Adaptations – Food (Structural)

Birds of prey such as owls, eagles and hawks have acute senses such as excellent vision or hearing to help them detect prey from afar and even prey that might be hiding under snow!

Arctic foxes change the colour of their fur depending on whether it is summer or winter. They sport a thick, white coat in winter to camouflage with the snow and grow short, brown and grey fur to camouflage against rocks and grass in the summer.

The stripes on the bodies of tigers help them to camouflage as they stalk prey in the tall grass. This makes it difficult for prey to spot them from afar, allowing them to get close to its prey before springing a surprise attack.

Many animals that hunt in waters have a method of camouflage known as countershading. They have light bellies to blend in with the lighter surface of the water when predators look at it from below and darker backs to blend in with the darker depths of the water when predators look at it from above.

From their tail to their claws, cheetahs have bodies built for speed! Cheetahs can only maintain their speed for a short burst of time and as such, sneaking up as close to their prey as possible is an important part of their hunting strategy.

Venomous animals such as some snakes inject their toxins into their victim’s bodies while poisonous animals, such as the poison dart frog, deliver their toxins when the victim inhales, ingests or absorbs it through the skin.

Birds have beaks of different shapes and sizes which are adapted to helping them obtain food.