Weather, Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate
Science Class Seven
Climate and Adaptation
Climates can make a place very hot, very cold, moderately hot, place of heavy rainfall, etc. The climate of some places may be either very hot or very cold. Such very hot or very cold climates are called harsh climates. For example, deserts are very hot and dry while Polar Regions are snow-covered throughout the year and consequently very cold. Because of such a harsh climate, it becomes very difficult to live in those places. Instead of such harsh climate flora and fauna are found in those places. Adaptation enables animals to survive in such harsh climates.
Animals and trees found in the places of harsh climates have some special abilities that make them able to survive there. Such ability to survive in those types of harsh climates is called adaptation.
Definition of Adaptation
Ability of a living being to live and to survive in a given environmental condition is called adaptation.
Adaptation is an evolutionary process. It takes thousands of years to make an organism enables to adapt to a particular environment and climate. According to Darwin, organisms take thousands of years to develop a particular adaptation. These types of adaptations make a particular organism fit to survive in a particular condition.
Polar Region
Areas that lie near the Poles are called Polar Regions. Such as Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska in the USA, and the Siberian region in Russia.
Polar Regions are covered with snow most of the time which makes these regions extremely cold. The polar region is the farthest place from the equator on the earth, so it receives the least sunshine in the winter. Sun does not rise for six months and does not set for another six months at the poles. Temperature falls up to about minus 37°C in the polar region in winter.
Instead of that varieties of flora and fauna are found in the polar region. Polar bears, penguins, and some other animals live in the Polar Regions. Animals that live in Polar Regions are adapted to keep them survive in severe cold climatic conditions.
Adaptive features of Polar Bear
Camouflage
Some animals have special types of colour that match the colour of the habitat they live in. This feature helps to hide that protects them from the enemy. This feature also helps them to catch their prey without coming into notice. This type of ability or feature is called camouflage.
Polar bears found in the Polar Regions are of white colour. Because of their white colour, they hide in the white colour of snow in the polar region. Because of this neither predator nor prey can easily spot them in snow. This feature protects them from predators and helps them to catch prey without coming into notice.
Heat Regulation
The climate of the polar region is extremely cold. The body of the polar bear is adapted to this severe cold condition.
Polar bears have thick layers of fur on the whole body. The layers of fur consist of a layer of dense under-fur and an outer layer of guard hairs. This appears white to tan but actually transparent.
Under the skin of a Polar bear, a thick layer of fat is deposited. The thick layer of fat acts as an insulator. These layers of fur and fat act as an insulator that prevents the body heat to escape into the atmosphere and outside cold to enter. These layers regulate the body temperature and keep the polar bear warm in cold conditions. Apart from these polar bear moves slowly and often take rest which prevents them from overheating.
Large and Flat Paws
Polar bears have large and flat paws. This makes them good swimmers. On hot days, polar bears use to swim to keep themselves cool. A polar bear can live underwater for a long time without taking a breath. Under the water polar bear close their nostrils to prevent the water goes inside the lungs.
The large paws of polar bears also enable them to walk on the snow easily.
Strong sense organs
Polar bears have a strong sense of smell. A polar bear can smell a seal from about one mile away and about 3 ft under the snow. This great sense of smell enables them to catch their prey with ease. They have very good hearing capacity too. Their hearing capacity is as acute as that of a human. A polar bear can see from a long distance also.
Eating habits
Although Polar bears are omnivorous. But as there are no plants near the polar region, so they do not get plants to eat. So polar bears have to depend mainly upon the flesh of seals and fish. Polar bears are adapted to do so. They have 42 teeth which makes them carnivorous animals. Most of their diet consists of ringed and bearded seals and usually, they do not eat plants as there is no plant-available there.
Adaptive Features of Penguins
Penguin is another animal that lives in the polar region. Penguins are found mainly in Antarctica. Antarctica is also a polar region. Penguins are also adapted to survive in the polar regions.
Camouflage
The body of Penguins has two types of colour. Their back is black and the front is white. This white and black colour of penguins camouflages the predators. The black colour of its back portion camouflages them from the predators in the sky. The white front potion camouflage the predators living on seas such as an orca or a leopard seal. When a predator sees the penguins from their front, they are unable to distinguish between the reflecting surface of the water and the belly of the penguins. This colour combination protects penguins from predators and helps to keep themselves alive.
Heat regulation
Penguins have thick feathers. This acts as an insulator. They have a thick layer of fat under the skin also like polar bears. The thick layer of feathers and a thick layer of fat under their skin act as an insulator that prevents the escape of heat from their body and also prevents the cold to enter their body. These features keep penguins warm in the harsh cold climate. The waterproof thick feather keeps them warm even underwater as loss of water is greater in water than on land.
They often huddle together and always keep rotating their position. This keeps them warm. Rotation of position ensures all penguins get turned in the center of the heat pack.
These features regulate their body heat and make penguins fit to survive in the harsh cold climate.
Movement
Penguins are adapted to aquatic life. Penguins have web feet. Their body are streamlined like a bird. These make them good swimmers. Penguins swim like bird's flight in air. Within the smooth plumage a layer of air is preserved, this ensures buoyancy. This layer of air also helps insulate the bird in cold waters.
On land, Penguins either waddle on their feet or slide on their bellies across the snow. Their movement is called "tobogganing". Tobogganing also conserves energy while moving quickly. They can jump also with both feet together if they want to move more quickly or cross steep or rocky terrain. Their tails and wings are used to maintain balance for their upright position on land.
They can drink saltwater. Penguins have a supraorbital gland that can filter excess salt from the bloodstream. The salt is excreted in a concentrated fluid from the nasal passages.
Penguins have backward pointing barbs on tongue, which gives a good grip on prey.
Other animals in the polar region
There are other many animals that live in Polar Regions. They are musk oxen, reindeers, foxes, seals, whales, a variety of birds, and many fish.
Reindeers, mix oxen and foxes have many features similar to polar bears to regulate their body heat and make them fit to survive in such an extremely cold climate.
Many birds that live in the Polar Regions use to migrate to other areas in the winter season. They return back to their original place of habitat after the end of winter. Siberian cranes are one of the famous migratory birds.
Some birds travel up to 15000 km in the winter season while migrating.
Migratory birds can be seen even on trees, gardens, or fields. In India there are many places declared as Bird's Sanctuary. Bharatpur in Rajasthan and Sultanpur in Haryana are some of the famous birds' sanctuaries in India.
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