Understand how an Animals Body Structure and Systems are Adapted to its Environment

Understand how an Animals Body Structure and Systems are Adapted to its Environment

One animal that is specially adapted to its environment is the Chinese Alligator. When an animal is adapted it means that it has features which enable the animal to survive and thrive in its environment. The Chinese Alligator is widely distributed throughout China, mainly along the Yangtze River and some of its tributaries. They can be found in rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, swamps and marshes. Chinese Alligator habitat is in the subtropics which have a mixture of weather featuring strong winds and humidity, thunderstorms and heavy rain. The average temperatures are 30 degrees Celsius in the summer months and 10 degrees Celsius in the winter.

As you can see from the diagrams above Alligator’s skeletons have many adaptations to help them to survive in their environment. As you can see they have four limbs which are very short and stocky and this is because they spend most of their time in water so therefore they don’t need to be able to run to catch prey or be able to move fast on land although they have adapted to be able to stretch their legs and lift their bodies right off of the group so that they can run at a fast speed for a very small distance so that they can escape danger and the main reason is so that they can protect their eggs from predators because they actually nest on land. They also have an extremely long coccygeal vertebrae/tail, this is extremely powerful and is adapted to their environment because it makes them incredible swimmers and helps them to catch prey because it gives them lots of power to burst out from under the water. It also makes them very fast. It also is used for protection because they can swing it around and it is very powerful so it can help them to protect their nests from other lizards and also helps them to communicate with other Alligators and to assert their dominance. It is also very powerful and muscular to help Alligators because they use it to help them dig out their burrows and also to gather emergency water reserves for their burrows. They have a very distinctive and strong skull, this an adaptation to their environment because this is their main weapon when hunting and it has to be strong not only to help them hunt but so that they can communicate and it is used in one of the main methods of Alligator fighting which is where they smash their heads together, they will fight like this to assert their dominance and also to compete for mating etc. It is also adapted to hunting because Chinese Alligators skulls are adapted to hunting because they contain lots of power which helps them to catch and hold onto their prey even in difficult conditions such as under water. Another adaptation to their limbs is that although they spend most of their time in water and are amazing swimmers, they actually don’t have webbed feet; this is because they actually dig burrows in water banks which I will go on to talk about in more detail later on. This is seen more clearly in the front feet than the back because they front feet are more commonly used for digging these burrows. This is seen in the image above. One more adaptation is actually the size of the animal; the Chinese Alligator is the smallest species of Alligator growing to about 5ft on average, now this is an adaptation to its environment because the main types of prey that the hunt are fish and small mammals so therefore there is no need for them to be large in size and also it would make it more difficult for them to hunt because it would make it a lot more difficult to ambush their prey because there would be a lot more to try and hide and so therefore they made stand out more and it would make it more difficult for them to hunt.

Next I am going to talk about how the Chinese Alligators sensory systems have adapted to their environment. Their eyes, as with all crocodilian species have adapted to being able to see underwater, they have done this because they have an extra eyelid which is called the nictitating membrane. It is semi-transparent and covers the eyes when the Alligator is submerging underwater, however their eyes have never adapted to actually being able to focus underwater because they do not actually need to be able to thanks to their other senses. Alligators eyes are also placed on the sides of their head which is an adaptation so that they have excellent peripheral vision (the only place they can’t see is right behind them) and this is good because in their environment they need to be able to see around to be able to protect themselves and especially their young from predators and it also makes it much easier for them to spot and catch prey. Another adaptation to the Alligator is that their eyes and nostrils are located on the tops of their heads so therefore this allows them to fully submerge their entire body underwater which helps them to camouflage while they are hunting for prey. This is seen in the picture to the left. Alligators have also adapted to have special flaps of skin which closes of their ears and nostrils whenever they go under water in order for them to remain water tight. They also have a special flap called the Palatal Valve which closes off the back of the throat to stop water from getting into the throat, stomach and lungs so therefore this shows how they really are specially adapted to living in water because it helps to allow them to stay under water for long periods of time. A normal dive can last 10-20 minutes but a alligator can stay under water for up to two hours if at rest and if it is cold water then they can stay fully submerged for up to 8 hours!  This is shown in the picture on the left and you can see the palatal valve shutting off the entire throat allowing them to remain water tight and submerge underwater for such long periods of time. Alligators eyes have also adapted to hunting in dark conditions because not only can it be dark under the water but also for them to have become such amazing predators they hunt not only in the day but also at night so they have eyes similar to a cats in that they reflect light which enables them to see in the dark. Alligators also have very good hearing and they have a small muscle in the middle ear which is called the stapedius which geckos also have and this helps them to suppress strong vibrations so that their ears are less likely to become damaged from loud noises such as animals yelping. Chinese Alligators upper and lower jaws are also covered with sensory pits known as Dermal Pressure Receptors which respond to the slightest disturbances in the surface water, detecting vibrations and small pressure changes in the water, making it possible to detect prey, danger and intruders even in complete darkness.

