Animal Adaptations — Reading Comprehension Lesson

Reading Passage

Animal Adaptations

An adaptation is any trait that helps an animal survive and reproduce in its environment. Adaptations develop over many generations through the process of natural selection — animals with traits that help them survive are more likely to live long enough to have offspring, and those traits are passed on. Scientists group adaptations into three main categories: structural, behavioral, and physiological.

Structural adaptations are physical features of an animal’s body. The thick blubber of a polar bear insulates it against Arctic cold. The long neck of a giraffe allows it to reach leaves high in trees that other animals cannot access. The streamlined body of a dolphin reduces water resistance for fast swimming. Camouflage is another structural adaptation — the spots of a leopard break up its outline in dappled light, making it nearly invisible to prey.

Behavioral adaptations are actions animals take to improve their chances of survival. Migration is a behavioral adaptation — birds fly thousands of miles to reach warmer climates in winter where food is available. Hibernation is another example: bears lower their body temperature and metabolic rate to survive months without food. Many animals display threat behaviors, such as a rattlesnake shaking its rattle or a porcupine raising its quills, to warn predators away without fighting.

Physiological adaptations involve internal body processes. Camels store fat in their humps, not water, but their bodies are adapted to use water extremely efficiently, allowing them to survive for weeks without drinking. Desert kangaroo rats never need to drink water at all — they produce water internally through the digestion of dry seeds. Some frogs can survive being completely frozen in winter and thaw back to life in spring. These internal adaptations are often invisible but are critical to an animal’s survival.

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