Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Animals, Announce Your Adaptations!

This week, Mrs. Ranney's class is learning about animal adaptations.


An adaptation is a body part or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment.

For example, a giraffe's long neck helps it reach the leaves in high trees on the savannas of Africa.
The giraffe's neck is a physical adaptation.



An antelope squirrel stays cool during the hot desert day by staying in its underground burrow.
This is an example of a behavioral adaptation.




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Many animals have physical or behavioral adaptations. For example, polar bears of the Arctic can 
run on the ice without slipping. 
To learn about the polar bear's physical adaptation, click here!

Here is a fun animal adaptation quiz!


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Use the Online World Book Encyclopedia to research an animal of your choice.
Take notes about two to three adaptations.
Be sure to include the animal's habitat.


Write a comment as if you are that animal.   

Tell us about two or three of your adaptations!

What makes your adaptations so useful? 

Use HTML code to bold the facts!

13 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs. Ranney's Class,

    Jambo! I am Ayana, the aardvark, from the African grasslands,which are called savannas.

    My claws and my tongue are two of my physical adaptations. Shaped like spoons, my sharp claws help me tear open ant or termite nests, and my sticky, long tongue helps me lap up the delectable dinner I find in the nests!

    My claws really come in handy in many ways! In addition to helping me find my dinner, I used them to dig my 43-foot long burrow.
    I was certainly relieved that I had just finished my burrow in time to escape a fierce lion that tried to attack me yesterday!

    Before I ducked into my home, I rolled onto my back and used my claws to let that lion know who is king of this burrow!
    Rolling onto my back to defend myself is an example of one
    of my behavioral adaptations
    .

    Now, I’m just resting here in my burrow waiting to read all about
    your adaptations!

    Sincerely,
    Ayana

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear new friends,

    My name is Bucky Beaver, and I live in a freshwater pond in the woods. I am very busy right now. Actually beavers are busy all the time! We are known for being quite industrious! (I'm quite proud of my industriousness! I'm busy, busy, busy!)

    I have a few moments to spare, and I want to use that time to share two important physical adaptations I have, my teeth and my big flat tail.

    Chew, chew, chew...that's what I do! I use my front teeth to chop down trees, and then I use the trees to make a dam and my lodge. My lodge is my home where I have a family, and we raise our little kits.

    My tail is my other physical adaptation. It's so useful! First, I can use it as a rudder to guide me through the water! In addition, when I'm using my sharp teeth to gnaw down a tree, I can use my black scaly-skinned tail to help me balance!

    On no! I just heard my eldest son hit the pond with his flat tail. That's a beaver alert! I've got to swim!

    Have a beautifully busy day!

    Bucky Beaver

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear class,

    Hello I am Barry, a boa constrictor, and I live in a tropical rainforest in Brazil. Shortly after being born, I left my mom and my 49 siblings. My natural instincts kicked in and I knew that I had to hunt for food right away. I also knew that I had to keep quiet to hide from predators. These are just two of my behavioral adaptations.

    As I get bigger my appetite has also grown. I can eat big prey like wild pig. My big wide jaw helps me swallow prey whole. This is one of my physical adaptations.

    Sorry to be so short, my last meal was a few weeks ago and I have to slither away to hunt for my next one.

    Sincerely,
    Barry the Boa Constrictor

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Barry the boa constrictor,
      Hi Barry! I’m speedy scorpion! I really love your two adaptations! Would you like to come to my home?

      This is my location. 5709 Desert Scorpion Ave. Are you located on Boa Constrictor Dr.? I was wondering if you could come play with me and my friend, Prehistoric Python. We could go exploring and hunting. I really want to meet your snake family and I hope you would like to meet my scorpion family too.

      Whoops, sorry to end the conversation but I think my friend, Prehistoric Python needs help with his prey.

      Sincerely,
      Speedy Scorpion

      Delete
    2. Dear Speedy Scorpion,

      I would love to come and play with you. Yes, I am located on Boa Constrictor Drive. What state do you live in? I haven’t moved from my spiky tree in a week, which is my current home. When you come to my home we could play at Wild Tree Park. Near my home there is also a warm river where we could go swimming. See you around!