‘Alligators are ectotherms, instead of staying warm by having a high metabolic rate, as mammals and birds do, they regulate body temperature primarily by behavioural means.’ (Thorbjarnarson and Wang , JT and XW, 2010. The Chinese Alligator: Ecology, Behavior, Conservation, and Culture. 1st ed. Unknown: Unknown.) There are many ways in which Chinese Alligators have adapted to be able to thermoregulate in the conditions in which they live and there are many techniques which they use including avoiding temperature extremes, moving around to and from sources of heat and opening or shutting their mouths in order to lose of hold in heat (if their mouth is open then they are trying to lose heat). The main way in which Alligators have adapted to be able to thermoregulate in their environment is by building burrows. Alligators live in environments with changing weather conditions which is unlike most other crocodilians which live in places where the weather remains relatively hot all year round. So therefore by building burrows this means that Chinese Alligators are able to hibernate for 6-7 months of the year which would be the winter months, if they were not able to do this then they would die out because they get all of their energy from heat so if they aren’t warm enough then they would become unable to hunt and so would starve. The burrowing systems also come in handy when it is too hot because it not only means that the Alligators can escape the sun and cool off but it also means that because of the clever way they construct these burrows that if the river/ area of water they were living in was to dry up then it is likely that water would remain in their burrow so they could live in there until the rainy season came. (Alligators can go for up to a month without eating so they wouldn’t starve.)

The next area of adaptation that I am going to talk about in a Chinese Alligator is how their skin has adapted to their environment and this can be linked back to how Alligators have adapted to be able to thermoregulate in their environment too. Alligator’s skin has adapted in many ways but the main way it has adapted is that it is made up of very tough scales which are used for protection against other animals, other alligators and the harsh environment. These scales shed individually which means that they have a minimal effect on the alligators live and do not interfere with things such as hunting and appetite unlike with other reptiles. The fact that they shed also helps to keep them strong and in good condition and helps to heal any wounds quicker in order to stop infection. On the head of and Alligator the skin is actually fused to the bones of the skull which is because the head is the area that takes the most damage on a crocodile because thrashing prey can easy damage the head and also when alligators fight they tend to smash their heads together and snap at each other’s faces so this helps to make the skin a lot stronger and to protect them. The way that the adaptations of the skin link back to thermoregulation is that Alligators have blood-rich bumpy scales all along their backs which act as little solar panels so therefore if a Alligator is feeling to cold it will go up onto the bank and lay in the sun and the heat will be absorbed through all of these panels and then once they get too hot they will go back into the water and this will cool them down because it will stop the heat absorbing scales from absorbing any extra warmth. The only exception to this is that sometimes when Chinese Alligators have a really hot summer the body of water that they are living in may actually become hotter than laying in the sun would be so therefore this is when they would use their burrows to cool down because it keeps them out of the sun so their isn’t as much heat for the scales to absorb on their backs. Another adaptation of the skin can be linked back to the skeletal system of an Alligator and it is that just under the scales all over an Alligators body are tiny plates of bone called Osteoderms which provide the Alligators which an extra form of protection and acts like an armour. These are what form the small bumps all over their skin. They need this armour because they live in a very harsh environment and share it with other alligators and this means that they will fight and due to the strength of alligators they need to have an incredibly strong skin so that it is hard to penetrate otherwise they would not be able to survive. It also protects them when they are catching prey because when they catch their prey the prey tend to thrash around and many of their prey species will have sharp claws, teeth, hooves and so they need to have some form of protection against this and Osteoderms are the main reason they have been able to survive such a long time and why they are such an amazing, specially adapted creature which has been around for about 180 million years. The picture on the right shows a close up of Osteoderms.

