Weather, Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate
Science Class Seven
NCERT Exercise Solution
Question (1) Name the elements that determine the weather of a place.
Answer
Temperature, Pressure, rainfall, amount of sunshine, wind, etc. are the elements that determine the weather of a particular place.
Question (2) When are the maximum and minimum temperatures likely to occur during the day?
Answer
The maximum temperature of a day occurs in the afternoon while the minimum temperature occurs early in the morning generally.
Question (3) Fill in the blanks:
(i) The average weather taken over a long time is called ________.
Answer
The average weather taken over a long time is called weather.
(ii) A place receives very little rainfall and the temperature is high throughout the year, the climate of that place will be ________ and ______.
Answer
A place receives very little rainfall and the temperature is high throughout the year, the climate of that place will be hot and humid.
(iii) The two regions of the earth with extreme climatic conditions are _______ and ________.
Answer
The two regions of the earth with extreme climatic conditions are tropical and polar.
Question (4) Indicate the type of climate of the following areas:
(a) Jammu and Kashmir: _________
AnswerJammu and Kashmir: moderately hot and wet
(b) Kerala: ____________
Answer Kerala: hot and humid
(c) Rajasthan: _________
AnswerRajasthan hot and dry
(d) North-east India: _________
Answer North-east India: hot and wet
Question (5) Which of the wo changes frequently, weather or climate?
Answer Weather changes frequently.
Question (6) Following are some of the characteristics of animals:
(i) Diets heavy on fruits
(ii) White fur
(iii) Need to migrate
(iv) Loud voice
(v) Sticky pads on feet
(vi) Layer of fat under skin
(vii) Wide and large paws
(viii) Bright colours
(ix) Strong tails
(x) Long and large beak
For each characteristic indicate whether it is adaptation for tropical rainforests or Polar Regions. Do you think that some of the characteristics can be adapted for both regions?
Answer(i) Diets heavy on fruits: This adaptation is for tropical rainforests.
Reason In tropical rainforests, there are plenty of foods (fruits) available. So, animals who diet heavily on fruits only can survive in the tropical rain forest and cannot survive in Polar Regions because of the lack of trees and consequently no fruits.
Answer (ii) White fur: Adaptation for Polar Regions.
Reason
Polar bears have white fur that camouflage with white snow. This adaptation enables a polar bear to keep hidden in snow covered Polar Regions. This helps him not come to the notice of predators as well as prey.
This is the adaptation for Polar Regions.
Answer (iii) Need to migrate: Adaptation for cold climate i.e. for Polar Regions.
Reason
Some birds and fish need to migrate to places having less cold climates. This adaptation is for only Polar Regions. Birds and fish that live in the tropical rain forests need not migrate to other places.
Answer (iv) Loud Voice: Adaptation for tropical rain forest.
Strong
The loud voice is the adaptation for tropical rainforests. Using loud voices animals convey messages.
Answer (v) Sticky pads on feet: Adaptation for tropical rainforests.
Reasons
Frogs, lizards, etc. have sticky pads on feet. With the help of sticky pads on feet, frogs and lizards can climb on trees easily.
Answer (vi) Layer of fat under skin: Adaptation for Polar Regions
Reasons
A thick layer of fat under the skin acts as an insulator. This helps animals to keep themselves warm in the harsh cold climate of Polar Regions. This is not the adaptation for the tropical rainforests.
Answer (vii) Wide and large paws: Adaptation for Tropical Rainforests.
Reason
Wide and large paws help animals who live in Polar Regions to walk without sinking in the ice. This adaptation is also for the animals like camels, who live in the deserts.
Answer (viii) Bright colours: Adaptation for tropical rainforests
Reasons
The bright colour helps animals live in tropical rain forests to camouflage with the back ground. Because of this feature; animals that live in tropical rainforests keep themselves hidden in the eyes of predators as well as prey.
Answer (xi) Strong tails: Adaptation for tropical rainforests
Reason
Some animals like tigers, monkeys, etc. found in the tropical rainforests have long and strong tails. This helps them to keep balance while running. Monkeys can hold branches of trees using their long and strong tail. This adaptation is for tropical rainforests.
Answer (x) Long and large beak: Adaptation for tropical rainforest
Reason
Some birds, like toucans that live in the tropical rainforests, have long and large beaks. With the help of long and large beaks, toucans can reach the food on weak branches which are too weak to support their weight.
Question (7) The tropical rainforest has a large population of animals. Explain why it is so.
Answer
The tropical rainforest is found in the tropical regions where the temperature is high and consequently more rainfall. More rainfall and high temperature support too much vegetation. Because of more vegetation, tropical rainforests have plenty of food available, this supports a large number of animals.
This is the cause that the tropical rainforest has a large population of animals.
Question (8) Explain, with examples, why we find animals of a certain kind living in particular climatic conditions.
Answer
A particular climatic condition has certain types of benefits and challenges, hence to survive in a certain climatic condition special type of adaptation is required.
Example:
Polar bears: Polar bears live in Polar Regions which are snow covered most of the time and consequently have too much cold most of the time. Polar bears have a thick layer of fat under the skin, this acts as an insulator that helps them to keep warm in the harsh cold climate. The white colour of the fur of polar bears camouflages with the white colour of snow.
Monkeys have strong and long tails which enable them to keep balance while jumping from one tree to another. Along with this monkeys can hold the branch of a tree using their long tail. This is a typical adaptation that makes monkeys adapt to the tropical rainforests.
Question (9) How do elephant living in the tropical rainforest adapt itself?
Answer
The huge size of the elephant keeps it safe from predators. Elephant uses its trunk, which is the modified nose, in many ways, like to pick and put food in its mouth, carry food to a distance, shower water as well as dust on its body, etc. The tusks of elephants are modified teeth. Elephant uses its tusk to tear up the bark of trees for food. Elephants use the large ears to keep them cool by shaking them to and fro. The elephant is able to handle competition for food easily.
These qualities make an elephant truly adapted for tropical rainforests.
Choose the correct option which answers the following questions:
Question (10) A carnivore with stripes on its body moves very fast while catching its prey. It is likely to be found in
(i) Polar Regions
(ii) Deserts
(iii) Oceans
(iv) Tropical rainforests
Answer: (iv) Tropical rainforests
Explanation
Tigers, which are carnivores, found in tropical rainforests have orange and black stripes on their body. A tiger moves very fast in order to catch its prey.
Question (11) Which features adapt polar bears to live in extremely cold climate?
(i) A white fur, fat below skin, keen sense of smell.
(ii) Thin skin, large eyes, a white fur.
(iii) A long tail, strong claws, white large paws.
(iv) White body, paws for swimming, gills for respiration.
Answer (i) A white fur, fat below skin, keen sense of smell.
Explanation
Polar bears found in Polar Regions have white fur that camouflages with a white snow background. Fat below their skin acts as an insulator and keeps a polar bear warm in the harsh cold climate of the Polar Regions. A keen sense of smell enables a polar bear to detect its prey.
Question (12) Which option best describes a tropical region?
(i) hot and humid
(ii) moderate temperature, heavy rainfall
(iii) cold and humid
(iv) hot and dry
Answer (i) hot and humid
Explanation
Tropical rainforests are found near the tropic regions. Because of this, it receives more heat and consequently more rainfall. Because of more rainfall and getting more sunshine the climatic condition of a tropical rainforest is hot and humid.
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