Predator and Prey Adaptations - The Wildlife Center of Virginia

Transcription

Wildlife Center Classroom Series
Eat or Be Eaten: Predator and Prey Adaptations
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Good afternoon and welcome to October’s Wildlife Center Classroom Series!
Comment From BarbG
Hi Chapin ready for class
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Excellent! Everyone else ready?
Comment From Candice VaBch
Hi Chapin. I am ready.
Comment From David in VA.
Hi Chapin, Interesting subject matter for this class.
Comment From Guest
We are ready in Mrs. Donalson's class!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Welcome Mrs. Donalson's Class! Glad to have you with us!
Comment From Kathryn in MI
Ready and waiting.
Comment From Heidi
Ready in NH
Wildlife Center Classroom Series: Predator and Prey Adaptations
Page 1
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
It’s not easy living out in the great outdoors--- it’s either eat or be eaten.
Comment From CarolinaGirl
Whew! Made it!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Whether you are predator or prey, beneficial adaptations are the key to your survival.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Today we are going to talk about some of the amazing adaptations that predator and prey species
posses.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
So let’s get started!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
First and foremost, what is a predator?
an enemy that can eat you!!
Page 2
an animal looking for food
Comment From Guest
Something that eats prey.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Right! It’s an animal that kills to provide for itself or its family.
Comment From Leslee
A species that must hunt for their food.
Comment From Doris
Something higher on the food chain than you!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
We often think of predators being large carnivores (animals that only eat meat).
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Photo property of Chapin Hardy
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
But predators can also be quite small and be omnivores too (eat both plants and meat).
Page 3
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
A great example of a small predator could be a mouse. A mouse isn't going to take down another mouse
to eat, but will catch insects and eat them.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
So in this case, the mouse that likes to eat seeds can also be considered a predator of a beetle or
caterpillar.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
White-footed Mouse eating a Monarch Butterfly
Comment From Ellie
Hi! This is Ms. Patterson's third grade class. Ellie would like to know if you have any examples of
predators and prey that live a t the Wildlife Center?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Hi Ellie! We have lots of examples of predators at the Wildlife Center, and I will definitely share those in
this class!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
And prey is?
Comment From BarbG
what they eat
The weaker or slower critter
Page 4
Comment From Guest
Things eaten by other animals, consumers.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Bingo!
What gets killed and eaten
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Correct! It’s the animal that is killed and eaten. Most prey species that come first to our minds are
usually herbivores, or strictly plant eaters.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
But prey species can be carnivores and omnivores too. Can you think of a couple of examples?
Comment From Guest
preying mantis?
Birds
opossum
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
These are some great examples, but for today, I’m going to keep things simple. I am going to mainly
focus on carnivores as predators and herbivores as prey.
Comment From Guest
Do predators always have to eat their prey?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yes, predators eat prey. But they can choose when they want to eat if that is what you are asking.
Page 5
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Now that we have covered what are predators and prey, let’s move on to adaptations.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
An adaptation is a feature or a trait that has a function and helps an animal survive. Adaptations can be
organized into two different categories.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Anybody know what are the different types of adaptations?
Comment From rejoyce
Like changing color or blending in with the environment?
Comment From Ms. Pattersons Class
camouflage
Comment From BarbG
monarch butterfly eating poisonous milkweed so no one likes to eat them
Comment From Ms. Pattersons Class
shed their fur, change their color
camouflage
protection?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
These examples fall under one of the two types of adaptations.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
There are two main types of adaptations: physiological and behavioral.
Page 6
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
A physiological adaptation is a change or modification to the animal’s body, while a behavioral
adaptation is how an animal acts or behaves.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Does that make sense?
Yes!
Yes.
It does
Comment From BarbG
like owls sleeping during day and hunting at night
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
That's a great example of a behavioral adaptation BarbG!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Adaptations, however, don’t happen in the blink of an eye.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Adaptations develop over hundreds of generations of animals usually due to tiny mutations --changes in
an animal’s genetic code or DNA.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The animals that developed advantageous adaptations (adaptations that help the animal survive) lived
longer than animals without those traits.
