How Animals Protect Themselves
By Moira Whitehouse PhD
Unlike your pet, wild animals need to protect
themselves from many threats, like:
Unlike your pet, wild animals need to protect
themselves from many threats, like:
predators that want to eat them
Unlike your pet, wild animals need to protect
themselves from many threats, like:
predators that want to eat them
animals in the same species that want to
fight with them
Unlike your pet, wild animals need to protect
themselves from many threats, like:
predators that want to eat them
animals in the same species that want to
fight with them
weather and
Unlike your pet, wild animals need to protect
themselves from many threats, like:
predators that want to eat them
animals in the same species that want to
fight with them
weather and
other threats in their environment such
drought, flooding, freezing etc.
Unlike your pet, wild animals need to protect
themselves from from many threats, like:
predators that want to eat them
animals in the same species that want to
fight with them
weather and
other threats in their environment such
drought, flooding, freezing etc.
This presentation is about the adaptations
that animals have to protect themselves
from predators.
Animals have a natural instinct to survive so
they try to protect themselves from
predators. Their many tools to help them
do this include:
Camouflage
Body structure including covering
Use of chemicals/poisons
Protective behavior
CamouflageAn animals natural coloring or form that
1)provides protection from predators by blending in
with surroundings through color or pattern.
2)can also help predators get close enough to
unsuspecting prey to catch them.
Wikipedia Commons
Wikipedia Commons
SEASONAL CAMOUFLAGE
These two pictures could
be of the same bird at
two different times of
the year. The Alaskan
Ptarmigan changes color
U S Fish and Wildlife
to white during the
snowy winter months
and to brown in the
summer so that it blends
in with its surroundings.
This weasel gives us another example of an animal
changing the color of its fur for the seasons of the year.
This is his summer coat.
U S Fish and Wildlife
This could be the same animal with his winter coat on.
Weasels sometimes live in rocky areas where there is
snow and having white fur allows them to blend in. This
helps protect themselves from predators and also
helps them get in close to prey
before being seen.
Here we have a Arctic
hare wearing summer
and winter coats.
Can you think of any
problem with the hare
Wikipedia Commons keeping the dark coat
for the winter months?
The fox would
probably like for the
rabbit to stay white in
the summer. Why?
U S Fish and Wildlife
Most camouflage, however, isnt
concerned with just changing to white in
the winter. Many animals are regularly able
to hide in their environment because
their body covering blends in with both the
color and patterns of their surroundings.
NONSEASONAL
CAMOUFLAGE
This camouflaged toad is a
bit safer because he is hard
to find by those who would
eat him. Not only is he the
color of his surroundings
but the pattern of his body
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com
is also similar to the bark of
this tree.
A small shrimp hides among
the stinging tentacles of a
sea anemone. Can you see
it?
Take a close look. This isnt a
small leaf on a larger one. The
small leaf is actually an insect
that looks almost exactly like a
leaf. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LeafInsect.jpg
This frog would be pretty
hard for a predator to
pick out from the leaves
on which it is perched.
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com
This walking stick insect is hiding on a
blade a grass so some hungry bird or
lizard wont get it for lunch. Notice its
body is the same color, shape and
pattern as the blade of grass. Can you
find it? Clue: it is upside down.
This African grass eater is
colored with shades and hues
that are very similar to the tall
grasses in which it lives. This
camouflage and the fact that
it can run very fast is about
the only protection this
animal has from predators.
Look at the picture by
squinting and then
unsquinting your eyes and
imagining that you are a lion
looking for something to eat.
You can see that the
camouflage does make it more
difficult to spot this antelope.
US Fish and Wildlife
These zebras, with their stripes, dont look very camouflaged,
but they are. Lions, who like to eat zebras, are color blind,
and this striped pattern in among the shadows of the trees,
particularly at dusk, is very hard for the lion distinguish.
http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/zebra_kgr-0447.html
This photograph is copyright-protected and may only be downloaded for personal, educational and other strictly non-commercial use
Camouflage helps
protect prey, but it can
also help the predator
get close to its possible
dinner.
This lion in tall grass is
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com barely visible.
