Tag Archives: Adaptations

Behavioural Adaptations

bird migration

Photo Source

Animals display many types of behaviour that enable them to survive changes in their environment and pressures from predators, parasites and disease. Bird migration is an obvious example that allows birds to find food and/or partners and raise their chicks. Winter hibernation in cold climates (bears, for example) allows animals to conserve energy in the harsh winter, when food is scarce, and mate and raise their offspring during the spring and summer when food is plentiful. Another interesting example is the reproductive behaviour of marsupials – the red kangaroo can control the length of the gestation period, so that the joey is not born into a drought, but when the mother has plenty of food available and is producing enough milk. She can also produce different types of milk at the same time to nourish joeys of different ages. Can you think of any examples of behvioural adaptations in insects, reptiles and fish?