Aquatic Habitat and Special Adaptations

• The duck is an aquatic bird adapted to live on the surface of water or land near water bodies.
• It feeds on pondweed, snails and insects.
• It is adapted to fly, dive and paddle.
• Its webbed feet make it a great swimmer.

• Fishes have a streamlined body for swimming easily in water.
• They use their gill for breathing.
• The tail helps them navigate through water in the right directions, whereas the fins help in locomotion.
• The scales on a fish’s body helps prevent loss of moisture.

• Whales and dolphins are aquatic mammals.
• They are adapted to live inside water.
• Their body is streamlined, which enables them to swim swiftly.
• Unlike fishes, they use their lungs for breathing. They come up to the surface of the water to fill their lungs with oxygen and dive back.

• They have blowholes on their heads which are used for gaseous exchange.
• There is a remarkable difference between the temperatures inside and on the surface of the water. To manage this varying temperature, whales and dolphins have a thick layer of blubber that enables them to regulate their body temperature.
• Blubber also helps these huge animals stay afloat by providing buoyancy.

• Frogs are amphibians.
• During their life cycle, they have a larval stage called tadpole.
• Tadpoles are aquatic. They do not survive outside water.
• Frogs use both lungs and skin for breathing.
• Lungs are useful when they are outside water, and the skin is used when inside water.
• Apart from these adaptations, their body is also adapted for swimming.
• Their hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs.
• They have webbed feet which act as a paddle while swimming.

• It has a protective shell on its body.
• They have spiny skin that allows them to ward off predators.
• A starfish has the unique ability to regenerate lost body parts, and it helps them survive among the marine predators.

• They have highly developed eye sights.
• They change the colours of their skin using chromatophores.
• They eject an ink-like substance as a defence mechanism against predators.

Cursorial Animals:

• Animals that are specifically adapted to run are called cursorial animals.
• These animals are adapted to long-distance running.
• Their streamlined body helps in fast movement.
• They have strong forelimbs and hindlimbs.

Examples : Horse, wolf, leopard.

• Animals adapted to live underground, either in burrows or in tunnels, are called fossorial animals.
• They have small bodies with a snout.
• Some animals have forelimbs that are short and accompanied by sharp claws.
• Their eyes and ears are small.

Examples : Ant, mole, earthworm, shrew.

• Animals that are active during the day are called diurnal animals.

Examples : Dog, elephant, butterfly, squirrel.

• Animals that are active only during the night are called nocturnal animals.

Examples : Bat, owl, cockroach.

Pufferfish is also called blowfish. It ingests water and air very quickly to attain a larger size. It allows them to evade predators.Dolphins have adapted themselves to the presence of humans. Irrawaddy Dolphins help the fishermen catch fish, and in return, the fishermen reward them with some fish from their hunt.Wood frogs freeze their blood while hibernating.

Birds perform mating dances. For example, a male peacock dance to attract the female peacock for reproduction.An adult tortoise can survive without water for a year. They store water in their oversized bladders.Jellyfishes do not have a brain or a heart.