By Chelsea Pike What Does Adaptation Mean Adaptation means The special characteristics that enable plants and animals to be successful in a particular environment are called adaptations Massive Size ID: 1025808
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1. Asian Elephant AdaptationsBy: Chelsea Pike
2. What Does Adaptation Mean?Adaptation means:The special characteristics that enable plants and animals to be successful in a particular environment are called adaptations.
3. Massive SizeElephants' massive size is a great anti-predator adaptation. Although technically prey animals, rather than predatory ones, adults are so large that they're invulnerable to attacks from wild animals. Humans are the only predator that can threaten them. However, baby elephants can be attacked and killed by animals such as lions, tigers and hyenas. To stop calves being harmed, adults in a herd will group the young together and form a protective circle around them.
4. Special TrunksNot only does it help elephants to reach food high up in branches, it also allows them to get to food and water on the ground, which they otherwise wouldn't be able to access. Additionally, they use their trunks to make calls and other sounds to communicate with one another and warn their herd about any potential threats.
5. Tough TusksAlthough their tusks can bring elephants some trouble, as they're also very useful. They use them to strip bark and soft wood off trees, which they subsequently eat. Their tusks can also help them to survive through dry spells, as they use them to bore down into the earth and find water in dry riverbeds.
6. Floppy EarsElephants live in hot conditions and need to be able to cool themselves down. Since they're unable to sweat, they've adapted another solution. They flap their large ears to help cool the blood in their capillaries and distribute the cooler blood through their bodies. This process can lower their blood temperature by more than 10F Although Asian elephants have smaller ears than their African cousins, the process is still as effective.
7. Infrasound CallsAsian elephants also have very low-pitched sounds called infrasound, that help them to communicate with each other. These sounds are below the range that humans can hear. A keen sense of smell and good hearing makes up for their poor eyesight due to their small eyes. These calls occurred in a variety of circumstances. These calls may be important in the coordination of behavior in thick vegetation or among separated groups of elephants
8. Interesting DietSince Asian elephants are strictly herbivorous, they have also developed large molars in their mouths that are used primarily for chewing and grinding very fibrous plant materials like the cellulose that makes up plant cell walls. Elephants eat between 330 and 375 lb. of vegetation daily. Sixteen to eighteen hours, or nearly 80% of an elephant’s day is spent feeding. Elephants consume grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Tree bark is a favorite food source for elephants. It contains calcium and roughage, which aids digestion.
9. My Resourceshttp://animals.pawnation.com/adaptations-survival-elephants6658.htmlI found all of my information on this website:
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