Organisms adapt to their environments in various ways. Animals in cold climates like the Arctic have adaptations like thick fur, layers of blubber, and camouflaged coloring to help them retain body heat. They also tend to have short, fat bodies and limbs to reduce surface area exposed to the cold. Animals in dry, hot climates like deserts adapt in opposing ways to dissipate heat, such as through large ears, thin fur, and longer limbs to spread heat over more surface area. They also have low body fat and are often nocturnal to avoid the daytime heat.

1. Animal adaptations

2. Animal adaptations
BTEOTSSSBAT know how
animals adapt to different
environments

3. Summary
Organisms are well adapted to survive in their
normal environment. Population size depends
on a variety of factors including competition,
predation, disease and human influences.
Changes in the environment may affect the
distribution and behaviour of organisms.

4. Key words
Adaptation
Arctic
Biomass
Camouflage
Competitor
Desert
Habitat
Organism
Predator
Predation
Prey

5. Starter: Use three words to describe each
of these environments.
The Arctic:
1)
2)
3)
The desert:
1)
2)
3)

6. Adaptation
• Adaptation is a special feature or behaviour that
makes an organism particularly suited to its
habitat.
• Adaptations may be general or specific.
• General = having legs to walk or fins to swim
• Specific = special features so an animal can
survive in is environment

7. A Shark’s General Adaptations
What are a shark’s general adaptations to life in an aquatic
environment?
streamlined shape
to reduce friction
when moving
through water
fins provide
stability, power
and control
gills have a large
surface area so
that oxygen can be
extracted from the
surrounding water

8. A Shark’s Specific Adaptations
What are a shark’s specific adaptations to life as an aquatic
predator?
specialized sense organs can
highly sensitive
detect the sound, movement and
sense of smell that
electrical fields of other organisms
can detect drops of
blood from miles
away
lots of very sharp
teeth that are
constantly replaced
silver colouring
underneath acts as
camouflage

9. Compare these two animals…
Desert Fox
Arctic Fox

10. Adaptations
• The two environments we saw before are
harsh environments for animals to survive
in so the animals have had to adapt to
survive.

11. Animals in Cold Climates
• Arctic animals must keep themselves
warm to survive.
• You loose body heat through your
body surface, mainly your skin.
• Arctic animals have developed many
adaptations to help them survive…

12. Look at the following…
What do these
animals have in
common?

13. Animals in Cold Climates
Common features:
- Thick fur coats
- Layer of blubber under the skin
- Colour – many change colour in the
summer
- What about body shape?

14. Body Shape
- Have fat, round body
shapes with short legs
- Have small ears –
why?

15. Animals in Dry Climates
• Animals in dry climates have to keep
themselves cool to survive.
• They also have to cope with a lack of
water.
• This means they are unable to loose heat
through sweating – why?

16. Look at the following…
What do these
animals have in
common?

17. Animals in Dry Climates
Common features:
- Large thin ears
- Little body fat
- Thin, silky fur
- Long limbs to help spread heat
- They also often only come out at night. Why?
- What about body shape?

18. Body Shape

19. Surface Area to Volume Ratio
• Animals loose heat from the body
surfaces that are in contact with the
surrounding air/water.
• Reducing this contact surface reduces
heat loss
• Increasing the surface increases heat loss

20. Surface Area to Volume Ratio
Hidden
surfaces are
exposed

21. Compare these two animals…
Desert Fox
Arctic Fox
Can you add any adaptations or
reasons for the adaptation?

22. True or false?