ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS RESOURCE PACK - (KS1 & KS2)
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ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS RESOURCE PACK (KS1 & KS2) This pack has been designed to assist educators in teaching students about animal adaptations. This resource pack includes activities and worksheets, that can be used to teach or reinforce concepts. Activities and worksheets can be used individually within lessons, however also complement one another. The activities in this resource pack are targeted at students in KS1 & KS2, however can be modified to be used for other age groups. 1
CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGE GLOSSARY 3 LEARN: Why do animals have adaptations? 4 ACTIVITY/ LEARN: Where do wild cats live? 5-7 ACTIVITY: Draw the cats habitat 8-11 ACTIVITY: Wild cat hide and seek 12-14 GROUP ACTIVITY: Camouflaging tiger’s 15 GROUP ACTIVITY: Nocturnal predators 16 LEARN: Wild cat adaptations 17-19 ACTIVITY: Who’s eye’s? 20 ACTIVITY: Who’s ears? 21 ACTIVITY: Who’s paws? 22 ACTIVITY: Who’s tail? 23 GROUP ACTIVITY: Who am I? 24 ACTIVITY: Comparing adaptations 25 ACTIVITY: Cheetah adaptations 26-28 ACTIVITY: Snow Leopard adaptations 29-31 ACTIVITY: Create your own animal! 32 2
GLOSSARY WORD DEFINITION Adaptations A feature of an animal (or plant) that helps it survive in a specific habitat or lifestyle. Habitat The place an animal lives (e.g. savannah, rainforest, etc.). Camouflage Colours and patterns that help an animal blend into its surrounding. Ecosystem The complex community of interacting plants and animals in a specific habitat. Species A group of animals that have similar characteristics and can produce offspring. Evolve How animals change over long periods of time by getting characteristics in their bodies or in the way they behave that Predator An animal that hunts and eats other animals. Prey An animal that is eaten by other animals. Communication The sharing or exchange of information. Rainforest A dense evergreen forest, mostly found in tropical areas, that receives a large amount of rain all year long. Forest An area of land covered mainly with trees. Savannah A flat plain covered with grass and few trees. Savannahs are found in Africa and other tropical regions. Mangrove Forest Important ecosystems that are found on the shorelines of tropical oceans. A mangrove, is a tree that does not bury its roots. Instead it sits on top of them above the soil. Tundra A cold and treeless plain where harsh conditions make it hard for plants and animals alike to survive. Wetlands Low-lying land either covered by or saturated with water, such as a marsh or swamp. Nocturnal Active at night. Diurnal Active in the day. Retractable Claws Claws that can be drawn into the paws or extended. 3
LEARN: Why do animals have adaptations? Every animal has a unique ecosystem where they live, this is its habitat. Each ecosystem has all the basic needs for an animal to survive. These basic needs are: food, water, shelter and a safe space to breed. Animal’s are happiest in their natural habitat as they have adapted to survive there. An adaptation is a modification or change in an animals body or behaviour that helps it to survive. Adaptations take a very long time to develop and this is part of how species evolve-it’s taken many years of new generations of animals being born with characteristics that have suited their habitat better. Adaptations can be lots of different things, but usually fall into one of the following groups: • Structural – parts of animals inner and outer bodies that have helped them adapt to their environment, for example a leopards long tail to help it balance when climbing. • Behavioural – things that animals do that make life a lot easier in their habitat, such as lions living in a pride to help hunt large prey. Here are some reasons an animal may need to adapt: • To adjust to the temperature of their environment (hot or cold) • To help it move around its habitat– will the animal need to climb, swim, fly, burrow, etc. • To help it hunt or find food • To prevent it from being hunted by predators or hide from other dangers • To find a mate • To adjust to a loss of habitat Camouflage is one example of how animals adapt to their environment. Camouflage is an adaptation which allows animals to blend in with certain aspects of their environment and this is why many big cats have different colours and patterns. There are two main reasons wild cats need to camouflage: 1. To hide from their prey, allowing them to hunt. 2. To hide from potential threats, such as other large predators. Here are some examples of the colours and patterns we see in different wild cat species to help them camouflage with their environment: TIGER SNOW LEOPARD JAGUAR FISHING CAT 4
