Tag Archives: behavioural

Physiological adaptations for Survival

budgerigars2

Budgerigars – Melopsittacus undulatus

The following posts are by students, about the structual, functional and behavioural features of vertebrates that live in arid environments, that enable them to balance their water requirements.

Structural

-Small size of the budgie means that the water requirements are minimal.

-Budgerigars save water by excreting thier waste as nitrogenous waste.

Behavioural

– the budgies will huddle together in dry weather to reduce water loss by reducing thier movement and loss of water through sweat glands.

-they eats seeds with a high water content

Functional

– the budgies excrete most of their nitrogenous waste as uric acid which can be contolled as to how dry or wet it is depending on water availability

Euro or wallaroo

Euro or wallaroo – Macropus robustus

Structural

  • have bare muzzles
  • have large ears

Functional

  • can obtain all necessary water from food during dry spells

Behaviour

flounder

Flounder – Platichthys flesus

Structural features of the flounder

  • The flouder has a a minute body cavity that helps the flouder stay on the bottom of the ocean.
  • Lack of air bladder helps the flouder to stay on the bottom of the ocean.
  • Eyes on the up side of their body helps to spot pray and predators.
  • The top side of the flouders is dark and the bottom side is light.
  • They have strong teeth and jaw.
  • They have a large mouth.
  • Pusterior fin flatter and broader to swim faster and helps to swim on side

Functional features of the flounder

  • tolerance for low salinity
  • has diluted urine in fresh water
  • concntrated urine in salt water

behavioural features of  flounder

  • Change color of skin to match surroundings to hide from predators
  • bury themselves in the sand to hide from predators or to catch pray
  • change shape to help find food
  • go from river to sea

Physiological Adaptations for Survival

salt tolerant plants at Port Fairy

Image Source

Over the semester break, please read through Chapter 10 carefully and start to answer the Chapter review questions. Leave a comment below or email me if you have any trouble with those questions. Physiological adaptations are ways that organisms are able to survive due to the way that they function. So succulent plants, such as those pictured above in Port Fairy, and mangroves are able to tolerate salty environments due to physiological features such as a thick cuticle that reduces water loss and salt glands that excrete excess salt.

Koalas have physiological adaptations that enable them to survive on a high fibre, low protein diet. As well as the obvious behavioural adaptations (usually slow moving and sleepy), koalas have reduced metabolic requirements and a slow metabolism, that enables them to survive on a diet of Eucalyptus leaves. Living organisms have evolved a great variety of strategies that enable them to survive extreme conditions in almost every place on the planet – temperature (hot and cold); moisture (wet and dry); chemical (high salinity for example); oxygen availability and fire tolerance. Some great examples at BBC Wildlife Finder – Adaptations.