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Adaptations for Movement

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What is Adaptation?

“...the way in which a species becomes better suited to living in its environment.”

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Movement

• There are many different methods of movement• Different habitats present different problems to

movement that need to be overcome• Specialists vs. Generalists

...cumbersome on landGood in water...

Leopard seal – aquatic specialist

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Why move?

Radiated tortoises mating

American pika collecting food Common warthog fleeing from cheetah

Grass snake hatchlings dispersing

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Rainforest

Open grassland

Woodland

River

Ocean

Desert

Polar Which habitat?Mountains

Snow leopard

Nile crocodile

Bornean orangutan

Red squirrel

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Snow leopard

Nile crocodile

Bornean orangutan

Red squirrel

How are they adapted to move in their habitat?

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• Things to think about:

• Speed vs. agility– Move to catch prey or to escape predators– Land may be open or have obstacles such as trees

• Moving over different substrates e.g. sand, snow, mud

Adaptations to moving on land

Movement on Land

• Open plains specialist

• Adapted for speed

Cheetah

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Spanish ibex

• Rocky habitat specialist

• Adapted for agility

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Polar bear

• Habitat generalist – can move over land and in water• Adapted to polar habitat

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Leopard slugSidewinder

• Movement without limbs

• Adapted to overcome friction

Legless movement

Adaptations to arboreal movement

Things to think about:

• Forested areas may not be continuous• Moving from one tree to another • Balance and grip

Arboreal Movement

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• Fossa

• Habitat generalist – can move quickly through trees as well as on the ground

• Adapted to jump between branches

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White-handed gibbon

• Master of agility

• Adapted to swing between branches

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Sugar glider

• Arboreal specialist

• Adapted to glide between trees

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Adaptations to aquatic movement

• Things to think about:

• Friction – causing drag• Buoyancy – saline vs. freshwater• Currents and tides

Aquatic Movement

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Great white shark

• Aquatic specialist

• Adapted for speed

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Spotted handfish

• Aquatic specialist• Two different methods of moving through water

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Adaptations to aerial movement

• Things to think about:

• Overcoming friction• Use of air currents• Hot air vs. cold air

Aerial Movement

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• Common swift Peregrine falcon

• Aerodynamic body shape

• Adapted for speed

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California condor

• Aerial movement using thermals

• Adapted for gliding

- You will be given an ‘Adaptations for Movement’ worksheet.

- Write in the adaptations that each species has for moving through its natural habitat.

Once you have finished the worksheet, you can begin your ‘Wild Journey’

• Get into groups of 5 or less

• Each group will need:

• 1x Wild Journey board game

• 5x Species characters - use as your playing pieces on the board

• 5x Species fact files - explains how your particular species is

adapted to moving through its natural habitat

• 1x Rules sheet - read before beginning the game

Wild Journey

SpeciesHabitat

Natural Least suitable

Cheetah African savannah Polar

White-handed gibbon

Rainforest African savannah

Polar bear Polar Rainforest

Sidewinder Desert Rocky cliffs

Spanish ibex Rocky cliffs Desert

• If you land on your natural habitat square: roll the dice again.

• If you land on your least suitable habitat square: miss a go!