ACTIVITY/ LEARN: Where do wild cats live? Cats have adapted to live on nearly every continent across the globe, illustrated on the map below. Use this as a guide to help students place wild cats in their natural habitats. First ask students to place different habitat types around the globe. You may want to first label the continents on your map, and ask students to colour in the map to show hot and cold habitats. On the next page are some key habitat types for students to place on the print out map (page 7). You can use all the habitat types or select a few from the attached list, dependent on the age and ability of your group. The students can either cut out and stick each habitat type to the map, or write the habitat type on the map. Once habitats have been placed on the map, ask students to put the wild cats in their correct habitat, as well as their correct location on the map. Students may have to think about where else around the world you might find the same habitat types to put each wild cat species in the correct location. Ask students to think about what that animal looks like and any key adaptations whilst they are working out where to place each species. You may want to show the students a few pictures of each animal so they can better identify these adaptations. Students may be able to easily place some of the animals, but struggle with some of the less known wild cats. Ask students research and find out where each wild cat lives, with older students researching which countries each animal is found in. Fact files for all wild cats are available to download in the learning resources section of The Big Cat Sanctuary's website. LYNX LEOPARD PUMA TIGER SNOW JAGUAR CHEETAH LEOPARD LION 5
ACTIVITY: Where do wild cats live? HABITAT TYPES: RAINFOREST/ JUNGLE SAVANNAH MOUNTAIN OCEAN WETLAND FOREST/ WOODLAND MANGROVE FORESTS CITY TUNDRA WILD CAT SPECIES TIGER LION LEOPARD CHEETAH SNOW LEOPARD PUMA JAGUAR 6
ACTIVITY: Draw the cats habitat Below is a picture of a Tiger. In the box below, draw the habitat the Tiger is found in and then draw on the pattern which helps it to camouflage in its habitat. 8
ACTIVITY: Draw the cats habitat Below is a picture of a Lion. In the box below, draw the habitat the Lion is found in and then draw on the pattern which helps it to camouflage in its habitat. 9
ACTIVITY: Draw the cats habitat Below is a picture of a Snow Leopard. In the box below, draw the habitat the Snow Leopard is found in and then draw on the pattern which helps it to camouflage in its habitat. 10
ACTIVITY: Draw the cats habitat Below is a picture of a Jaguar. In the box below, draw the habitat the Jaguar is found in and then draw on the pattern which helps it to camouflage in its habitat. 11
ACTIVITY: Wild cat hide and seek! In the image below is a hidden wild cat. Can you find the wild cats hidden in their natural habitats and win the game of hide and seek? FIND THE HIDDEN SNOW LEOPARD 12
ACTIVITY: Wild cat hide and seek! In the image below is a hidden wild cat. Can you find the wild cats hidden in their natural habitats and win the game of hide and seek? FIND THE HIDDEN AFRICAN LEOPARD 13
ACTIVITY: Wild cat hide and seek! In the image below is a hidden wild cat. Can you find the wild cats hidden in their natural habitats and win the game of hide and seek? FIND THE HIDDEN PUMA 14
GROUP ACTIVITY: Camouflaging Tiger’s All wild cats have effective camouflage and each species is unique in the way it looks. Tiger’s have very obvious markings on their body, however these markings help them to camouflage into their surroundings, helping them when hunting prey. Before starting this activity ensure your class understands what the word ‘camouflage’ means. Once you have introduced the topic to your students follow the steps below: 1) Give each student a blank tiger that they will colour in. You can use our template at the bottom of the page, or find your own. Students are going to be hiding their tiger in the classroom for the class to find, however it can not be hidden behind/ inside anything, it must be stuck on or placed on top of something in the classroom. 2) Ask your students to have a look around the classroom and think about where they could ’hide’ their tiger. Students will need to camouflage their tiger to make sure it blends in with its surroundings. Ask students to decorate their tiger so it can be hidden somewhere in the classroom. They can use any colours available and any pattern that comes to mind. 3) Once all your students have completed their tiger ask them to line up outside of the classroom. One at a time, let your students into the classroom to place their tiger in a hiding place. Remind students that you must be able to see their tiger without moving anything. 4) Once every student has hidden their tiger, let the whole class back into the classroom to find the hidden tigers! Allow students to search for one minute. 5) Remind the students of the following rules: - Students must not tell each other their hiding places when colouring in their tigers. - When students are hiding their tiger, remind them that you must be able to see it without moving anything. - When students are hiding their tiger they MUST NOT search for other hidden tigers. 6) Once you have allowed the students to search for one minute, gather the class. Discuss the following points: - Which tigers weren’t found by the class? - Why were these tigers still hidden? - Of the tigers that were found, are there any similarities? - What other conclusions do students draw about camouflage after trying to hide tigers? 15