Page 7
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Therefore, those animals were able to pass on their genes and traits to their offspring,
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
And animals lacking beneficial adaptations disappeared from the population’s gene pool.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
This process is call natural selection.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Animals use a wide variety of both behavioral and physiological adaptations to help them survive.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
You have already given some great examples like camouflage, eating toxic plants, and hunting at night.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
There are all sorts of adaptations animals use and I wish I could discuss all of them today, but I’m going
to just pick a few.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
With that being said, we will have a predator and prey adaptations part two in the future!!! Get excited!
Yay!!
WhoooHooo!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Usually when I think about the words predator and prey, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the
animal’s teeth.
Teeth can be grouped into four main categories: canines, incisors, pre-molars, and molars.
Page 8
Comment From klewisAZ
ready set go
Alrighty
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Types of teeth
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Canines and incisors are used to grab and tear food while pre-molars and molars are used for grinding
up food.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Carnivores, like the bobcat, tend to have pointed, sharp teeth that are specialized for biting, ripping, and
tearing meat.
Page 9
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Adult Bobcat
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
We treat these predators at the Center.
Aweeeeeee:)
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Omnivores will have teeth that are specialized for tearing meat, but also for chewing up plants. Black
Bears are a great example.
Page 10
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Black Bear yearling.
Comment From Ms. Pattersons class
We love bears!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
We do too!
Bears!!!
CN loves bears too!!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
White-tailed Deer and other herbivores on the other hand tend to have teeth that are designed to bite
or chomp and grind up vegetation.
Page 11
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
White-tailed Deer Fawns
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Sometimes, herbivores will have modified incisors and canines that look like they are used to kill prey,
but are actually used for protection or fighting with others. The Nile Hippopotamus is a good example.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Nile Hippo, Property of Chapin Hardy
Whoa...what a big mouth you have!!
Page 12
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
But let’s not focus on those exceptions and look closer at how teeth have changed to fit the needs of the
animal using them.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
http://winging-it.me/2012/08/09/vegetarian-omnivore-teeth-2/
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
When you look at a carnivore’s teeth, the canines really stick out. A carnivore will use these sharp teeth
to drive them into and kill their prey.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Some predator’s have teeth that are even hooked slightly backward to make it harder for captured prey
to escape.
A predator’s incisors are sharp as well and are used to bite down and cut their food.
so the hippo has canines and incisors
Page 13
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yes, they do but they are modified for protection and not for eating.
ah yes thanks
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The molars of the carnivore, if they have any, are serrated and used to shear off meat from the bone.
serrated -- like jagged edge?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yes!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Predators also have large temporalis muscles, which are muscles that help attach the jaw to the rest of
the skull and give extra power to bite down on their prey
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Crocodilians like American Alligators and Saltwater Crocodiles have some pretty impressive bite forces.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
In an experiment at Florida State University, the bite force of a 13-foot alligator was measured at 2,980
pounds and a 17-foot saltwater crocodile registered at 3700 pounds!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Just to give you an idea how strong that is, when we humans bite down as hard as we can with our
teeth, it's only about 50 pounds.
Wow!!!
Page 14
Comment From Melinda in NC
Wow!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Some predators will also have a sagittal crest or a bony ridge on their skull that gives extra anchorage to
those jaw muscles.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Coyote Skull dvbiology.org
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Those large temporalis muscles also allow predators to open their mouths extra wide. Interestingly, the
muscles don’t allow very much side to side movement.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
So I guess it should be open long instead of open wide.
Haha
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Prey species that are herbivores have slightly different teeth.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Herbivores often lack canine teeth all together because they are eating plants and don’t need sharp
teeth to kill prey.
Page 15
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Instead they have several pairs of broad molars, which are perfect for grinding up vegetation.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
To better grind up their food, herbivores often have jaws that move a significant amount from side to
side, but move very little up and down.
Comment From Melinda in NC
like a cow
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Here is a picture comparing the teeth and jaw movement of a carnivore and an herbivore.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
httpanthroanatomica.blogspot.com201310headshapes.html
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
There is often a gap with no teeth in between their molars and front teeth that allows for extra room for
manipulating chewed plant material.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
A herbivore’s incisors are often large or long making it easier to clip and tear off leaves, twigs, and
shoots. Horse teeth are a great example.
