Adaptations: Suited to Survive
- Biology
- Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–5
What you’ll find out
- An adaptation is an inherited feature that helps a living thing survive in its habitat.
- Related animals in different habitats show different adaptations, such as Arctic and fennec foxes.
- In a habitat some living things survive well, some less well, and some not at all.
No sign-up and no real names. In the lesson you check your understanding as you read, and practise until it sticks.
Built for a habitat
An adaptation is a feature that helps a living thing survive in its habitat. Compare two kinds of fox. The Arctic fox lives in the frozen north, so it has thick white fur for warmth and camouflage in the snow, and small ears that lose little heat. The fennec fox lives in the hot Sahara desert. It has thin, sandy fur and enormous ears, which let body heat escape and help it hear prey moving under the sand.
Some survive better than others
In any habitat, some living things survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. A fish thrives in a pond but dies on land, and a cactus flourishes in a dry desert but would rot in a swamp. Even small differences matter. Moths whose colour matches the tree bark are hard for birds to spot, so more of them survive. Moths that stand out are eaten more often.
Curriculum links: NGSS 3-LS4-3 · England KS2: Evolution and inheritance · Cambridge Primary Stages 4–6: Biology · NCERT Environmental Studies, Classes 3–5