This boreal owl looks
so much like the tree
that a hapless bird
might well chose that
branch as a resting
place.
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0306.htm Uroplatus fimbriatus gecko
This gecko uses its camouflage for both purposes. It
lies here waiting on a tree ready to jump out and catch
an unsuspecting insect. At the same time, it is well
enough hidden on this bark so that it will not become
the dinner for some hungry snake or bird.
Animals have a natural instinct to survive so
they try to protect themselves from
predators. Their many tools to help them
do this include:
Camouflage
Body structure including covering
Use of chemicals/poisons
Protective behavior
Next we will look at how an animals
body structure including body covering
might help protect it from its enemies.
Next we will look at how an animals body structure
can help protect it.
First there are parts of its body that an animal may use
in a fight with a predator to protect itself.
Like: Hooves
http://www.pdphoto.org/PictureDetail.php?mat=pdef&pg=6376
Next we will look at how an animals body structure
can help protect it.
First there are those things that an animal may use in a
fight to protect himself.
Like: Beaks
http://www.copyright-free-photos.org.uk
Next we will look at how an animals body structure
can help protect it.
First there are those things that an animal may use in a
fight to protect himself.
Like: Claws
http://www.copyright-free-photos.org.uk
Next we will look at how an animals body structure
can help protect it.
First there are those things that an animal may use in a
fight to protect himself.
Like: Horns
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/
In the following video you will see a
buffalo protecting its baby from a
lion using its horns and hooves.
Select this URL to open a video of a female African buffalo fighting
off a lion attacking her calf. Then select full screen.
http://www.arkive.org/african-
buffalo/syncerus-caffer/video-
10.html#src=portletV3web" title="ARKive
video - Female African buffalo fighting off a
lion attacking her calf" ><img
src="http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/D0/D006
D842-4052-4D71-AFAD-
1CF1373F7F6C/Presentation.Portlet/Fema
le-African-buff
alo-fighting-off-a-lion-attacking-her-calf.jpg"
alt="ARKive video - Female African buffalo
fighting off a lion attacking her calf"
title="ARKive video - Female African
buffalo fighting off a lion attacking her calf"
border="0"/></a>
This somewhat cumbersome step is necessary because I am placing this
slide show on SlideShare. For classroom use Arkive gives permission to
download the video clip and place it directly in your slide show.
Many animals also have body coverings that are
specialized to help protect them from enemies.
These body coverings can be hard outer shells.
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
If you have ever had the unhappy experience of stepping
on a cock roach and heard the loud pop, you probably
got the idea that they also have hard shells.
Picture courtesy of the University of Lincoln-Nebraska Entomolpgy
The tough scales of
fish and reptiles are
a protective body
covering that acts
like a knights suit
of armor. These
hard plates are
difficult for their
enemies to pierce
no matter how
sharp their teeth.
Fish scales
J & J Buzzard http://www.flickr.com/
Lizards and snakes
use their scales to
protect them from
their enemies such
as birds of prey.
They also use their
Lizard by Pandiyan http://www.flickr.com/
scales to prevent
water from
escaping from their
bodies.
Snake by xopheriance http://www.flickr.com/
But what about those whose armor
doesnt cover all of their bodies?
What are they to do?
Some retreat into their shells,
some dig into the ground with
claws and
some curl up in a ball to protect
their soft bellies.
A shell that covers completely may be
the best protection, but it has some
disadvantages.
In his shell, this box turtle has complete
protection, but he doesnt know whats
going on around him and cant move.
To find out what is going on, the
turtle must open up.
Photos by Roger Louie In order to move about, the turtle must
extend feet, legs and head.
.http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/9831/
Other animals have shells that are flexible and can take different
shapes. This gives the animal more ability to move about and still
be protected.
The African Pangolin will draw in his feet and wedge the
surrounding armor firmly into the ground. This ruse is
effective against birds and some mammals, but not
coyotes who can pierce their armor.
See ARKive terms of use
The three-banded armadillo is more effectively protected by
completely rolling up. It is a good defense but large predators
like the jaguar can crack its protective shell.