Page 16
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Sometimes an herbivore may lack top incisors, but will have a hard upper palate in its place. Take a look
at this White-tailed Deer mouth.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
I have no top front teeth!
wow and his bottom teeth don't 'hurt' the palate?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Nope! Its palate has adapted to be tough!
No top teeth because it is young?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Even adults don't have top front teeth.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
As you can see, animal teeth have changed and adapted to best fit the type of food that particular a
species eats. Here is one last picture compares a carnivore (predator) herbivore (prey) dental patterns.
Page 17
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Image courtesy of the Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
So the next predator and prey structural adaptation I’d like to cover is eye placement. Eye placement on
an animal often is a great clue to where they fit on the food chain.
Great picture. Now I can see the difference.
Deer teeth are perfectly adapted for eating my garden! lol
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
There is a cute little phrase that a number of my educator friends like to use. You may have heard it
before. “Eyes in front, likes to hunt. Eyes on the side, likes to run and hide”.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Predators typically have eyes that are forward facing and located on the front of their heads. Prey
species typically have eyes on the sides of their heads. Anyone want to guess why that may be?
So they can see the predators coming!
larger range of vision
Page 18
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Predators need to have keen eyesight to locate their prey and often have what we call stereoscopic or
binocular vision.
Forward facing eyes vision help with judging distances and can be very useful in spotting, sneaking up,
and pursuing prey.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Predator eye placement http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2083&aid=1596
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
For prey species, it’s more important to have a wide range of vision so that they can spot potential
predators and other dangers.
Eyes on the side of the head allow greater field of vision?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yep! By having their eyes on the side, their peripheral vision is much greater than if it was on the front of
their heads. A prey animal that has eyes on the sides of its head can almost see all around its body.
Page 19
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Prey eye placement http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2083&aid=1596
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Sometimes the eye placement on of animal depends on its life stage.
Comment From Jon
Does one eye left or right Predominantly look out or is the same for both?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
They use both!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Many animals that are in the infant or larval stage will have on their eyes in a more lateral position. As
they grow and develop, they eyes become more forward facing.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
A great example is a little critter that starts off in the water and then eventually moves to the land.
Guesses?
Comment From 33mama
Toad!
Page 20
Tadpole/frog?
frog
frog
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yep! Frogs and toads.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
American Bullfrog
Comment From Deb in SD
Frogs?
Comment From Dave in Missouri
Checking in a few minutes for lunch brake, awesome class Chapin! I will scroll back after work.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
In its larval stage, the tadpole is often a food source for many other animals. Thus to help increase its
survival, the eyes are located on each the side of its head.
Page 21
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Then as the tadpole goes through metamorphosis and turns into a frog, the eyes shift to a more frontal
position, which is much better suited for a frog’s role as a small predator.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Pretty cool right? I don’t know about you all, but I had never thought about eye placement in relation to
an animal’s life stage until this class.
Better to nab those bugs!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Let’s delve a little deeper into predator and prey eyes shall we?
Never even thought about it. We learn so much here.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
I mentioned that many predators have eyes located on the front of their heads to give them better
depth perception, but what about the predators that have actually have their eyes on the sides of their
heads like birds?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Hawks have fantastic vision and can judge distances very well, but their eyes are on the sides of their
heads.
Comment From 33mama
Some birds have that binocular vision, like eagles.
And eagle eyes!!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
In the eye, there are vision receptors that are spaced in different densities across the retina, which is the
part of the eye that allows you to see.
Page 22
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The areas of high spatial acuity (focus), or areas that allow the animal to determine the shape of an
object, are called foevas.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Many vertebrates( animals that have a backbone) have two foevas in their eyes.
One foeva is aimed on the area directly in front of the animal, and the other is focused at what the
animal is specifically viewing, like food sources or an approaching object.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Double fovea in hawks. people.eku.edu
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
When a hawk is hunting, one foeva is used to locate prey, and the other is used for seeing its
surroundings. The foeva that is used to locate their prey, however, is located to more to the side of the
eye.
That is so cool!!
Page 23
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
An interesting fact I came across about hawks is they will attack their prey in a spiral path rather than
moving their eyes or head.