GROUP ACTIVITY: Nocturnal Predators A lot of wild cats are nocturnal predators, with very few hunting in the day. Because of this they have to rely on senses, other than just their sight. Wild cat species have much better hearing than humans, and can hear different frequencies to what we can. The prey of wild cats have also had to adapt to avoid becoming prey to these predators. Both predator and prey will communicate to other individuals of their species in unique ways, another essential adaptation for nocturnal animals. Before starting this activity ensure your class are familiar with the following keywords: nocturnal, predator, prey and communication. You can find the definition for these words in the glossary at the beginning of your resource pack. Next follow the steps below: 1) The students are going to pretend to be animals that communicate through sound. Explain to your class that they will all be wearing masks so are going to have to rely on their sense of hearing throughout this activity. Most of your students will be prey animals, but a couple of students will be predators. 2) Explain to the class that every student who is a prey animal is going to have a secret partner, who is the same animal as they are. The aim of the activity is for the prey animals to make their unique sound and find their partner before being caught by a predator. 3) Hand out masks to all of your students. Mark out boundaries of the activity zone and choose ‘safe’ and ‘captured’ areas. Then run through the following rules with the group: - Everyone can move around the activity zone but no running is allowed. - No taking off your mask and peeking! - If you are tagged by a predator you must take off your mask and move to the captured area. Predators must be certain the prey knows they have been caught. - If prey animals find their secret partner, they can take off their mask and move to the ‘safe’ area for the rest of that round. 4) To set up the activity ask students to stand in a large circle and hand each an animal card with animal calls written on, reminding students to not show anyone else their card. Hand a couple of students a predator card. 5) Ask all students to put their masks on and to start the game shout ‘Sound off’. At this point students can start making their unique sound to find their partner. 6) Repeat this activity, giving the students new cards at the beginning of each round. Post Activity Discussion − Was it easy or difficult to find your partner using only your hearing? Why? − What two things does communication need to be effective? Giving and receiving of information. − What could you do to communicate more effectively? Call less frequently, meaning you can hear the other person call. Set a pattern of calls that could be more easily identified by the other person. − Was it easy or difficult for the predator to locate his prey? Why? − What methods did the predator use to locate and catch their prey? − What other ways do animals communicate without using sound? (tail flash, body gestures/ posi- tions, odour, mimicry/warning colours, staring/ blinking) Communication is an important adaptation that helps animals survive. It can help them avoid being eaten by another animal, it can help them to find prey, and it can help them to reproduce by establishing territory, finding a mate, and protecting young. Sound is just one of the many examples of how animals communicate. 16
LEARN: Wild cat adaptations Eye Markings Wild cats have beautiful markings around their eyes. Although these initially look like they have no use, the colour surrounding the eye can tell us about the wild cats natural behaviour. Some wild cats have dark markings around their eyes. These markings reduce glare when hunting in bright sunlight. One of the most obvious examples of these dark eye markings is in the cheetah, who not only have black rings around the eyes but also dark ‘tear marks’ running down the face. Cheetahs are well known diurnal (daytime) hunters and these markings help them to see better when hunting on open plains in bright light. Alternatively, some wild cats have light markings around their eyes. These markings reflect light into the eye when hunting in low light levels. An example of this is seen in the Rusty Spotted Cat. This small wild cat found in India and Sri Lanka is a nocturnal (night time) predator and the white rings around their eyes help them to hunt in the dark. Paws Wild cats can be found all around the world, and in many different climates. Some wild cats are found in very hot climates and others in freezing habitats. Those found in warmer climates will have much shorter fur on their paws. Wild cats found in cold climates will have thicker fur on their paws. Snow leopards are found in the Himalayan mountains, where temperatures frequently drop below 0 degrees. They have adapted fluffy paws to keep them warm in freezing temperatures. Snow leopards also have extra large paws that act like snowshoes to keep them from sinking in the snow. Claws Most cat species have retractable claws, meaning they can be withdrawn into the paw when not needed. The claws are protected most of the time, keeping them sharp. Cats need sharp claws for catching and bringing down prey. Cheetahs, however, have semi– retractable claws, meaning they can’t be fully withdrawn into the paw. Cheetahs have blunted claws as they are not as well protected, which help the cheetah when running. Blunter claws help the cheetah grip, and act in a similar way to running spikes! 17
