Have you ever noticed the variety of feet different species of birds have?

The shape of a bird’s feet is an adaptation and can tell you a lot about where the bird lives and what it eats. Match the description to the correct bird foot.

Adaptations such as the structure of birds’ feet are physical adaptations. Other physical adaptations include body coloring and shape.

Camouflage is one of the most common physical adaptations. Look closely at this picture of a leaf. Can you see the Baron caterpillar on the leaf? Click on the picture to see where the caterpillar is.

Another example of a physical adaptation is mimicry. Mimicry is when an animal imitates another animal or object to avoid predators. Body shape as well as body color camouflages some animals. The insect commonly called a walking stick is an example of mimicry.

Can you find the walking stick insect in this picture? Click on the picture to help you locate the insect.

Some animals’ body coloring warns predators that they are poisonous. Some animals that are not poisonous have body coloring that is very similar to a poisonous animal. This form of mimicry protects the nonpoisonous animal by tricking predators into thinking it is dangerous. The Viceroy Butterfly is nonpoisonous. Its coloring mimics the coloring of the Monarch Butterfly which is poisonous if eaten. It would be hard for a bird or frog to tell these two species apart.

Adaptations are inheritable characteristics that increase an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in an environment.

Watch this short video that describes the adaptations of three different animals that live in three very different environments.

In your notes, list the adaptations that you learned about the camel, giraffe, and penguin. Check your answers below.

Animal	Camel	Giraffe	Penguin
Picture
Location	Interactive button. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer Desert	Interactive button. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer Savanah - Grassland	Interactive button. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer Artic - Tundra
Adaptations	Interactive button. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer Thick and long eyebrows and eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes. Ability to close nostrils to keep sand out of their nose. Hump on their back store fat that can be metabolized as energy. Tan color of camel camouflages them in the sand.	Interactive button. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer Neck is 6 feet long so it can eat leaves from the tree tops. Tongue is long and tough and protects it against thorns when eating. Spotted coat camouflages it and helps it blend into the trees.	Interactive button. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer Thick skin and lots of fat called blubber to keep warm in the cold weather. Dark colored feathers on their back absorb heat from the sun which helps keep them warm. Webbed feet and streamed line body for swimming. Bones are solid and heavy which allow them to stay underwater Wings shaped like flippers help them swim up to 15 miles per hour.