Amazing
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
By not moving its head and eyes, it makes the hawk’s vision field appear still and therefore extra
sensitive to any movement and change in shape of their prey.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
By attacking in a spiral, it allows the hawk to keep its target in perfect view while maintaining flight
speed. So in a way, it’s like having forward facing eyes, but the added advantage of having a larger field
of vision.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Hawks and other raptors get the best of both worlds!
Comment From 33mama
Imagine seeing prey a mile away!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Here is a brief video of an African Goshawk hunting. At the end you will see that spiral hunting behavior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYGz32iv1vw
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Prey species also have some special adaptations to their eyes.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Remember prey species have a broad field of vision, but it isn't as acute. Some prey animals have
adaptations to make up for the lack of keen eyesight.
Page 24
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Prey species actually that live in open areas like fields, plains, savannas, or open water have special
visual streaks in their eyes.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
These visual streaks are areas that have more photoreceptors that allow the animal to see things more
acutely along the horizon line.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
As a result these bands are focused on the areas where predators are more likely to appear and attack.
Having these bands gives the prey animal a greater awareness of its surroundings!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
http://www.pasofinohorsedirectory.com/Forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=533
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The area where the green and the brown meet is the visual streak.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
We could continue down the rabbit hole about eyes, but let’s move on.
Page 25
Comment From BarbG
great video
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Up until this point in the class, I've discussed structural adaptations. Why don’t we turn our focus
(pardon the eye pun) to a couple of behavioral adaptations?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
One particular behavioral adaptation that is sometimes seen in predators that I always find interesting is
cooperative hunting.
Comment From 33mama
Hunting in a pack?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Exactly!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Cooperative hunting develops when the behavior increases the individual feeding efficiency and the
payoff is big enough to offset the cost of sharing with others.
Comment From MH in SC
Wolves do that
Everyone shares?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Well not sharing how we share. More like not having all the food to yourself.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
For example, cooperative hunting is often seen when there are prey species that are too difficult to
capture by just a single animal or when there is a high likelihood to make multiple kills in a single hunt.
Page 26
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Interestingly, cooperative hunting also results when there are other factors that encourage the
formation of social groups such as protection of young or maintenance of large territories.
Like Big cats
Wolves and Hyenas seem to be masters at that..
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yes!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
There are a number of species that use cooperative hunting, but some fun ones that come to mind are
the Grey Wolf, Harris’s Hawk, and African Lion.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Grey wolves are masters at working together to take down large prey like elk, moose, and bison and will
often target the old, sick, or weak members of a herd.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
During a hunt, wolves will move downwind of and get into position. Then they will move upwind,
alerting the prey of their presence, and cause the herd or individual to flee.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Next a pack member will isolate the targeted individual and direct it towards the rest of the pack. The
members of the pack will chase down their prey and will try to encircle it.
Page 27
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Credit Rebecca Raymond, Yellowstone Wolf Project
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
While most chases are short, wolves have been documented chasing their prey for more than 13 miles.
When the prey is killed, the alpha pair will eat first followed by the other members of the pack.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Hunting a full grown bison or elk would be very difficult for just one wolf, but with a pack the likelihood
of making a kill is much greater.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The Harris’s Hawk is the only social hawk species and have the earned the nickname as the wolf pack of
the sky.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
These groups of Harris’s Hawks are often relatives and will work together to provide food for the group.
When the group goes out hunting, often one individual will spot the target prey and will flush it out from
any hiding places.
Comment From Lydia, PA ♥ ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♥
Wolves are experts at setting up an ambush too. And actually the alpha assigns members of the pack to
different parts of the prey (to eat) based on their position in the pack. I think they are fascinating to
study
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Correct! Nice Lydia!
Page 28
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
But back to Harris's Hawks
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
© Stephen Pollard, TX, Leguna Seca, July 2013
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The others in the group will position themselves so that when the prey tries to evade one attacker, it
runs directly into another. Here is a short video of their incredible team work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai3eVjr0Pzg
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Warning the circle of life happens
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Lastly, African Lions also use cooperative hunting. Taking down even a sick or old Cape Buffalo can be a
formidable task.
Comment From BarbG
great spiral also
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The pride’s lionesses will first get into position with the “wings” circling around the prey. The wing
lionesses often will initiate the chase and direct their prey towards the “centers”.
