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Learning how the things animals do, like migrating or hibernating, help them survive.
Imagine if you had to walk 3,000 miles just to find a snack, or if you could sleep through the entire winter without ever waking up for breakfast!
Animals have special 'tools' to stay alive. Some tools are part of their bodies, like a tiger's sharp teeth or a giraffe's long neck. These are called physical adaptations. But other tools are things animals do. These actions are called behavioral adaptations. Think of it like this: Having a warm winter coat is a physical adaptation. Choosing to walk inside a warm house when it snows is a behavioral adaptation. It is a 'smart move' that helps the animal find food, stay safe, or handle the weather.
Quick Check
If a bird builds a nest to keep its eggs safe, is that a physical adaptation or a behavioral adaptation?
Answer
It is a behavioral adaptation because it is an action the bird performs.
When the seasons change, some places get very cold and food disappears. Instead of staying, some animals migrate. Migration is when animals move from one habitat to another during certain times of the year. They aren't just going on vacation! They are looking for warmer weather and more food. Some animals travel incredible distances. For example, the Arctic Tern flies over miles in a single year to stay in the sunlight!
1. In the fall, it gets too cold for butterflies in the North. 2. Millions of Monarchs fly up to miles south to Mexico. 3. They rest in warm trees all winter and fly back north in the spring when flowers bloom again.
Quick Check
What are the two main reasons animals choose to migrate?
Answer
To find warmer weather and to find food.
What if an animal cannot travel thousands of miles? They might hibernate. Hibernation is a deep, long sleep that helps animals save energy when food is hard to find. During hibernation, an animal's body slows down. If a normal heart beats times a minute, a hibernating animal's heart might only beat times a minute! This allows them to live off the fat they stored in their bodies during the summer without needing to eat.
1. This frog lives in very cold places like Alaska. 2. Instead of just sleeping, it actually partially freezes its body! 3. Its heart stops beating and it stops breathing until the ice melts in the spring. 4. This is a behavioral adaptation because the frog finds a safe place to 'freeze' and wait for warmth.
Imagine a mountain that gets feet of snow. 1. A bird might use migration to fly to a different country where there is no snow. 2. A groundhog might use hibernation to dig a hole deep underground and sleep for 5 months. 3. Both animals survive the same winter using different behavioral adaptations!
Which of these is a behavioral adaptation?
Why does a hibernating animal's heart rate slow down?
Migration is always a short trip to the next forest.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain to a family member the difference between a physical adaptation (like fur) and a behavioral adaptation (like migration).
Practice Activity
Look out your window or in a park. Can you spot an animal? Observe it for 2 minutes and write down one 'behavior' you see it doing to survive (like searching for food or hiding).