Classwork: After we watch the video together and you play the desert adaptation game, you can start your project:

Create your own imaginary organism

• with a behavioral, structural, and physiological adaptation suited to it's

• imaginary ecosystem and

• explain why the adaptation will help the animal survive in its environment!

Animals can change or adapt to their environments to give them an advantage for survival, There are three main types of adaptation, physiological, structural and behavioral.

A physiological adaptation occurs when an animal's internal organs go through changes to help it to survive. Hibernation is a good example. Many animals sleep , or slow down during the winter when food is scarce.

A structural adaptation occurs on the outside of an animal's body. A good example is camouflage. Many animals can change color to blend in with their surroundings, such as a chameleon.

Finally, a behavioral adaptation refers to how animals behave to survive. When birds migrate to a new area to find food during colder months, they are expressing a behavioral adaptation

Look for examples of symbiosis in this video.

Commensalism is where one organism benefits from a relationship with another but the other receives no benefit nor is it harmed.

Mutualism occurs when both organisms benefit from the relationship.

Parasitism is when one organism benefits but the other is harmed. Don't confuse this with normal producer/consumer or predator/prey relationships.

Scavengers, detritivores, and decomposers (saprophytes), what's the difference?

A scavenger refers to an animal that that eats dead plants and animals. They break down the matter they eat into smaller particles. Vultures and hyenas are a good example of scavengers.

A detritivore is an animal that eats decaying plant or animal matter and digests it, making even smaller particles. Earthworms are good examples.

Decomposers (saprophytes) are microscopic bacteria and fungi that absorb the nutrients from decaying matter, rather than eating it.