Animal Protection Strategies -...

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Animal Protection Strategies All photos, text, and graphics copyright 2007 Kris Light http://www.easttennesseewildflowers.com K. Light

Transcript of Animal Protection Strategies -...

Animal Protection Strategies

All photos, text, and graphics copyright 2007Kris Lighthttp://www.easttennesseewildflowers.com

K. Light

Ways animals protect themselves

Camouflage – hiding in plain viewCovering themselves or burrowing undergroundBeing alert to their surroundingsVenom - Biting or stingingPoison – touched or eatenMimicry – looking like another animalProtective coloration, false eyespotsHorns or antlersClaws, teethShellsLiving in groups – herds, flocks, schools

Masters of disguise – the camouflage artists

Animals may have skin, scales or feathers that look like part of their environment. The flounder can change its skin patterns to match the background. Some animals add things from their environment; the caterpillar added flowers to its body to help it blend in with its food source.

Caterpillar coveredin flowers

Leafy Sea Dragon

Flounder

Owl

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More examples of camouflage

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Anoles can changecolor

Jellyfish are transparent

Sea Anemones cover themselves With shells and sand when closed

The Snowy Plover is the color of the sand

Lynx Spider blendsin with the leaves The Stingray matches the sand

Mimicry – looking like someone elseSome harmless animals mimic dangerous or distasteful animals to fool predators into not eating them. The harmless Scarlet Milk Snake mimics the red, yellow and black stripes of the venomous Coral Snake. “Red on Black, Venom lack,Red on yellow, Kill a fellow!”The Humming bird clearwing moth looks a lot like a bumblebee to a hungry bird. The Viceroy butterfly closely resembles the distasteful Monarch butterfly.

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moth

Bumblebee

ViceroyButterfly

Monarch ButterflyScarlet milksnake

The Element of Surprise!If a bird tries to eat either of these moths it will be in for a big surprise! The moths suddenly open their upper wings exposing either eyespots or bright colors to frighten the predator away.

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Io MothTiger Moth

There is no such thing as a “poisonous” spider or snake, they can be eaten! Animals that bite or sting are venomous. Think of a “V” as being like sharp fangs or a stinger to inject poison. The copperhead and lionfish are venomous because they have either fangs or spines.

The monarch caterpillar and the salamander are poisonous if eaten by a predator. Poisonshave to be touched or eaten to be dangerous. Think of a “P” as being round like the end of a tongue or finger.

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Venomous Poisonous

Poisonous or Venomous?

Answers: 1. V, 2. P, 3. P, 4. V, 5. V, 6. P

1. Bumblebee 2. Monarch Butterfly 3. Ladybug

5. Garden spider

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4. Diamondback Rattlesnake Millipede

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Chemical warfare

This Stink Beetle is giving a warning that it does not want to be bothered by doing a headstand. If a predator does not heed this warning, the beetle will blast it with a hot, smelly liquid from the end of its abdomen!

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“If you touch or eat me, I’ll hurt you or make you sick!”

It may be hard to believe a tiny blue frog could kill you or a pretty green caterpillar could give you painful stings if you picked them up. A cute, red ladybug and an orange salamander would taste terrible if you ate them. These animals can’t talk, but they have ways of “telling” potential predators to stay away!

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Io moth caterpillar

Ladybug

Salamander

Poison Dart Frog

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Porcupine

An Aphid squirting chemicals

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Protective coloration, stripes and spots

Bright colors in nature are often indicative of a venomous or poisonous animal. Red and black, Yellow and black, Orange and black, and Yellow and Brown are warning colors. Can you think of other animals with these colors?

The stripesin the eye of this Butterfly fishbreak up the pattern of the “true” eye.The black spotson the backfins are “false eyes” which areintended to lurepredators away from the head.K. Light

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Milkweed Moth caterpillar

4-eyed Milkweed Beetle

Antlers and hornsSome hoofed animals have either horns or antlers. They are used for protection, to fight other males to gain dominance, and to impress the ladies! Deer, elk, and moose have antlers, they are made of bone and fall off in the late winter. Goats and sheep have horns (they don’t fall off). They are made mostly of keratin, like our fingernails!

Elk

Big Horn Sheep

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Being alert to their surroundingsMany prey animals are constantly checking out their surroundings for predators by using their keen senses of sight, hearing and smell. They freeze in place making themselves difficult to detect; most mammal predators don’t see color well and they may not see prey animals unless their movement gives them away. Animals such as the rabbit and deer can move their ears independently to better detect predators. Most prey animals have their eyes on the side of their head in order to have a wider field of view (but they give up depth of field in their vision).

White-tail Deer

Gray squirrel

Cottontail Rabbit

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ShellsSome animals are

able to close the soft parts of their body inside a shell for defense.

Hermit crabs recycle shells of dead marine snails. They must find a new one when they outgrow the old one.

Many sea creatures have shells to protect themselves from being eaten, dried out during low tide, or from being smashed by the pounding waves.

Snail

Mussels and barnacles

Box TurtleHermit crab

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Safety in numbers

Animals often mass together in flocks, herds, schools, etc. to protect themselves from being eaten. The mass of fungus gnat larvae moved together in a large group to look like a small snake!Bison and other herding animals protect themselves and their young from predators by grouping together.

Fungus gnat larvae

Bison in Yellowstone NP

Pelicans and Sea gulls

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End of Presentation http://EastTennesseeWildflowers.com

Kris Light ([email protected])