From frozen ice caps to sweltering deserts, from the deepest
oceans to far into the sky and everywhere in between – animals
have amazing ways of moving around, eating, having babies, fighting
and protecting themselves. Explore the Animal World, and find out
how each animal’s body is adapted to its own unique way of
life.
Above: Animals in motion in the Animal
World gallery.
Click on any of the animals below to see a larger picture and
find out more.
Moving around
Cheetahs chase gazelles through the long grass. Crabs scuttle
sideways across the sand. Moles burrow underground. Some animals
climb trees and others move along the sea bed. Animals move around
to find food and water, get away from danger or to find a mate. For
some, speed is crucial, while for others strength or agility is
key.
Animals that live in water have many different ways of moving
around, not just swimming. While some power themselves along at
tremendous speed, others can simply drift effortlessly with the
currents. Some can even walk on water!
Moving through the air, or even getting off the ground, seems
impossibly difficult to us. But flying and gliding animals have
specially adapted bodies that make it look easy. To move through
the air, they need to be as light as possible, with large surface
areas to allow them to get airborne. Streamlined bodies and
specialised body parts propel them through the air.
Survival
Where do babies come from? The answer depends on what kind of
animal you are. It usually begins with a male and a female – but
not always. Female Indian stick insects can do it all by
themselves!
After that, things vary enormously – from how offspring are made
to where they grow, and whether or not they are looked after once
they are born. What all animals have in common is the need to make
babies. Without them, a species cannot survive.
Just as vital for survival is protection. A spiky body, a hard
shell, a venomous sting, pointed tusks - animals have many ways of
shielding themselves from predators or attacking other animals.
Even those with effective weapons have other ways of scaring off
attackers. Rattlesnakes shake their tail rattles to warn off
potential predators, and the brightly-coloured skin, feathers or
wings of venomous and poisonous animals send warning signals to
enemies.
Feeding time
Juicy worms, fresh leaves, a taste of blood or freshly-caught
fish. Every animal’s body is adapted to finding, catching, eating
and digesting the particular kinds of food that make up its
diet.
Above: Lion family.
Plant-eating mammals need broad teeth for grinding and special
stomachs to help them digest their food. Animals that only eat
meat, such as the lions above, often have sharp pointed teeth
to slice through flesh.
All animals need the energy and nutrients food provides. But
some animals spend most of their lives finding, eating and
digesting food. Why do you think koalas sleep most of the time?