An adaptation is a feature that helps a living thing survive in its habitat. A polar bear has thick fur and a layer of fat to keep warm, and white fur to hide in the snow. A camel stores fat in its hump and can go many days without water. A cactus has spines instead of leaves so it loses less water.
Some living things can survive well in a habitat, some less well, and some not at all. A fish could not survive in a desert. Adaptations are not chosen by the animal during its life: they are passed on from parents to young over many generations.
Worked example
Why does an Arctic fox have small ears?
- Heat escapes from thin body parts like ears.
- Small ears lose less heat.
Answer:So small ears help the fox stay warm in the cold Arctic.
Key words
- adaptation
- a feature that helps a living thing survive
- camouflage
- colours or patterns that help an animal hide
- environment
- the surroundings a living thing lives in
- generation
- parents, then children, then grandchildren, and so on
Practise this
New questions every time.
NGSS-referenced: 3-LS4-3