See ARKive terms of use
Another creature, a bug, that we are familiar with rolls up and
uses its hard shell for protection. This is a roly poly.
Wikipedia Commons http://www.flowers.
Porcupines have a body covering with
sharp quills. These quills are a good
defense against those that would like to
eat it. How many encounters like this
would it take for you to learn not to mess
with a porcupine?
Then, there are some animals with few
other defenses that actually scare away
predators with the ugly look of their body
covering and parts.
This fellow is so ugly and scary that hardly
any predators are interested in him.
http://www.californiaherps.com/info/photouse.html
Likewise, this scary fellow seems to be left
alone by predators in his area.
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/
.
Or this ocean dweller. It isnt puffed up like this all the
time. But when threatened it blows itself up into a
spiked ball that looks scary and is too big for most of its
predators to swallow.
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com
These butterflies have Eye Spots that to
a predator may look like something big
and scary and perhaps cause it to call off
his attack or delay it long enough for the
butterfly to escape.
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Animals that are not fortunate enough to be
that ugly or scary, usually have some highly
developed sense that they use to detect the
presence of enemies.
This bunnys big
ears help it hear
an enemy that
is approaching
looking for a meal.
http://www.flowers
These little fellows have been provided with great big
eyes that work especially well in the dark because thats
when they are awake and moving about. Hopefully,
they will be able to see approaching predators at night.
loris
tarsier
http://www.schools.net.au/edu/
Some animals have bodies that are
adapted for speed. The animal can swim
or run like the windfleeing at top
speeds when a enemy approaches.
A penguin is pretty slow and almost clumsy on land, but in water,
where it hunts and is hunted, it moves with great skill and speed.
With its powerful fins and streamlined body, it is a speedy traveler
often able to evade killer whales.
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com
Select this URL to open a video of fast streamlined african-penquins
in motion.. Then select full screen.
http://www.arkive.org/african-
penguin/spheniscus-demersus/video-
06a.html#src=portletV3web" title="ARKive
video - African penguins swimming and
porpoising" ><img
src="http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/D3/D3C4
331F-B69B-4791-BEA3-
EDC774011F54/Presentation.Portlet/Africa
n-penguins-swimming-and-porpoising.jpg"
alt="ARKive video - African penguins
swimming and porpoising" title="ARKive
video - African penguins swimming and
porpoising" border="0"/></a>
This somewhat cumbersome step is necessary because I am placing this
slide show on SlideShare. For classroom use Arkive gives permission to
download the video clip and place it directly in your slide show.
Next we will look at how an animals body structure can help protect it.
Kangaroos and Wallabies are close cousins
that live in Australia. They have very large and
well developed hind legs and feet. These are
used for long jumps
that allow it to escape
from predators but can
also deliver a mean kick
to attackers.
http://animalphotos.info/a/topics/animals/
The Wildebeest must sometime outrun a lion or leopard,
or die. Strong legs for fast running and great endurance
are part of this animals protection.
See ARKive terms of use
Perhaps, just the ability to get out of the
predators sight could save an animals life.
Having a den or hole to run into may just
do the trick.
Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of
this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
Wise animals who
are prey and
expect to grow
old seldom get
very far away
from their shelter
or den.
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Animals have a natural instinct to survive so
they try to protect themselves from
predators. Their many tools to help them
do this include:
Camouflage
Body structure including covering
Use of chemicals/poisons
Protective behavior
Some animals have chemicals in their body
that make them taste bitter and predators
soon avoid eating them.
Others have poisonous chemicals in their skin
that cause animals that eat them to vomit.
Still others sting their enemies, injecting a
poison into their bodies.
Fireflies taste bitter to
frogs so they will spit
them out and very
soon learn not to eat
them. That, of course,
http://picturethis.pnl.gov
works out very well for
the fireflies.
These brightly colored frogs
are all poisonous. Their
bright colors protect them
because predators, who have
gotten sick after trying one,
learn to stay away from all
brightly colored frogs.
Yellow-Banded Poisonous Frog
Blue poisonous dart frog
Mantella aurantiaca frog
To protect themselves, some
animals even copy cat or imitate
other animals that are poisonous by
matching their looks and coloration.
