Indian climate and animal adaptions

By- sachi Chandrakant patil

 What is climate?

• the typical weather conditions of an area over a long period of time.

• To know more watch this video https://youtu.be/ehnsvoqiovk
 what is Indian climate ?

• let us see what is Indian climate.

• India has a monsoon type of climate as it’s climate is influenced by the
monsoon winds.
• This type of climate is found in south and southeast Asia.
 7 most important climatic regions of india

• 1. tropical rain forest

• 2. tropical savanna
• 3. tropical semi arid steppe climate
• 4. tropical and sub tropical steppe climate.
• 5. tropical desert
• 6. humid sub tropical climate with dry winter
• 7. mountain climate
 Tropical rain forest

• It is found in west Coastal Plains, Sahyadris and parts of Assam. The

temperature is high, not falling below 18.2°C and rising to 29°C in April or
May. Crops like tea, coffee and spices are characteristic vegetation.
 Tropical Savanna

• It is found in peninsular areas except the semi-arid zone in leeside of Western

Ghats. The mean temperature is above 18.2°C and rising as high as 32°C. The
natural vegetation all over the area consists of savanna.
 Tropical Semi-Arid Steppe Climate

• it runs southwards from Central Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu in the leeside of

Western Ghats and Cardamom Hills. The temperature varies from 20°C to
23.8°C (December) and 32.8°C (May). The climate is suitable for dry climate
and livestock rearing.
 Tropical and Sub-Tropical steppe Climate 

• This type of climate occurs over a broad crescent from Punjab to Kutch
between the Thar Desert to its west and the more humid climate of the Ganga
Plain and the peninsula to its east and south, respectively. The temperature
varies from 12°C (January) to 35°C (June) and maximum it is up to 49°C.
 Tropical Desert 

• it is found in western parts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner district of Rajasthan

and a good part of Kutch. The mean monthly temperature is uniformly high
(34.5°C).
 Humid Sub-Tropical Climate with Dry Winters

• It comprises of the foothills of Himalayas, Punjab, Haryana plains, and plains

of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and east of Aravalli Range. Winters are dry
except for a little rain received from westerly depressions.
 Mountain Climate

• It is seen in mountainous regions which rise above 600 m such as Himalaya

and Karakoram ranges. There is a sharp contrast between temperatures of
sunny and shady slopes, high variability of rainfall. The Trans-Himalayan
region, i.e., Ladakh, where the south west monsoon fails to reach has a dry
and cold climate and sparse and stunted vegetation.
 What is adaption

• Animals and plants living in a particular place have evolved to survive there.
• The adjustment or changes in the behavior, physiology and structure of an
organism to suit the environment of a place is known as adaptions.
 Animal adaptions

• Polar regions
• Tropical rainforest
• Desert
 Polar regions

• The polar regions have extremely cold climatic conditions.

• These regions can dip to are covered with snow almost whole of the year.
• In winters, the temperature as low as -37 degree
• To combat such extreme conditions, the animals living there such as polar
bear, penguin, seal and Siberian crane have special adaptions.
 Polar regions : Polar bear

• The polar bear is a warm blooded animal.

• It can maintain its body temperature even in severe cold climatic conditions due
to a thick layer of fat present under its skin called blubber. The blubber acts as
an insulator.
• The thick white fur of polar bear also helps to keep its body warm.
• The fur also helps in camouflaging as it blends with the snow.
• It is a strong swimmer. It has wide and large paws that help in swimming and
walking on snow.
• While swimming under water, the polar bear can close its nostrils for long
duration of time. This allows it to swim under water for an extended period if
time
 Penguin

• The penguin is found mostly in the Antarctic region , it shows the

following adaptions
• The penguin has a thick layer of blubber present under the feathers that
keep it warm.
• The penguin has a thick layer of stiff and densely packed feathers that
blocks the cold waters from reaching its skin while swimming.
• It has a streamlined body , webbed feet and flippers that help to swim
smoothly in water.
• It has a special nasal passage that prevents the loss of heat during
exhalation.
• Penguins often huddle together to conserve heat.
 Seal

• Seals have sensitive whiskers that can sense slight changes in water
current.
• They also help then to catch their food.
• Seals have a streamlined body that helps then to swim without
resistance.
• They have fur to keep them warm.
• The fur also acts lake a water resistant layer.
 Siberian crane

• One way of coping with the cold and shortage of food supply during
winters is moving from a colder lace to a warmer place.
• This seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds and
animals is called migration.
• Siberian crane is one such bird. Some adaptive features of Siberian
cranes are as follows
• They undergo a process of moulting or shedding of feathers after their
wear and tear once or twice a year.
• They fly in groups to avoid predators.
 Tropical rainforest

• The tropical rainforest are dense, warm and wet. There plenty of vegetation
and various types of animals are found. To avoid competition for food , the
animals confine themselves to different layers of the forest.
 tropical rainforest: lion tailed macaque

• lion tailed macaque is found in the canopy layer of evergreen tropical rainforests. Some
adaptions shown by the lion tailed macaque are:
• It spends most of its time on branches of trees and is adapted to grasp the branches with
its hands and long muscular tail.
• Such animals are also are called arboreal animal.
• It feeds on fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves and some insects.
• Lion tailed macaque has a characteristic mane around the face.
 Red – eyed tree frog

• The red eyed tree frog lives on treetops, branches and leaves. Some adaptions shown by the red
eyed tree frog are:
• It has a bright green body with pale yellow stripes which helps it to camouflage.
• Its feet have suction cups on the toes that stick to the trees.
• It also has powerful legs.
• Its eyes are red and bulging. This scares away potential predators.
• It is a nocturnal animal and sleeps during the day underside large tree leaves
 toucan

• The toucan lives on the upper layers of the trees. It feeds on the small birds
and lizards using its strong and sharp beak and narrow elephant.
 Asian elephant

• Asian elephants are found in the rainforests of the south east asia. Some adaptions shown by the
elephants are:
• They have large ears with a keen sense of hearing. The large ears also help them to lose heat from
the body.
• Their upper lip is fused with the nose and is modified in the form of a long trunk, which is used
for breathing, feeding, smelling, drinking, lifting load, grasping and defense.
• Elephants develop modified teeth called tusks. They use them to tear the bark of the trees.
 desert

• The deserts such as the thar desert, india are characterized by extremely hot
days and extremely cold nights.
• there is usually scarcity of water.
• Animals living in such areas are specially equipped to tackle the problem of
water scarity .
 Desert: camel

• A camel has two rows of long eyelashes which protect its eyes from sand and slare of the sunlight.
• The hump of the camel has fats stored in it that helps it to survive without food and water for
several days.
• It has thick and leathery patches on the knees on the hot dessert.
• The board and padded feet enable it to walk comfortably on the sand without sinking.
• A camel can close its nostrils to keep away the blowing sand.
• The legs of a camel are long and strong that keep their body away from the hot sand .
• They also enable it to carry load over long distances in a desert.
 Kangaroo rats

• Kangaroo rats are nocturnal creatures. During the day, they hide in their
burrows and come out only during the night when it is cooler.
• They do not drink water as their need for water is fulfilled by the seeds they
eat.
 Fennec fox

• These have large ears .

• The air blowing across the large ears helps in cooling the body.