Animal Adaptations

In science we are learning about animal adaptations. An animal's body parts are adaptations to help them survive in their environment. First, we talked about the fact that teeth are adaptations shaped to allow them to eat their food.

Carnivores or animal (meat) eaters have sharp, pointy teeth.
Herbivores or plant eaters have flat, wide teeth.
Omnivores or plant and animal eaters have both kinds of teeth.

The students then got to explore casts of various animal teeth.

a bear

Next, we talked about mimicry. Some animals copy others to help them avoid predators. 

The monarch eats milkweed which is poisonous and therefore is bitter-tasting to predators. The Viceroy looking very similar to the Monarch fools predators into not eating them.

Another mimicry example is the mountain king snake. We learned a little rhyme to help up remember which is poisonous:
RED TOUCHING BLACK IS A FRIEND TO JACK
RED TOUCHING YELLOW WILL KILL A FELLOW!

Then the students got to see and touch a real mountain king snake.

Last, we discussed camouflage as a means of survival. 

Can you find the walking sticks?

Then each student got to let one crawl on them. :-)

And that my friends, is why I LOVE teaching at an environmental science magnet!