Animals and EnvironmentEnvironment and Animal Growth:
- How are the environments different?- Are the species and number of animals
different?- How do the climate, water supply and food
affect the animals’ growth?
How are the environments different?Different Biomes/Habitats: Tropical Rainforest Temperate Grassland Desert Polar Region
Tropical Rainforest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUuA-C_I3DE
Tropical Rainforest What makes a tropical forest?
Tropical rainforests are very wet places, receiving heavy rainfall either seasonally or throughout the year. They are close to the equator and get lots of sunlight and warmth. (Temperatures - between 20 and 35°C, receive more than 200 cm rainfall per year)http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/tropical_forests/index.cfm
What Makes the Tropical Rainforest Special? The rainforests are home to half of the Earth's
plant and animal species. They are winter homes to many birds that breed
in temperate latitudes. The forests are a potential source of medicinal
plants that may benefit everyone on Earth. Tropical rainforests help maintain global rain and
weather patterns. Much of the water that evaporates from the trees returns in the form of rainfall. Removal of the forest can change the natural rainfall patterns.
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/rforest/index.htm
Animals in the Tropical Rainforest
Tropical Rainforest Half of all the world's species live in
tropical rainforests Rainforests are the oldest ecosystem on
earth some forests in Southeast Asia have been around for at least 100 million years
Temperatures are constant throughout the year and animals rarely have to search for water due to the high rainfall
Lots of plants to provide shelter and food http://www.tooter4kids.com/Rainforest/animals.html
Tropical Rainforest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUuA-C_I3DE
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Grassland Grasslands develop wherever rainfall is not high
enough to produce a forest nor light enough to form a desert.
Temperate grasslands are found where the summers are hot, the winters cold, and rainfall is low throughout the year.
There are few trees in true grasslands, either because the climate is too dry or the soils are too poor.
Grazing and browsing by wild animals, frequent fires, or both, prevents tree seedlings from growing.
Temperate Grassland Different names
Grasslands are called different names in different parts of the world: - ‘steppes’ in Asia; ‘prairies’ in North America; ‘pampas’, ‘llanos’ and ‘cerrados’ in South America; ‘savannas’ and ‘velds’ in Africa; and ‘rangelands’ in Australia.
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/grasslands/index.cfm
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/grasslnd/index.htm
Animals in Temperate Grasslands Grasslands are dominated by grasses and
grasslike plants. Grasses are very special plants that can keep on growing no matter how much they are nibbled by animals - because their growing points are situated low down near the soil.
Grasslands are home to many of the world's grazing herbivores and fast moving predators that eat them.
Annual rainfall in the grasslands is between 10 to 30 inches, there is a seasonal drought every year. Many animals are active only during the rainy season.
http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/grasslnd/index.htm http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/grasslands/animal_life/
index.cfm
Animals in Temperate Grasslands
Desert
Desert Deserts are the world's dry places and cover at least 1/5th
of the Earth’s surface. Rain seldom fall in deserts, it comes unexpectedly and
often several years might pass before another rainstorm falls in the same place.
Very hot summer temperatures. The temperature usually drops at night and the desert becomes cool, because there are no clouds to keep in the earth's heat. The difference between day and night temperatures can be as much as 20°C (36°F).
Some deserts are endless ‘seas of sand’ where the wind piles the sand into great big dunes. Other deserts may be flat, stony plains, or have rugged, rocky hills and mountains. Most deserts are a combination of landscapes.
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/deserts/index.cfmhttp://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htm
Animals in Desert Because there is so little water, deserts are bare
landscapes with few plants or animals. Animals that live in the hot desert have many
adaptations. Some animals never drink, but get their water from seeds (some can contain up to 50% water), plants or the blood and body tissues of their prey.
Many animals are nocturnal, sleeping during the hot day and only coming out at night to eat and hunt.
Some animals rarely spend any time above ground. Spadefoot toads spend nine months of every year underground!
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/deserts/animal_life/index.cfm http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htm
Animals in Desert
Polar Region/Tundra – North Pole
Polar Region/Tundra – North Pole These regions are very cold: the coldest temperature ever
known on earth (-89°C or -129°F) was recorded in Antarctica. The average winter temperature in the Arctic is about -30°C.
The Antarctic is an isolated continent surrounding the South Pole. It lies beneath ice and snow almost 2km thick. It has high mountains and glaciers and is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth.
