Adaptations Vocabulary - Spring Units
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Beaks, Feet, and Feathers
adaptations: structural or behavioral characteristics of a species that have evolved over time in response to the changing demands of the environment.
feather: flexible, light-weight structures covering a bird; made up of modified skin.
contour feather: feathers that cover the down and give the bird its aerodynamic shape and color pattern.
flight feather: large, stiff feathers in the wings and tail of birds that serve in flight.
down: soft, fluffy feathers near the skin of a bird; excellent thermal insulation.
vane: flat surface of a feather; made up of barbs and barbules. barbs: branches off the central shaft of a feather.
barbules: smaller branches off the sides of the barbs in a feather.
shaft: long, hollow tube running the length of a feather.
probing: reaching deep into an unknown region; as in the action performed by birds with a long bill used to reach into flowers or down into mud to find food.
bird feet: lower appendages of birds, heavily modified according to the bird's lifestyle and habits.
beak/bill: a toothless, horny mouthpart of a bird.
raptor: a bird of prey characterized by having a sharp, hooked beak and strong, sharp talons, as in owls and hawks.
talons: the claws on the toes of birds of prey.
predator: an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals for its food.
prey: an animal hunted for food.
preening: cleaning and maintaining feathers, including the application of waxy secretions from the preen gland.
molting: the natural loss and replacement of a bird's feathers.

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Owls
adaptations: structural or behavioral characteristics of a species that have evolved over time in response to the changing demands of the environment.
nocturnal: active during the night.
birds of prey: birds that kill and eat other animals for their food. predator: an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals for its food.
prey: an animal hunted for food.
raptor: a bird of prey characterized by having a sharp, hooked beak and strong, sharp talons, as in owls and hawks.
facial disk: a concave arrangment of feathers on the head of owls that helps funnel sound back to the ear openings.
beak: a toothless, horny mouthpart of a bird.
talons: the claws on the toes of birds of prey.
asymmetrical: not positioned in the same relative place on both sides of the body, as in the ears of an owl.
owl call: the vocalization used by owls for locating mates and defending territory.
owl pellet: a mass of undigested parts of food eaten by owls or other birds of prey; usually includes bones, feathers, fur, and teeth.
indigestible: not easily digested.

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Thorns and Threats
adaptations: structural or behavioral characteristics of a species that have evolved over time in response to the changing demands of the environment.
defense strategy: the method used by a plant or animal to prevent its being injured or eaten by other animals.
predation: a way of life characterized by killing and eating other animals. thorn: a sharp spine on a plant or animal.
threat: a warning or sign of danger.
inedible: not fit to be eaten.
distasteful: having an unpleasant taste.
venom: poisonous matter secreted by some animals (snakes, scorpions, bees) and transmitted to prey or to enemies by biting or stinging.
toxin: a poisonous material, usually a protein, produced by the metabolic processes of an organism.
poison: a substance that through its chemical action kills, injures, or impairs an organism.

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Frogs and Polliwogs
adaptations: structural or behavioral characteristics of a species that have evolved over time in response to the changing demands of the environment.
amphibians: any member of the class of cold-blooded vertebrate animals that is characterized by having eggs laid in water that hatch into gill-breathing larvae and metamorphose into lung-breathing adults; includes frogs, toads, and salamanders.
frog: tailless amphibians with smooth, moist skin, long hind legs; usually found near water, they are excellent jumpers and swimmers.
toad: tailless amphibians with rough, warty, dry skin, stouter than frogs; usually found away from water (except during breeding season); they hop more than jump.
egg: a self-contained reproductive stage capable of developing into a new individual.
tadpole: the gill-breathing larva of a frog or toad.
adult: a fully-developed individual capable of reproduction; in amphibians, the adults breathe with lungs rather than gills .
herbivore: an animal that eats plant material.
carnivore: an animal that consumes meat.
metamorphosis: a process by which an immature animal transforms into an adult through a series of developmental stages.
prey: an animal hunted for food.
gill: a breathing organ for obtaining oxygen directly from water.
frog calls: vocalizations used by frogs primarily for locating mates.
habitat: the place where an animal normally lives; must provide food, water, shelter, and opportunity for reproduction.

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Beavers
adaptations: structural or behavioral characteristics of a species that have evolved over time in response to the changing demands of the environment.
habitat: the place where an animal normally lives; must provide food, water, shelter, and opportunity for reproduction.
beaver: a large, semi-aquatic rodent with webbed hind feet and a broad, flat tail.
rodent: any member of the order of small gnawing mammals with chisel-like incisors; includes mice, squirrels, beavers, and others.
prey: an animal hunted for food.
incisors: the sharp teeth in the front of the mouth used for cutting.
valves: structures in the ears, nose, and throat of a beaver that keep water out when the animal dives.
guard hairs: long, oily hairs that extend beyond the undercoat and help repel water.
undercoat: a dense, woolly blanket of fur that keeps the beaver warm.
forage: plant material taken by animals for food by browsing or grazing.
cambium: a layer of tissue in woody plants from which new bark and new wood originate; an important food for beavers.
dam: a barrier constructed of mud and sticks by beavers to stop the flow of water in a stream.
lodge: a domed house built of mud and sticks with an underwater entrance and a dry central chamber.

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