So overall you can see that there are many ways in which Alligators are specially adapted to their environment and without these adaptations it is highly unlikely that they would have survived this long. These adaptations could be seen as the reasons why Alligators have been around as long as they have and survived through so much.

Understanding Animal Communication Systems

Understanding Animal Communication Systems

In this report I am going to be talking about what bonding and imprinting is and comparing them and explaining how they aid survival. I am also going to be talking about how effective communication of animals of the same species can reduce conflict between them. Animals communicate in many different ways just like people and it is probably one of our main survival tools because it enables us to work in teams, just as it does with animals.

How communication signals can reduce fighting between conspecifics –

Communication signals are a massive aid in helping to reduce fighting between animals of the same species and it helps and is shown in many different ways. Communication allows animals to express themselves and what they are feeling. The first example of how communication signals help to reduce fighting is involving territorial animals; many animals are territorial and they communicate this through territorial calls and through scent by urinating near the edges of their territory. This lets other animals in the area know the boundaries and so they won’t cross them unless they are looking to take over the territory or they are desperate. Without this form of communication animals (especially the males) would constantly be wondering into each other territories without knowing whether it is claimed or not and there would be so many more fights and conflicts.

Another way in which communication between animals can help them to avoid conflict is during the mating season between males; when fighting over the right to mate with a female many of these ‘fights’ are settled before they have even begun due to reasons such as the size of the animals, the colours of them, or the sounds they make. An example of this is male fiddler crabs, when fighting over the right to mate they wave their enlarged claw at the other crabs and if the claw is bigger than the opponents then they will usually walk away and accept defeat without breaking out into a fight.

Communication also helps animals to avoid conflict when they are living in packs because it allows them to establish a hierarchy so they can also get along and live together without any conflict. Animals such as lions establish their hierarchy based upon survival, the dominant male is normally the strongest one that will pass on the best genes to the cubs and that will be able to protect the whole pride and the female is usually the best hunter. Once they have established everyone’s part in the pride this stops all fighting among them because they have already established everything from who mates with the females to who eats what part of a carcass.

So as you can see there are many different ways in which communication can avoid contact between animals and I have only named a few. If animals couldn’t communicate then the world would be a very different, much harsher place and it would be much harder for animals to survive because they would all be out for themselves and there would be so much more conflict.

Mechanisms of bonding and imprinting –

A bond is a mutual emotional and psychological connection/ closeness between two animals. Imprinting is the tendency of a young or newborn animal to follow the first moving thing it sees, whether it is its mother or not, commonly it is not even the same species of the young animal.

Similarities between bonding and imprinting are that they are both a connection between animals and the bonding process actually starts with imprinting. Another similarity is that in the wild bonding in more likely to occur between animals of the same species and imprinting is more likely to happen between the baby and its actually mother whereas in captivity animals are more likely to bond with animals of different species and imprinting is more likely to happen between and baby and an animal/person who is not its actually mother.  The main similarity is that bonding and imprinting both aid survivals of animals.

There are many differences between bonding and imprinting, one of which is bonding can be between any two animals whereas imprinting is specifically between a young animal and a mother figure. Another difference is that bonding has many different purposes such as mating, learning and increasing their chance of hunting down prey whereas the purpose of imprinting is solely to ensure that they young are safe and have the best chance of survival. Another difference is that ‘imprinting is something that happens in a newborn animal that influences future development for the animal whereas bonding is something that happens in the parent animal, an emotional connection that influences the relationship with the child that will eventually emerge.’ - Bonding vs Imprinting. 2012. Bonding vs Imprinting. [ONLINE] Available at:http://departments.weber.edu/chfam/1500/bonding.htm.