The core of the Arctic is a great ocean - the Arctic Ocean - parts of which are covered all year round by ice that drifts about the North Pole. The Arctic Ocean has many thousands of big and small islands and is almost surrounded by land: the northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America.
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/polar_regions/index.cfm
Animals in Polar region The frigid cold and deep snow makes life in the tundra very
difficult. Every animal must adapt in order to survive. Some have grown thick fur which turns white in the winter. Others find a place to hibernate during the winter months. They are adapted to breed and raise young quickly in the very short and cool summers.
Birds can move further and faster than mammals. Most of them migrate to warmer areas to escape the Arctic winter.
Rainfall is low and water is unavailable most of the year. Antarctica - the frozen continent
The seas surrounding Antarctica are rich in microscopic animals and plants. This abundant plankton is the basis of a rich and complex marine food chain that includes tiny shimp called krill, many kinds of fish, seabirds such as penguins and skuas, and marine mammals like seals and whales. In summer, 8 different species of whales come to Antarctica to feed.
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/polar_regions/animal_life/index.cfm http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/tundra/index.htm
Animals in Polar region
Animals and EnvironmentEnvironment and Animals’ Features Animals’ Skins Animals’ Skin Colours Animals’ Hunting Tools – Types of Food Animals’ Movement
Animals’ Skins/Coverings Cold Region – Skins/Fur/Feathers to keep
warm Dry Region – Scales and Shells to reduce
Moisture loss
Animals’ Skins/CoveringsVertebrate Skin Coverings
It is possible to classify (group) vertebrate animals into 5 groups based on easily observed features like parts of the body, skin covering, or birth of their young. One of the easiest features to observe is the skin covering of the animal:
fish are covered with wet scales amphibians have naked skins reptiles are covered with dry scales birds have a body covering of feathers mammals have a covering of hair (fur) (Vertebrates possess an internal skeleton made up of bones
and, in particular, they have a backbone or spine made up of a series of bones called vertebrae.)
Fish Scales Amphibian Skin
Reptile Scales Bird Feathers
Hairs/Furs
Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/animal-
camouflage-pictures.htm http://www.howstuffworks.com/animal-camouflage.htm To hide themselves (Camouflage/mimicry) http://www.alleghany.k12.va.us/animal%20adaptation%20w
ebpage/animal_mimicry.htm Camouflage – Blending into the background Mimicry – Pretending to be something else http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygh1-ul6E94
Animals use both ways to protect themselves from predator or to hide themselves from their prey
Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns Brightly coloured skins to warn/frighten
predators
Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns Blue-ringed Octopus
Coral Snake
Animals’ Skin Colours/Patterns Foaming grasshopper Antimachus Swallowtail
Animals’ Hunting Tools What are the features that an animal need to hunt other animals?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j9lE2p_7FYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=15x4twkEVak&feature=PlayList&p=E7A4CEFFD8AB12B2&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=16
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp9YKEO9e1w
Movement Fine Senses Weapon
Fly/Swim/Run very fastClimb very well
Can see/hear/feel very well
Sharp claws/teethStrong grip/jawsPoison sting/biteGood camouflage
What are Animal Adaptations? features that help it "fit in" with its
surroundings features that will ensure the survival, of
the animals in its’ surroundings, animals who can't adapt die!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciu9xFTvELQ
Physical Adaptation Physical adaptations help animals get food and
water or protect themselves. Some of these adaptations are:
Being able to move very quickly Having strong claws Having sharp teeth Having long, curved beaks Having keen eyesight Having the ability to trap prey (See above slide: Animals’ Hunting Tools)
Physical adaptations do not develop during an animal's life but over many generations.
Behavioral Adaptations Animals also adapt to their environments
through behaviors or actions. Having a special appearance Migrating, or moving to a new place to live Hibernating, or going into a deep sleep for
a long time Learning to hunt for food
http://widgeon.com/Wilson/Grade4/Definition.html
Evolution of Animals http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=faRlFsYmkeY&feature=related Bird evolutionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=A5kzxOtvCjc&feature=related Elephanthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=utNxHs6ghSw&feature=related Whalehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2C-
3PjNGok&feature=related
Adaptation Activities and Games Ecokids Animal Adaptations Game
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm
How Animals Meet Their Needshttp://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/animalneeds/
Charles Darwin http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/adaptation/