      Cheers,

      Barry

      Delete
    3. @ Barry,
      I would love to come swimming at your house! Do you want to come to my home? Prehistoric Python and my new friend, Leon the Lion will be coming. Do you want to come on Thursday? That is the day my friends and I are going swimming. Leon the Lion really wants to meet you.

      To answer your question, I live in Desert Valley, CA.
      Whoops, my friends Prehistoric Python and Leon the Lion just got here for a sleepover, chat soon!

      Cheers,
      Speedy Scorpion

      Delete
  4. Dear Class,

    I am Slowla, the lazy sloth. My fur is a brownish grayish colors so I can camouflage in between the branches because I don't want my prey to eat me! I really look like a tree stump, especially when the green algae grows on me. I usually spend most of my time in the trees and my curved claws help me hold on to the branches. These all are my physical adaptations.

    Sincerely,
    Slowla

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Mrs. Ranney and class,
    Hi! Speedy scorpion here! Today I will tell you my two favorite adaptations. My first favorite adaptation is a physical one, is about my stinger! My stinger helps me catch my prey by injecting poison in my victim’s body.
    My second favorite adaptation is a physical one too, it’s about my legs. My legs are fast, so I can catch my prey quickly, and my legs help me run away from predators. Well, those are my two favorite adaptations and I hope more interesting animals will have extraordinary comments.


    Sincerely,
    Your favorite scorpion,
    Speedy Scorpion

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Class,

    I am Racing Runner, the roadrunner. I live in the desert, as it has all of my favorite foods. I can find mice, lizards, scorpions and so much more. My brother and I love to kill rattlesnakes on Sunday’s and eat them for dessert. My brother distracts him with one of his crazy dance moves. Then I bash the rattlesnake’s head into a rock, while he is watching my brother’s sweet moves.

    We do have to watch out for predators like, coyotes. It’s a good thing that we can fly briefly, and then hit the ground running. We can run up to 70 miles per hour. I am a bit faster then my brother, not to brag or anything.

    I love that I am a carnivore. The moistness from meat helps me live in the dry desert with my family. It’s Sunday, you know what that means, rattlesnakes beware.

    Cheers,
    Racing Runner
    (Luc)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Racing Runner,

      Roar, you must be a great team, you and your brother.

      Give me your address, and I'll buy my plane tickets and I will be on my way. I'm assuming you live in the Sahara Desert. We are in the same continent if you live in the Sahara.

      I think that we should go to your home because my home has you know, predators, so It's not a playing area.

      roar,

      Leon

      Delete
  7. Dear Class,

    Hello, I am Leon, a lion, and I live at Savannah Drive. My license plate is 123IMHUNGRY.

    I see that some other animals have already commented on this blog, and some of them I eat. Here are some adaptations I'd like to share:

    1) My coat is perfect color for hiding to sneak up on prey because it is the same color as the grass in the savannah.

    2) My mane around my head makes me look stronger and bigger (even though I am not that big and strong).

    3) So I don't get a mouthful of hair, I use my fearsome paws to scrape of fur of my prey such as deer.
    That is my favorite food.

    4) When I was young my mother took great care of me. She would risk her life for me
    'cause she was so nice.

    I hope you like my facts, and I hope I get replies from some of my other animal friends such as Barry the Boa Constrictor, Racing Runner and Speedy Scorpion.

    Roar,

    Leon

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Class,

    I am Monty Mosasaur. I live in the Cretaceous sea and there nobody messes with me. Here are some of my adaptations.I have this
    tail with a fan on it to help me swim. I also have flipers to swim with. I have these huge jaws to kill with.
    If any of you can swim
    join me for dinner.

    Bye,

    Monty
    (Kenan)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Class,
    I'm the largest animal in the world. Do know who am I? I'm a Wailing Blue Whale named Willy.I'm an ocean mammal ,and I'm enormous! I have hundreds of thin plates in my mouth. I need them to strain food from the water. I also migrate between polar and tropical regions to feed and building up blubber.
    Sorry to end up so quickly but I have to travel back to North Atlantic Ocean to see my family!


    Sincerely,
    Willy
    (Annsley 🐬)

    ReplyDelete

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