Animal Adaptations Flashcards
Adaptation
A characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment.
Avoidance
When an animal is able to escape a predator by constructing holes or tunnels to run into and hide.
Camouflage
A protective coloration that allows some animals to blend in with their environment.
Countershading
A protective coloration in which the animal’s back is dark while its underside is light.
Defense
A method of resisting attack.
Disruptive coloration
A protective coloration of stripes that breaks up the shape of an animal and makes its outline more difficult to see.
Ejection
When an animal emits a chemical to ward off a predator.
Mimicry
When a weaker animal copies a stronger animals’ characteristics to warn off predators.
Seasonal camouflage
A protective coloration that is light in the winter and darker in the summer.
Warning coloration
When an animal displays a bright color to warn predators that they are poisonous.