Imprinting aids survival because it helps to ensure a young, vulnerable animals safety. It does this because in the wild, a newborn animal almost always imprints on its biological mum and it keeps them close to their mother so reduces the chances of predation. It also helps to aid survival because it means that they newborn’s won’t be as vulnerable straight after hatching. Imprinting also aids survival because it means that they will trust their mother as soon as they are born so it makes the mothers job as bringing them up a lot easier and gives them a better chance of survival.  Imprinting also aids survival because it allows the newborn to learn from its mother how to survive in such a harsh environment and it also benefits from being offered food by its mum and eventually learning how to hunt from its mother; without this the chances of offspring surviving would decrease drastically. Also by imprinting on their mum that means that there will be a lot of them sticking together (the mum and all of the hatchlings depending on specific species) and there is always ‘safety in numbers’!

The way bonding aids survival is very similar to the way imprinting supports it; sexual bonding helps to aid survival because it means that an animal is able to recognise another animal of the same species that is the opposite sex through various ways such as scent and then mate with them and produce offspring which helps to ensure their species survival. Another way in which it aids survival is if animals didn’t bond then they wouldn’t be able to form prides, packs or herds and this is a big key to survival because being in a pack increases the chances of surviving dramatically in the wild because it means higher chances of hunting down food, chances of reproducing and chances of being protected. Another way in which bonding helps survival is that bonding allows animals to learn vital skills for survival off of each other because they are spending time with other animals so they are following what the others do (following their lead).

Overall, as you can see animals have many different communication systems and they all support the survival of every species. Without communication no species, including ourselves would ever be able to survive. Communication in animals is a very in depth subject and this is only touching the surface, there is a lot more to discover about how animals communicate and why they do it.

Big Cat Week Day 5

The final programme of Big Cat Week featured some of the fastest Americans, racing some of the fasted Cheetahs in the world with some surprising results, really worth watching! Big Cat Week as a whole has been the best one yet and I intend in watching all of the programmes again! If you missed any you really should check them out! I can't wait till the next Big Cat Week!!

Big Cat Week Day 4

Super Cat; what a brilliant idea for a programme! Designing a super cat, that has all of the best abilities from many different cat species. I personally learnt so much from this programme about different cats amazing abilities, and the use of computer generated images was awesome! This programme was the best of big cat week I think because it is just so different! Everyone who is interested in cats needs to watch it! And the end message leaves you all thinking and creates a whole different purpose for the entire programme!

Big Cat Week Day 3

The Lion Whisperer was once again, a programme out to hit hard and get its message across. About a man who has an amazingly unique bond with lions, he puts his critiques to shame by highlighting the real problems when it comes to Lions in captivity and shows that he is far from one of them. This programme, had dramatic scenes and pictures of Lions been brutally murdered by trophy hunters, and went undercover into Lion breeding farms in South Africa which feed the trade of trophy hunters and uses the tourist industry of it way to make money through countless lies and deceit. The one part of the programme that stood out to me though was how even after being shot the Lions never tried to run away or acting in fear of people, they would continue fighting, even though they faced death. We as humans should learn from this, and start protecting these amazing creatures before it is too late. They never give up, so why are we giving up on them?

Big Cat Week Day 2

Day two of Big Cat Week started off with Wolf vs Cougar, the footage and evidence they found which illustrated how close in proximity that these two species live was amazing! The presenter knows exactly what he is talking about and the programme teaches you so much, it is something very unexpected,these two animals live on top of each other in the Mountains of America and although footage has never been captured of these animals fighting there has been clear evidence found that a lot of conflict does take place including bodies of both cougars and wolves which have been killed by the opposing animal. The cause for this conflict is food, but the programme also highlights how the two species are learning from each other and adapting the others techniques for hunting and survival. This man set out to capture footage of conflict between wolves and cougars, but did he manage it? You'll have to watch it and see! 

BIG CAT WEEK IS BACK!

So, Big Cat Week is back, starting yesterday at 8pm, I was a little sceptical at the beginning, it seemed like any other Lion documentary. However as it went on it became an amazingly told story of a pride of lions, one female fighting to save her three cubs from the harsh fate of the wilderness and another side of the story from the young males point of view trying to survive on their own and then eventually take over a pride of their own. However the last 30 seconds of this hour long programme was very hard-hitting and  made the whole programme so relevant and true. I won't give away what happens but I think you should all watch the episodes from last night, one of the best animal programmes I have seen and hopefully it will bring it home to lots of people why we need to protect the animals on this planet. I will be posting reviews every day this week so watch along with me and share your opinions!