Mammal Scramble
Fifth Grade Core: Standard 5 Objective 2
Describe how some characteristics could give a species a survival advantage in a
particular environment
1. Print up the questions for the teacher.
2. Print up the pictures for the students, cut out, and scatter on the middle of the
floor
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Leopard
grizzly bear
dingo
Tasmanian devil
Bison
Armadillo
Kangaroo
black rhino
prairie dog
wild horse
elephant
aardvark
cottontail rabbit
warthog
rats
raccoon
spider monkeys
walrus
camel
mole
beaver
dolphin
blue whale
vampire bat
flying squirrel
hedgehog
orangutan
3. Teacher reads the animal traits and students scramble to find an animal
(sometimes more than one possibility) that matches this description.
4. To make it more challenging and hectic, maybe flip the pictures over.
5. Go around really quickly and see what animals the kids grabbed (and why). To
make the game faster, have the kids explain their choice to their neighbor.
6. After the question, put all the animals back in the middle.
7. After the game, have a lesson on how these traits are adaptations in that animal’s
environment.
Find a mammal that . . .
1. Has sharp claws _________________ (leopard, grizzly bear, dingo, Tasmanian
devil)
2. Lives in grassy areas______________ (Bison, dingo, armadillo, kangaroo, black
rhinoceros, prairie dog, wild horse, elephant, aardvark, cottontail rabbit, warthog)
3. Is a scavenger_________________ (rats, raccoon, sometimes Tasmanian devils)
4. Is a fast runner ____________________ (dingo, rat, wild horse, leopard,
warthogs)
5. Lives in a social group ________________ (Bison, wild horse, kangaroo, spider
monkeys, walrus, elephant, vampire bats)
6. Might eat your garden vegetables __________________ (rat, raccoon,
cottontail rabbit)
7. Has a pouch _________________ (kangaroo, Tasmanian devil)
8. Has a special way of protecting itself ___________________ (could justify any
of the animals!)
9. Uses its front legs to dig __________________ (armadillo, mole, dingo,
cottontail rabbit, hedgehog)
10. Is sometimes eaten by owls and other large birds of prey ________________
(hedgehog, rats, prairie dog, cottontail rabbit, moles, flying squirrel)
11. Is an herbivore _________________ (cottontail rabbit, bison, kangaroo, beaver,
black rhino, wild horse, elephant, camel)
12. Is an insectivore _______________ (hedgehog, armadillo, aardvark)
13. Can climb trees ________________ (spider monkey, raccoon, vampire bat,
flying squirrel, orangutan)
14. Has thick fur for warmth _________________ (Bison, grizzly bear)
15. Has camouflage ________________ (a lot of these are arguably camouflaged)
16. Has water-proof fur ________________ (beaver)
17. Has a good sense of smell _______________ (All the animals except blue whale,
dolphin, moles, and maybe orangutans)
18. Lives in the desert _______________ (camels, dingo)
19. Uses tusks for defense _______________ (walrus, elephant, warthogs)
20. Weighs more than a ton ______________ (blue whale, elephants, sometimes
black rhino)
21. Can fly or soar _______________ (vampire bat, flying squirrel)
22. Is nocturnal ________________ (aardvark, hedgehog, Tasmanian devil, dingo,
armadillo, vampire bat, leopards)
23. Can swim _________________ (dolphin, beaver, walrus, blue whale, Tasmanian
devils)
Warthog
RAT
Raccoon
Hedgehog
Tasmanian Devil
Leopard
Armadillo
Grizzly Bear
Wild Horse
Aardvark
Elephant
Black Rhino
Cottontail
Rabbit
Prairie Dog
Flying Squirrel
Orangutan
Spider Monkey
Camel
Walrus
Blue Whale
Vampire Bat
MOLE
Dolphin
Beaver
Dingo
Bison
Kangaroo