Why do you think that might be a
smart thing to do?
These two butterflies are different species that look remarkably
alike. The Monarch is poisonous and even hungry predators have
learned to stay away from it. By looking almost exactly like the
Monarch, would be predators of the Viceroy are also reluctant to
try a bite.
Monarch butterfly on the left, viceroy butterfly on the right (Photo by R. Butler)
As some of you may know, the wasp can deliver a
very painful sting to anyone who is intruding on
his space and they learn to stay away.
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/
The skunk can protect
himself because he is
equipped with a system
to project a very strong
and vile smelling liquid
at an attacker.
Predators only have to
be sprayed once to
get the idea that skunks
should be left alone.
http://www.getfreephotos.com/main.php
Animals have a natural instinct to survive so
they try to protect themselves from
predators. Their many tools to help them
do this include:
Camouflage
Body structure including covering
Use of chemicals/poisons
Protective behavior
Finally, we will look at how an animals
behavior can help protect it.
Lets start with the animals that live
in groups or herds.
We will finish with some rather
unusual behavior that individual
animals can use to protect themselves.
Many animals that live in groups or
herds use look outs and signals
between animals to warn of danger.
These sentinels keep watch and warn the others
if there is danger.
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net http://animalphotos.info/a/topics/animals/
Here the male wildebeest in the middle of this herd is
watching out for enemies while the females safely eat grass.
He will sound the alarm to flee if he notices a predator.
Wikimedia Commons
An example of signaling is this buck deer using his white tail
to warn others of danger.
http://images.fws.gov/
http://images.fws.gov/
Animals that live in herds such as
bison, elephants and musk-ox will
group together to fight off predators
such as lions or wolves.
Here is a great shot of musk-ox encircling their
young, horns pointed outward ready take on a
pack of attacking wolves
Us fish and wildlife
In the next video you will see a herd of
wildebeest protecting their young
when a cheetah attacks.
Select this URL to open a video of a group of adult wildebeest
stopping a cheetah from attacking a young one. Then select full
screen.
http://www.arkive.org/cheetah/acinonyx-
jubatus/video-08b.html#src=portletV3web"
title="ARKive video - Adult wildebeest
stops cheetah from chasing young
wildebeest" ><img
src="http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/5C/5CE2
5926-2291-425F-B462-
9A643D4C5F93/Presentation.Portlet/Adult-
wildebeest-stops-cheetah-from-chasing-
young-wildebeest.jpg" alt="ARKive video -
Adult wildebeest stops cheetah from
chasing young wildebeest" title="ARKive
video - Adult wildebeest stops cheetah
from chasing young wildebeest"
border="0"/></a>
This somewhat cumbersome step is necessary because I am placing this
slide show on SlideShare. For classroom use Arkive gives permission to
download the video clip and place it directly in your slide show.
Another example of staying close together in
groups for protection is shown in this photo of
a tight school of ocean fish.
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/
One behavior that an individual animal
might use for protection is the bluff,
where it make a scary face or noise.
Wikimedia Commons.
And if all else fails, some
animals will play dead
when they are in danger.
Possum playing dead.
http://animalphotos.info/a/2008/01/07/possum-playing-dead/#more-1108
Grass snake
playing dead.
Wikipedia commons
We have studied some ways that animals have
adapted to protect themselves and talked about
them in four areas:
Camouflage
We have studied some ways that animals have
adapted to protect themselves and talked about
them in four areas:
Camouflage
Body structure and covering.
We have studied some ways that animals have
adapted to protect themselves and talked about
them in four areas:
Camouflage
Body structure and covering.
Use of chemicals/poisons
We have studied some ways that animals have
adapted to protect themselves and talked about
them in four areas:
Camouflage
Body structure and covering.
Use of chemicals/poisons
Protective behavior
Movies and all pictures marked with
Arkive courtesy of Arkive Education @
http://www.arkiveeducation. All pictures
and movies are available for educational
use. Thanks for Arkive Education for
permission to use them in this
presentation.
