Adaptation

A special feature or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment.

What is it?

An adaptation is something about an animal or plant that helps it live in its home. The Gray Tree Monitor has an adaptation: young ones eat snails and crabs, but adults switch to eating fruit. This diet change helps them find food at different life stages. Other examples include the Nile Lechwe's long, thin hooves for walking in mud and oily fur to stay dry. The banteng has adaptations: calves are born with red fur that helps them hide in the forest, and adults have white leg stripes that may help them recognize each other. They also have a keen sense of smell to find food and detect predators. The Somali wild ass has adaptations for living in dry deserts and grasslands: it can go without water for a long time, and its long ears help it hear predators from far away. The Addax has adaptations for living in the Sahara Desert: its fur changes color with the seasons—white in summer to reflect heat, gray-brown in winter to absorb warmth. The Mayan Cichlid has adaptations: it builds a bowl-shaped nest in mud and both parents guard the eggs and fry for about a month, which helps more babies survive.

Why it matters

Adaptations help animals survive and thrive in their environments. Studying adaptations helps us understand how evolution works and how species are connected to their habitats.

Where you've seen it

This list grows as you capture more exhibits about adaptations.

适应

帮助生物在其环境中生存的特殊特征或行为。

这是什么？

适应是动物或植物的某种特征，帮助它在自己的家园中生活。灰树巨蜥有一种适应：幼体吃蜗牛和螃蟹，但成体改吃水果。这种饮食变化帮助它们在不同生命阶段找到食物。其他例子包括尼罗河苇羚的长而细的蹄子用于在泥中行走，以及油性皮毛保持干燥。白臀野牛有适应：小牛出生时有红色皮毛帮助它们在森林中隐藏，成体有白色腿纹可能帮助它们相互识别。它们还有敏锐的嗅觉来寻找食物和探测捕食者。索马里野驴有适应生活在干燥沙漠和草原：它可以长时间不喝水，长耳朵帮助它从远处听到捕食者。旋角羚有适应生活在撒哈拉沙漠：它的皮毛随季节变色——夏天白色反射热量，冬天灰褐色吸收热量。玛雅丽鱼有适应：它在泥中筑碗状巢穴，父母双方守护鱼卵和鱼苗约一个月，这帮助更多幼鱼存活。