Adaptations and Survival

A tiger’s fur is orange-brown with stripes. Its fur helps it hide in a field of brown grass. When another animal comes near, the tiger can jump out of hiding and attack it. A toad’s body is brown. It blends in with brown sand. A toad can hide from predators while it looks for insects to eat.

What is one way that a tiger and a toad are similar?

• Their skin is adapted for hunting at night.

• Their skin keeps them cool in the sun.

• They are both good swimmers.

• Their color helps them hide to get food.

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Juan wanted to become an expert bird watcher. He decided to watch for birds in his backyard. Juan lives in a heavily wooded area that has lots of fallen trees, but not much grass and no bodies of water. Any bird living in Juan's backyard will need to be able to drill for insects in the trees.

Which bird beak is Juan most likely to see on a bird living in his backyard?

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Loggerhead sea turtles are large turtles that live in the ocean and nest on the Florida coast. The female loggerhead sea turtle lays more than 100 eggs in the beach sand. How is laying so many eggs an important adaptation that helps these turtles to survive?

• Large nests of eggs help keep the eggs warm enough to allow more turtles to hatch.

• If many turtles hatch, they can help defend each other against predators in large numbers.

• The more eggs that are laid, the greater the chance that more turtles will live to become adults.

• A large number of eggs in one place makes it possible for the mother to lie on the eggs until they hatch.

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Animals that live in the frigid regions of the North or South Pole must adapt to special conditions. Some information about environmental conditions in polar regions is provided.

Which of these could be a helpful adaptation for an organism that lives in the North Pole?

• Ability to fly or run fast.

• Strong legs to jump high.

• Thick fur and layers of fat.

• Hard shell around the body.

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Cacti can be found in many deserts because they are well adapted to survive there. The chart below list several of the cacti’s adaptation and how they help it to survive.

According to the chart above, which factor of the desert environment has the cactus adapted to survive?

• Extreme temperatures

• Lack of precipitation

• Plant eating insects

• Trunk rotting diseases

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Adriana loves how water lilies float on water. She has recently planted a few in her backyard pond. Some adaptations of a water lily are illustrated here.

The water lily has unique adaptations that allow it to survive in the water. Which adaptation of the water lily is specially adapted to allow it to reach the surface of the water?

• Pale pink flowers

• Broad, flat leaves

• Long, gas-filled stems

• Thick roots

Hurricane Andrew caused many animals in the Miami Zoo to become displaced. Two of the animals that lost their homes were the collared lemming which has thick white fur and sharp claws, and the other was a marsh rabbit that has thin brown fur and is a strong swimmer.

If both were thought to have sought refuge in a Florida forest, which one would have a better chance of survival and why?

• The marsh rabbit because its ability to swim helps it to scare away predators.

• The collared lemming because its sharp claws help it grip the ice when walking.

• The collared lemming because its thick, white fur helps it stay warm during the winter months.

• The marsh rabbit because its thin, brown fur helps it blend into its environment and stay cool.

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A scientist was studying four species of frogs that live in the same area. She counted the number of frogs of each species before and after a drought, which is a period of time when the amount of rainfall is much less than normal.

Which species of frog was better adapted to survive during the drought?

• Species 1

• Species 2

• Species 3

• Species 4

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Several bird species that live in an area eat different things. Some eat plant material and others eat animals such as rodents.

If there is a disease that kills all of the rodents living in the area, which bird species would most likely decrease?

• Species A because the rodents eat plants

• Species B because its main food source is gone

• Species C because it eats food other than rodents

• Species D because its food source includes snakes and lizards

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Which of the following changes to the environment would most likely result in deer moving out of an area to a new habitat?

• A decrease in the number of predators.

• A decrease in the numbers of disease carrying insects.

• A loss of the kinds of plants they eat.

• Several winters with warmer temperatures.

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