LEARN: Wild cat adaptations Tails Each wild cat species has a very unique tail, adapted to help it survive in its natural habitat. Sometimes a cat has adapted a long tail for a different reason than for climbing. A cheetah uses its tail like a rudder, allowing it to change direction when it is running at top speeds. Many wild cat species have adapted long tails, which are often used to help them balance when climbing. An example is the jaguar, who climb onto branches in the rainforest and ambush prey from above. There are also wild cat species who have short tails. Cats with short tails do not use them as much, and these species will spend most of their time on the ground. An example is the Lynx, a species who is found in woodlands and mainly hunts ground dwelling prey. Some wild cats have very fluffy tails! These cats are found in extremely cold climates and need extra fur to keep themselves warm. The snow leopard is found in freezing climates and uses its tail like a scarf to keep its nose warm. 18
LEARN: Wild cat adaptations Ears There is a huge variety in ear shape and size in the cat family! Each cat species have ears adapted to help it survive better in its natural habitat. Big Ears! The size of a cats ears can suggest how useful they are to different species when hunting. Large ears are likely to mean a species relies on hearing when hunting. An example of this is in the Serval. These cats have the largest ears in comparison to their size of any wild cat! Large ears allow the serval to pick up the high pitched communications of rodents, the servals main prey. Tufted Ears Some wild cats have tufts of hair on the tips of their ears. It isn't completely clear why some wild cats have tufted ears, however the main theories behind this adaptation are: • Helping with communication • Enhancing the cats hearing • Used in a similar way to whiskers, but to detect things above the head Tufted ears are seen on all 4 lynx species as well as some other small wild cats. Ear Position Most wild cats have ears on the top of their head, similar to our domestic cats. However, some wild cats have ears positioned low down on the side of their head. A good example of this is the Pallas’ cats. Pallas’ cats are ambush predators and must stay hidden until the last minute to ensure a successful hunt! Pallas’ cat ears sit flat on the side of their head keeping them hidden in rocky outcrops. 19
ACTIVITY: Who’s eyes? Can you match each pair of eyes to a wild cat in the box below? Markings around the eyes can tell us whether a cat mainly hunts during the day or at night. Can you work out which pictures show cats that hunt during the day or at night? Circle the correct answer. DAY / NIGHT DAY / NIGHT DAY / NIGHT DAY / NIGHT TIGER CHEETAH LYNX RUSTY SPOTTED CAT 20
ACTIVITY: Who’s ears? Draw a line to match up each pair of ears with a wild cat. PALLAS CAT LEOPARD CARACAL SERVAL SNOW LEOPARD LION LYNX 21
ACTIVITY: Who’s paws? Can you match each set of paws to the wild cats in the box below? PUMA JAGUAR LEOPARD CHEETAH LION SNOW LEOPARD One of the these wild cats have claws different to all of the others. Can you identify: (A) which wild cat has different claws (B) how they are different and (C) what they are adapted for? (A)__________________________________________________ (B)__________________________________________________ (C) __________________________________________________ 22
ACTIVITY: Who’s tail? Can you match each tail to a wild cat in the box below? Once you have matched each tail, explain why each animals tail looks the way it does and what its adapted for. WILD CAT: ______________________ WILD CAT: ______________________ WILD CAT: ______________________ ADAPTED FOR:___________________ ADAPTED FOR:___________________ ADAPTED FOR:___________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ WILD CAT: ______________________ WILD CAT: ______________________ WILD CAT: ______________________ ADAPTED FOR:___________________ ADAPTED FOR:___________________ ADAPTED FOR:___________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ LYNX CARACAL LEOPARD TIGER CHEETAH SNOW LEOPARD 23
GROUP ACTIVITY: Who am I? Decide on a selection of wild cats from which the students need to guess from. This activity can be made more difficult by using lesser known species or sub-species, or easier by using species which all the students will be familiar with. In the box below are a selection we would recommend using. Print images of these species off, adding labels if necessary. This game can be played with a wider range of species, not just wild cats, allowing a larger range of questions to be asked. You may want to consider using a couple of the wild cats below and animals that you would find in their food chain. • LION • LYNX • TIGER (AMUR TIGER, SUMATRAN TIGER, BENGAL TIGER) • SERVAL • JAGUAR • CARACAL • LEOPARD (AFRICAN LEOPARD, AMUR LEOPARD) • PALLAS’ CAT • SNOW LEOPARD • JUNGLE CAT • PUMA • FISHING CAT • CHEETAH • RUSTY SPOTTED CAT You may wish to split the class into smaller groups for this activity, dependent on the size of your class. Ask the students to stand in a line, with their backs to the teacher. The teacher needs to clip an animal picture to the students backs. The students should not see what their animal is, however everyone else can see their picture. Ask students to walk around the room and ask questions to on another to guess what animal is on their back. Students can only ask yes or no questions (they must not ask what their animal is called!) and try to encourage students to ask questions based on information they have already learnt, for example guessing their animal based on its adaptations. For example, I may ask if my animal has a long tail, or short legs. To make the pupils interact more tell students they can only ask another student one question, then they need to find someone else to ask. It may be that you have based learning on a different area, so may ask your students to use questions linked food chains, habitats or classification. After a student has guessed their animal, take the picture off their backs and show it to them. You can keep the game going longer by giving the students who finish quickly more animals to guess. If some students are struggling, give them hints to make sure everyone guesses at least one correctly before ending the game. You can make this activity easier by reviewing all the animals before you begin the game. If using harder animals ensure students know the animal and labels may be necessary under pictures to help with guessing. 24
