adaptation (biology)

An introduction to biological adapatations, covering where they are found, different types, how they are studied, and more.

Looks at animal behavior and how it has helped them survive.

Presents examples of reptiles adaptations.

"Can you smell with your feet? Do you dig your claws into a river's muddy bank to climb up and bask in the sun? Animals' legs are different from humans' in so many ways! Find out why strong talons suit a raptor, or webbing is perfect for water dwellers [and] ... explore the ways insects, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals move and explore their world."--Provided by publisher.

Explains how animals adapt over many years and looks at the ways in which various animals have changed to survive in different environments.

Provides information about animal science including genetics, behavior, and conservation. Ideas for science experiments included.

Describes animals that use unscrupulous behavior such as bullying, burglary, rioting, and fraud simply to survive. "Crooked critters" profiled include trespassing tapeworms, disguised insects, megaphone monkeys, brood-burrowing cuckoos, and more.

"It takes two to tango--but in the wild, two can do much crazier things than dance... find out about nature's strangest dating rituals, cooperative couples, and parasite pests. You'll explore symbiotic pairings like the plover bird, affectionately nicknamed the 'crocodile dentist,' and hybrid 'franken-species' that seem like something out of a science fiction tale. Whether it's nature's slimiest organizations or the weirdest mutations... celebrates survival of the fittest, grossest, craziest, and creepiest things in nature, proving once and for all that life in the wild is anything but ordinary."--.

"Life isn't always easy, but some organisms take hard living to the extreme... looks at organisms living in the weirdest of ways: swimming miles deep in the ocean, freezing on icy mountaintops, boiling in hot springs, or even floating in space. You'll also find critters bigger, smaller, softer, longer, and stretchier than you ever thought possible. Whether it's nature's slimiest organizations or the weirdest mutations... celebrates survival of the fittest, grossest, craziest, and creepiest things in nature, proving once and for all that life in the wild is anything but ordinary."--.

Explores the concept of convergent evolution, where animals that are biologically unrelated to each other develop similar or identical features and capabilities, such as tusks in walruses and elephants, shells in snails and tortoises, or wings on birds and bats.