Animal Adaptations
against Predators
How animals have adapted to survive in their
environments
Name: ______________________ Class: _______ Date: ______
Survival Adaptations: Defense against Predators
(Write the name of the Organism and explain their adaptation
in the correct column
Animal Defense Against
Predators
Throughout millions of years of evolution, animals have
evolved numerous ways of defending themselves against
predators. Obviously, being able to flee a predator is the
choice of many prey animals we can consider.
However, there are some often overlooked but interesting
methods of defense which involve deception and chemistry.
These include using:
 Toxic chemicals
 Camouflage
 Mimicry
Chemical Defense
 Animals can be poisonous to their predators.
 Interestingly, many organisms which are
poisonous advertise this fact to predators by
having bright body colors or markings, as if to
say: “Notice me! I’m dangerous!”
 What examples can you think of?
Chemical Defense Example #1
 The larvae of Monarch
butterflies accumulate
toxins from the plants
they inhabit. Birds that
eat the Monarchs vomit
and learn to avoid them in
the future.
 Their bright coloration
allows birds to remember
and avoid them.
Chemical Defense Example #2
 The poison dart frog has
poison glands scattered
all over its body.
Chemical Defense Example #3
 The fire salamander
makes a nerve poison,
which it can squirt from
glands on its back.
Chemical Defense Example #4
 A Skunk “advertises”
that if predators go near,
there will be a stinky and
unpleasant consequence.
Camouflage
 Animals that camouflage themselves
pretend to be something they are not.
Either their coloration, marking patterns,
or entire body resembles something else in
their environment.
 Sometimes an animal’s colors can be a
difference between life and death.
 What examples can you think of?
Camouflage Example #1
What does this look like
to you?
This moth blends in with
leaves in it’s environment
Camouflage Example #2
 What do you see?
 This leaf bug’s shape and
color are a great disguise
from predators.
Camouflage Example #3
 This rabbit’s fur will
actually change color
depending on the
season.
 Why would it do this?
Camouflage Example #4
 Here an aptly named
walking stick pretends to
be a twig, in an attempt
to avoid being seen by a
bird or other predator.
Camouflage Example #5
 This ocean ray blends in
perfectly with the sand
on the ocean floor.
Camouflage Example #6
 This dandelion spider has
adapted to perfectly
match the flower it is
names for
Camouflage Example #7
 A cryptic frog - This
species has developed a
coloring, texture and form
that are similar to the
leaves found in its
environment.
Camouflage Example #8
 Like the rabbit earlier the
artic foxes’ fur will
change color with the
season. Why is this
important?
Camouflage Example #9
 This Quail is very hard to
see. It has adapted it’s
color to blend in with the
surrounding foliage.
Camouflage Example #10
 Tartan Hawkfish
swimming in Gorgorian
Fans
Camouflage Example #11
 Can you find the frog?
 Look in the top right
corner.
Camouflage Example #12
 Why do you think this
great white shark has 2
different colors?
Camouflage by Deception
Example #13
 In this picture, a foureyed butterfly fish uses
deceptive markings. The
large spot near the tail
resembles an eye. When
predators attack the
wrong end, the butterfly
fish can swim away in the
other direction!
Camouflage by Deception
Example #14
 Some predators also
depend on camouflage,
but this time it is in
order to avoid being seen
by their prey.
 Here, a frogfish
resembles a sponge.
Small fish swimming
nearby will be engulfed in
the frogfish’s enormous
mouth!
Mimicry
In mimicry, an organism (the mimic)
closely resembles another organism
(the model) in order to deceive a third,
(the operator). The model and the
mimic are not always closely related,
but both live in the same area.
Why do they need to live in the same
area?
Mimicry Example #1
An example is the scarlet
king snake, a nonpoisonous mimic of the
extremely venomous coral
snake.
Above: Scarlet king snake
Right: Coral snake
Mimicry Example #2
 The two invertebrates on
the left are different
species of sea slugs,
while the one on the right
is a marine flatworm. All
three secrete harmful
substances and are
inedible.
Mimicry Example #3
 Another example is the
locust borer.
 This insect not only looks
like a bee or wasp, it
sounds like one, too!
Mimicry Example #4
Another example of
mimicry involves the nontoxic viceroy butterfly
has developed colors and
wing patterns that are
very similar to those of
the monarch butterfly,
which is toxic and very
nasty to eat. Most birds
won’t take a chance by
taste-testing it!
Mimicry Example #5
• The western hognosed snake
(commonly known as
a blow snake) has
mimicked a
rattlesnake very well.
• What would you
mimic yourself as?
Review and Summary
 Three types of defenses that animals can use against
predators include:
 Chemical Defense
 Camouflage
 Mimicry
 Animals constantly evolve new and improved
characteristics to capture prey or evade predators; the
ongoing adaptations have produced some of the wonderful
organisms you have just seen!
 What kind of adaptation would you like to have?