Transcript Adaptations (3)

Adaptations (3)
• How do plants and animals survive?
• How do they adapt to survive in their habitats?
Adaptations (3)
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Adaptations : The Prickly Pear Cactus
• Conserves water by not
having leaves
• Fleshy stems store water and
swell during rain.
• Has spikes to deter grazers
• Toxic calcium oxalate under
the skin. Only woodrats and
javalinas can metabolise this
chemical without harm to
kidneys..
Engelmann’s Prickly Pear
Adaptations : Creosote Bush
• Contains toxic chemicals
makes most animals ill if
they eat the leaves.
• Resins on the leaves reduces
water loss by evaporation
• Bright yellow flowers attract
large variety of pollinating
insects.
Adaptations : Organ Pipe Cactus
• Large number of branches
increase the surface area: to
maximise food production
• Grows near rocks and cliff edges
to receive their heat radiation at
night.
• Flowers only bloom at night:
they use bats to pollinate the
blossoms.
Adaptations : Mesquite Tree
• Mature trees can produce up to
11kg of fruit , containing over
140,000 seeds !
• The flowers attract many different
pollinators, including sixty
species of bees.
• Many birds, insects and mammals
eat the beans
Adaptations : Hummingbird
• Its food is nectar from
flowers, tiny insects, and
sugar water.
• Hummingbirds burn food
so fast they often eat 1.5
to 3 times their body
weight in food per day
• To conserve energy, it can
go into a sleep-like state
known as "torpor."
Adaptations : Hummingbird
• Hummingbirds migrate in
response to hormonal
changes that are triggered
by the changing length of
a day.
• They prepare for
migration by putting on a
lot of fat. They may
double their body weight.
Adaptations : Gila Woodpecker
• Sharp and strong beak to get at
insects and to make out nest
holes
• Beak is also used to to hammer
out its ‘territory’ signals.
• Strong claws and short legs
enable it to climb trees
• Lives in nest cavities of trees.
Adaptations : Cardinal
• Male cardinals vigorously
defend their territory. They
have even been known to
attack their own reflections in
mirrors and windows!
• Females dull colours help to
camouflage them from
predators
Female Cardinal
• Males bright colours help to
attract a mate.
Adaptations : The Saguaro Cactus
• Can absorb up to 95% of its total
weight in water when it rains.
• Pleats between the ribs allow the
stem to swell when water is
absorbed.
• Shallow root system covers a large
area for maximum absorption of
water.
• Can live up to over 175 years
Adaptations : Agave (Century Plant)
• A waxy coating with a powdery
surface seals the leaf against
evaporation and also reflects up
to 75% of the incoming heat
Blooms only once then dies
Its life is between 5-25 years
• Absorbs carbon dioxide at night,
to be stored for photosynthesis
during the day.
• Flowers smell like rotting meat :
this attracts bats (pollinators)