Animal Adaptations against Predators

OrganismName

Chemical Defense

Camouflage Mimicry

     

     

     

     

     

     

Name: ___________________________ Class: _______ Date: ______Survival Adaptations: Defense against Predators

(Write the name of the Organism and explain their adaptation in the correct column)

Animal Defense Against Predators

Throughout millions of years of evolution, animals

have evolved numerous ways of defending themselves

against predators. Obviously, being able to flee

a predator is the choice of many prey animals we

can consider.However, there are some often overlooked but interesting methods of defense which involve

deceptionand chemistry. These include using toxic

chemicals,camouflage, and mimicry.

1. Chemical Defense:Animals can be poisonous to their

predators.

Chemical Defense

► Interestingly, many organisms which are distasteful advertise this fact to predators by having bright body colors or markings, as if to say, “Notice me! I’m dangerous!”

Chemical DefenseYou can see this in

the bright colors of the

Monarch and the poison dart frog.

Photo courtesy of Dr. John Daly

Photo courtesy of T. W. Davies, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

Chemical Defense: Example

1. The poison dart frog has poison glands scattered all

over its body.

Photo courtesy of Dr. John Daly

Chemical Defense: Example

2. In another example, the fire salamander makes a nerve poison, which it can squirt from glands on its back. Photo courtesy of Henk Wallays, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

Chemical Defense: Example3. The larvae of Monarch butterflies accumulate toxins from the plants they inhabit.  Birds that eat the Monarchs vomit and learn to avoid them in the future. Their bright coloration allows birds to remember and avoid them. 

Photo courtesy of T. W. Davies, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

Chemical Defense: Example4. A Skunk “advertises” that if predators go near, there will be a stinky and unpleasant consequence.

Camouflage

Animals that camouflage themselves pretend to be something they are not. Either their coloration, marking patterns, or entire body resembles something else in their environment, here a leaf, an owl.

Camouflage

Sometimes an animal’s colors can be a difference between life and death.

Adaptations Camouflage is a

type of animal adaptation.

What is an adaptation?

An adaptation is something that helps animals survive better.

Camouflage: Example5. Here an aptly named walking stick pretends to be a twig, in an attempt to avoid being seen by a bird or other predator.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

Camouflage: Example 6. Frogs often look like their

surroundings.

7. See if you find the critters!

Can you see the Quail?

Quail

8. Can you see the frog?

9. What do you see?Tartan Hawkfish swimming in Gorgorian Fans

10. What do you see?

Arctic Fox

11. What do you see? Funnel spider

12. What do you see?

13. What do you see?

14. What do you see?

15. What do you see? A cryptic frog - This species has

developed a coloring, texture and form that

are similar to the leaves found in its

environment.

16. What do you see?

17. What do you see?

Camoflauge (deception): Example

18. In this picture, a four-eyed butterfly fish uses deceptive markings. The large spot near the tail resembles an eye. When predators attack the wrong end, the butterfly fish can swim away in the other direction!

Camouflage (deception): Example

Some predators also depend on camouflage, but this time it is in order to avoid being

seen by their prey.

19. Here, a frogfish resembles a sponge. Small fish swimming nearby will be engulfed in the frogfish’s enormous mouth!

MimicryIn mimicry, an organism (the mimic)

closely resembles another organism (the model) in order to deceive a third, (the operator). The model and the mimic are not always closely related, but both live

in the same area.

Mimicry: Example

20. An example is the scarlet king snake, a non-poisonous mimic of the extremely venomous coral snake.

Above: scarlet king snakeRight: coral snake

Photo courtesy of John H. Tashjian, Cal. Acad. of Sciences.

Mimicry: Example

21. The two invertebrates on the left are different species of sea slugs, while the one on

the right is a marine flatworm. All three secrete harmful substances and are inedible.

Other forms of mimicry… 22. Another example

of mimicry involves the non-toxic viceroy butterfly has developed colors and wing patterns that are very similar to those of the monarch butterfly, which is toxic and very nasty to eat. Most birds won’t take a chance by taste-testing it!

Mimicry: Example

23. Another example is the locust borer.This insect not only looks like a bee or wasp, it sounds likeone, too!

Review and SummaryThree types of defenses that animals can use

against predators include:

• chemical defense• camouflage

• mimicry

Animals constantly evolve new and improved characteristics to capture prey or evade predators;the ongoing “arms race” has produced some of the

wonderful organisms you have just seen!