t like the idea of flying, have you thought about
invisibility superpowers?
Certain species of lizards are masters in the art of camouflage.
Camouflage is a change in color or shape that protects an animal from

attack by making the animal difficult to see in the area around it.
How can a predator hunt something it can’t see?
It certainly makes it a challenge.
The arctic hare is well-suited to survive in one of the harshest

environments on the planet. Check out National Geographic’s article,
Arctic Hare.
In addition to structural characteristics, animals have always been

creatures of instinct. Their behaviors are certainly worthy of scientific
inquiry. There are two main survival behaviors that several species of
animal exhibit. These are hibernation and migration.
Hibernation is the period an animal spends in the winter sleeping or

resting. Bears are a prime example of a hibernating animal. They have
to eat thousands of calories a day in preparation for long-term sleeping.
It’s amazing they don’t get sick from all that food!
Migration is when an animal moves from one area to another at

different times of the year. Once again, birds have proven to be well-
designed.
“Birds fly south for the winter.” You may have heard that said before.
However, birds migrate for other reasons. In addition to escaping harsh
winters, birds migrate to breed and look for abundant sources of food.
Not all birds migrate, however. Those who live in climates that don't
change too much, like penguins in the cold and parrots in the jungle,
have no need to migrate; their conditions and food supplies remain
stable.
All of these characteristics help animals to survive. They cannot build

different houses or vary their diets very much or buy new clothes. If they
find themselves in a new or rapidly-changing environment, they will
probably — as individuals and groups — die out.
Continue on to the Got It? section to learn about natural selection.
Got It?
Animals are impressive with their unique characteristics and peculiar
behaviors.
When an animal uses their features to survive, then those very same
features can be passed down to the next generation. This is part of the
phenomenon usually called natural selection or survival of the fittest.
Natural selection can be interpreted in quite a few ways, but it can be

stated in a simple manner.
To find out how it works, explore this example from the Industrial
Revolution (early 19th century) by reading the article, The Peppered
Moth, by Ronald Rutowski and Sean Hannam for Arizona State
University's Ask A Biologist.
You see, natural selection can work from either direction. It works by
simply favoring the species who is better suited to its environment. The
animals with the most advantages in their environments will be able to
survive, and more importantly, reproduce. This accounts for the large
populations of similar creatures (and people!) in given areas.
Can you think of any other characteristics an animal might have

that another may not?
I bet you have a pet or have a friend who owns a pet.
What is so special about the animal?
Here is a checklist to help you determine the animal's survival features:
sharp teeth
thick fur
claws
sharp beak
gills
tail
After going through the checklist, take out your notebook. Sketch and
label your observations. Answer the following questions:
What are the pet’s survival features? Use an online search engine
for a complete list of survival features for your chosen animal.
What is your hypothesis as to what the animal’s features are used
for if it were in nature and not a domesticated pet?
Does the animal currently use any of its survival features as a
house pet? Why or why not?
Share your observations and answered questions with someone. Tell

them at least five things about your drawing.
Do you think you've got it? Be sure to check out what is next in Go!
Go!
Natural selection, in simplest terms, is simply surviving and reproducing
because the animal was able to survive the odds.
This is mostly due to their built-in abilities. However, there are so many
factors at work affecting how animals accomplish their battle with
nature.
Population is the number of individuals of a particular species in an

area. Animal and plant populations depend on many things for survival.
Limiting factors, such as the availability of food, water, and shelter, can
impact an organism's population.
We cannot forget that humans are also impacting animal populations.

When humans develop land for houses and buildings, they cut down
trees and change animal and plant habitats. Pollution and the practice
of over-hunting are also negative impacts on animal populations.
Lastly, nature itself does not make it easy for animals to survive. The
circle of life is very real. In the movie, The Lion King, Mufasa lets Simba
know just how delicate of a balance nature is in. Watch The Lion King
3D - 'Morning Lesson With Mufasa'- Official Disney Movie Clip, from
Disney UK:
Predator / prey relationships play a big role in animal populations. If the

balance between predator and prey is changed, populations are
changed.
Regardless of how well-prepared animals are, they still have many

forces of nature up against them.
I hope you enjoyed learning about how animals use their survival
abilities. If you want to see all different kinds of animals and their
special qualities, ask a parent for a field trip to the zoo. If you don’t have
one nearby, watch Robert Irwin's virtual Australia Zoo tour!

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21/11/23, 22:10 Elephango Educational Resources K12 Learning, Lesson Plans, Activities, Experiments, Homeschool Help

Think of the trip with the following questions:

In order for animals to continue populating the planet, they have to

How do they do it?

Let’s take a closer look.

Population groups tend to have certain characteristics that are well-

What are some examples of these so-called features?

Consider the following:

Have you ever wished you could fly like a bird?

Certain species of lizards are masters in the art of camouflage.

Camouflage is a change in color or shape that protects an animal from

How can a predator hunt something it can’t see?

It certainly makes it a challenge.

The arctic hare is well-suited to survive in one of the harshest

In addition to structural characteristics, animals have always been

Hibernation is the period an animal spends in the winter sleeping or

Migration is when an animal moves from one area to another at

All of these characteristics help animals to survive. They cannot build

Continue on to the Got It? section to learn about natural selection.

Natural selection can be interpreted in quite a few ways, but it can be

Can you think of any other characteristics an animal might have

I bet you have a pet or have a friend who owns a pet.

What is so special about the animal?

Here is a checklist to help you determine the animal's survival features:

Share your observations and answered questions with someone. Tell

Population is the number of individuals of a particular species in an

We cannot forget that humans are also impacting animal populations.

Predator / prey relationships play a big role in animal populations. If the

Regardless of how well-prepared animals are, they still have many

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