Migration

• Movement or change of position from one place to another place is termed as migration.
• It involves mass movement of birds and animals from one place to another in response to a seasonal change.
• They migrate to avoid unfavorable conditions of food availability and temperature.
• They come back to their native place once favorable conditions return.
• Some birds even migrate just to lay eggs.

Hot and Dry (Desert-Like) Climates:

• In hot and dry climates, water is scarce, and animals need adaptations to conserve water.
• Here, most animals can get water from the plants they eat, particularly succulent (fleshy and juicy) ones such as cactus.
• Some animals also get water from fluids of the bodies of animals they eat.

Camels:

• Camels have long eyelashes, ear hair, and nostrils that they can close, to keep the sand out when if the wind blows.
• They have thick eyebrows that provide shade from the bright sun.

• Their wide feet help them to walk on sand without sinking into it.
• The hump of a camel is a reservoir of fatty tissue, while water is stored in its blood.
• A camel can go a week or more without water, and it can last and for several months without food.
• Camels have thick lips which help them to feed on prickly desert plants without hurting themselves.
• Unlike most mammals, a camel can withstand body temperature changes throughout the day from 34°C to 41.7°C (93°F - 107°F).
• This allows the camel to conserve water by not sweating as the environmental temperature rises.
• Reptiles and birds excrete metabolic wastes in the form of uric acid, an insoluble white compound, wasting very little water in the process.
• Various species of desert-dwelling ground squirrels and toads remain dormant sleeping away the hottest part of the summer.
• Kangaroo rats live in burrows which they seal off to block out midday heat and to recycle the moisture from their own breathing.

• They are active only during the morning and evening to escape from the scorching heat.
• These animals can manufacture water by digesting dry seeds.

Fennec:

• Fennecs are nocturnal in nature, only searching for food at night when it is less hot.
• During the day, the fennec keeps to its den with other foxes.
• Its long ears help to dissipate heat.

Hot Tropical and Temperate Climates:

• It is hot and humid in the tropics and quite warm in the temperate regions.
• Hence, animals found here have adaptations mainly for regulating temperature and for faster evaporation of water, so that it does not get too sticky and uncomfortable.
• Evaporation of water from the body leaves a cooling effect.
• They do so by active sweating, panting, and licking.
• Just as in hot desert climates, animals here too are more active during early morning, evening, or night.
• Gorillas, monkeys, jaguars, sloths, and colourful birds such as macaws can be found in this region.

African elephants

• Animals found in this region usually have long legs and tails.
• Many animals here have very large ears as a distinct feature, which help to keep their bodies cool by the blowing of air across the ears.
• Flapping of ears cools the blood that in turn cools the body.

Leaf insect                               Stick insect

• Leaf insects and stick insects are shaped or coloured to match their surroundings. This makes them harder to spot.
• As there are many types of animals found in this region, the competition for food is intense.
• Many animals have adapted by learning to eat food which is eaten by no other animal.
• Most monkeys live in trees. This keeps them safe from the predators which live on the ground.

Extremely Cold Climates:

• Animals that live in cold areas usually have adaptations to keep their bodies warm by layers of fat deposits, etc.
• They usually take on the temperature of the water, which is usually stable.
• Some large fish and mammals keep their bodies warm by excessive muscular activity and thick, waterproof fur.

Polar Bear:

• Polar bears and many other animals, such as seals, whales, and walrus, have a thick layer of fat called blubber under their skins, which keeps their bodies warm and insulated from the cold.

• The white fur of the polar bear is a good insulation from cold and also helps it to camouflage from its prey, and enables it to hunt well both on land and in the water.
• Female polar bears dig dens in the snow where they might hibernate, i.e., remain inactive or dormant, during the worst part of the winter. This allows them to survive without food or water during the cold winter season.
• The fat stores of the body get converted into energy for body to function during hibernation.
• The cubs are born in the den.

Penguin:

• Penguins huddle together in groups to stay warm and fight their enemies.
• The male penguins huddle together to protect the eggs laid by the female from the severe cold.
• If exposed to the cold, the egg gets destroyed.

• The female penguins return to the sea in order to feed themselves and bring food for their chicks.

Arctic Animals:

• Arctic fox, the Canadian lynx, and the Arctic hare are usually much larger than members of the same species living in warmer climates.

• They have large furry paws and furry ears.
• The furry paws act as snow shoes and help them to move in the snow easily. The furry ears help to keep the cold out.

Arctic Birds:

• Arctic birds such as the ptarmigans have feathers up to their feet, to keep their body warm.

• These ptarmigans stay in the Arctic all the year whereas some birds such as snow geese and Arctic terns migrate to warmer regions during the winter and return only after summer begins to settle in.