Topic – How Does That Help?

How Does That Help?

Humans are one of the few animals that can live anywhere in the world. Most animals live in a particular place or habitat. They get everything they need to live from their habitat. Polar bears live in the Arctic, mostly on the ice in the ocean. Living on the ice keeps them close to their food source—seals.

Animals have different physical features that help them live in their habitat. One feature of the polar bear is long, stiff hair on the pads of its feet. These hairs help keep the bear’s feet warm on the cold ice. They also help the bear from slipping on the ice. These physical features are called structural adaptations.

There are many, many interesting structural adaptations that help animals survive.

The Maned Wolf

The maned wolf is not really a wolf, but it is part of the same family as dogs, wolves, and foxes. It lives in the tall grasslands of South America. This predator eats small birds and animals, but it also eats a lot of fruit. It has a special adaptation. The maned wolf has very long legs, like the legs of a deer. They help it see over the tall grass to look for prey.

The Camel

Dromedary camels are the camels that have one hump on their backs. They are often called Arabian camels. These camels live in the desert in places such as North Africa. These deserts are mostly sand. Camels have two special adaptations to protect them from blowing sand. They have two rows of long eyelashes to help keep the sand from getting in their eyes. They can also close their nostrils to keep out the blowing sand.

Penguins

Penguins live beside the ocean in places such as Antarctica, New Zealand, Galapagos, and South America. Penguins are birds but they cannot fly. Their wings have become more like flippers. Flippers help make them excellent swimmers. This is good because they get their food from the ocean around them. The only time they are in danger from predators is when they are in the water. Penguins are white on the front and black on the back. In the water, they cannot be easily seen from below because their white fronts blend with the lighter surface of the water. They cannot be easily seen from above because their dark backs blend with the darkness of the water below.

Now, show what you know!

Complete some questions about the reading selection by clicking “Begin Questions” below.