ACTIVITY: Comparing Adaptations Amur leopards live in forests in the far east of Russia in a very cold environment. Cheetahs live in the African savannah in a very hot climate. These two species may look quite similar as both are large wild cats with a yellow spotted coat, however because of the habitats they live in they are adapted in very different ways! Describe their adaptations, to help compare these two wild cats. AMUR CHEETAH LEOPARD FUR LENGTH: ____________________________ FUR LENGTH: ____________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ WEIGHT: _______________________________ WEIGHT: _______________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ LENGTH OF LEGS: ________________________ LENGTH OF LEGS: ________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ LENGTH OF TAIL: _________________________ LENGTH OF TAIL: _________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ HOW FLUFFY IS THE TAIL: __________________ HOW FLUFFY IS THE TAIL: __________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ ARE THERE ANY FACIAL MARKINGS : ARE THERE ANY FACIAL MARKINGS : (other than spots) (other than spots) _______________________________________ _____________________________________ DRAW THE SPOT PATTERN IN THE BOX BELOW: DRAW THE SPOT PATTERN IN THE BOX BELOW: 25
ACTIVITY: Cheetah Adaptations Below is a diagram of a Cheetah. Fill in the boxes with the Cheetah’s adaptations. 26
ACTIVITY: Cheetah Adaptations __________________ On the diagram below are descriptions of the Cheetah’s main adaptations. Can you work out what these adaptations are? Means cheetahs are lighter, helping them run fast. ___________________ _________________ Help the cheetah ___________________ Very flexible, allowing free camouflage and keep cool movement and bigger strides. in the hot climate. Acts like a rudder, _____________ helping the cheetah when making sharp turns. Cheetahs hunt in the day, so this helps to protect 27 them from the suns glare. ___________________ __________________ Gives space for the large Allow the cheetah to take long heart and lungs, helping strides, helping them reach cheetahs get enough __________________ top speeds. oxygen when running top speeds. Help to grip the ground allowing the cheetah to increase speed.
Small Head ACTIVITY: Cheetah Adaptations On the diagram below are some of the Cheetah’s main adaptations. In the boxes can you explain why Cheetah’s have each of these adaptations. Short Fur Long, Wide Tail Flexible Spine Black Teardrop Markings 28 Long Legs Large Chest Non– retractable Claws
ACTIVITY: Snow Leopard Adaptations Below is a diagram of a Snow Leopard. Fill in the boxes with the Snow Leopard’s adaptations. 29
ACTIVITY: Snow Leopard Adaptations ___________________ On the diagram below are descriptions of the Snow Leopard’s main adaptations. Can you work out what these adaptations Reduce heat loss in are? freezing temperatures. __________________________________ Helps Snow Leopards to camouflage in rocky habitats, as well as keeping them warm in cold ___________________ temperatures. _____________ Helps with balance, and can also wrap around the body for warmth in cold Help with temperatures. breathing at high altitudes and 30 cold temperatures. _______________________ ___________________ Help the Snow Leopards to balance when climbing Helps Snow Leopards jump steep surfaces. long distances on rock faces ___________________ when hunting. Big pads act as snow shoes. Fur between the toes keep them warm.
ACTIVITY: Snow Leopard Adaptations Small Ears On the diagram below are some of the Snow Leopard’s main adaptations. In the boxes can you explain why Snow Leopard’s have each of these adaptations. Thick Fur Long, Thick Tail Large Nasal Cavity 31 Strong Hind Legs Short Legs Large Paws
ACTIVITY: Create Your Own Animal We want you to create your own animal. In the box below draw a brand new animal species. Give your animal a name, describe the habitat you would find it in and highlight 3 adaptations it has to survive in this habitat. Here are some questions you might want to answer to start you off: does your animal live on land or in water? Does your animal need to climb? What does your animal eat and how does it catch its prey? Is your animal active in the day or at night? Good luck! Animal Name: _________________________________________________________ Habitat Description: ____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Special Adaptations: 1) ___________________________________________________________________ 2) _______________________________________________________________ 3) ________________________________________________________ 32
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