Adaptation to the environment in animals

• Animals and plants have adaptations to allow them to compete for resources
• Adaptations can be structural, behavioural, or physical to help with survival and reproduction
• Competition arising from adaptations is essential for the process of evolution
• Structural adaptations in animals:

  • Physical features that allow them to compete, such as sharp claws, burrowing, or scratching trees to signal territories
• Predators and prey often have similar adaptations, like good vision and hearing
• Prey often have eyes on the sides of their heads to spot predators easily, while predators have eyes on the front to judge distance to their prey
• Behavioural adaptations in animals:

  • Behaviours that give them an advantage, like mating rituals or working together in packs to hunt prey
• Some animals have evolved the behavioural adaptation of using tools, like crocodiles using twigs to lure birds
• Physiological adaptations in animals:

  • Processes that allow them to compete, such as the production of venom by predators like snakes and spiders
• When the cane toad was introduced into Australia, predators like native crocodiles and turtles were not resistant to its venom, leading to their deaths