Page 29
Never knew that about the Harris hawk. fascinating
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
These individuals hide and wait to ambush the prey until it is within close range. These individuals are
responsible for the actual kill.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Interestingly, while each lioness can fill the wing or the center role, individuals that are larger and
stockier in build will occupy the center positions, while smaller lionesses will be the wings.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
It has also been observed that lionesses will prefer certain positions more than others, and when in their
preferred position, are more successful.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gusso_vtx1800_jp/8379694995/
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
While predators can be smart and somewhat sneaky when it comes to hunting their prey, prey species
have their own set of tricks.
Behavioral would be like "playing possum."
Page 30
Comment From Cathy in Poquoson
Like the hog nose snake that plays dead?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
YES!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Some animals like the like the Virginia Opossum and the Hognose Snake will fake out their predators.
Both these species will play dead, and it’s pretty convincing!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Virginia Opossum
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Hognose Snake
Page 31
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Let’s first take a look at the Virginia Opossum. While we often think of the Virginia Opossum as prey for
other animals, they can be also predators. But we are going to focus on how an opossum evades
predation through the “playing possum” adaptation.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
An opossum isn't going to immediately play dead when it’s faced with danger. It will first try to
intimidate its predator. It will open its mouth wide, showing all fifty of their teeth, and growl. Baby
opossums will even gape with their mouths open before they have teeth.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
I'm a scary baby Opossum!
Comment From 33mama
Fierce!
LOL! Good job baby!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
In addition, they will produce extra saliva and drool to the point where it bubbles out of its nostrils. This
trick is used to try to convince the predator that the opossum is sick and not a good meal.
Page 32
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Growling, drooling, and showing teeth is usually enough to fend off predators, but if that doesn't work,
then fear takes hold.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
If you remember from Amanda’s class “Wildlife Myths: The Truth behind the Tails”, it is a common
misconception that opossums decide to play dead. Here is the link to the previous Wildlife Center
Classroom Series in case you want to look back.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
http://wildlifecenter.org/sites/default/files/PDFs/july%209_14%20myths.pdf
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The adaptation of “playing possum” is actually an involuntary reflex—it just happens. It’s similar in the
way that when we are frightened, we might faint.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
When the play dead reflex is triggered, the opossum will lie on its side with its mouth open. Their heart
rate as well as their breathing will slow down to where it is almost undetectable.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The reflex will also trigger the release of a fluid that makes the opossum smell like its rotting. I have
never smelled it, but I've heard it’s a VERY unpleasant smell.
Page 33
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Opossum playing dead
http://opossumsocietyus.org/general-opossum-information/opossum-defense-mechanisms/
In this particular situation though isn't "dead" what the predator wants?
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Correct, but it wants to be the one that kills the animal.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The combination of lying motionless and stinky smell will often dissuade the attacker since many
predators need to be stimulated by live prey to attack and kill. By playing dead, it is no longer giving the
stimulus and the opossum appears to be a meal that is not worth eating.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The predator has to have the prey fight back or struggle.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Here is a brief video from an older documentary, but it shows how well this adaptation works! Warning
the opossum does get attacked, but everything turns out ok!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNNCBCqdHQs
Page 34
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Ta-da!
Must smell Pretty bad
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Now that we have seen the how the animal that coined the saying “playing possum” plays possum, how
about we move on to the much loved Hognose Snake?
Unbelievable
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The Hognose Snake is a favorite of the outreach team here at the Center. These little snakes are
completely harmless and have some pretty endearing characteristics and behaviors.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
The Hognose Snake gets its name from its upturned “nose”. This somewhat odd shape to its head is
excellent for unearthing its very specific prey-- frogs and toads.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
While the Hognose Snake is a pretty docile snake, its species is well known for their “hissy fits”. When a
Hognose Snake is threatened, it will first hiss and flatten out its head. Then if that doesn't work, they will
flatten it out even more and may possibly strike.
Hognosed snake Hissy fits
Page 35
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
I am flattening my head and am very angry!
http://westernmassnaturalist.org/the-snake-pages/patterned-snakes/eastern-hog-nosed-snake.html
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Lastly, they quite dramatically play dead. They will role on to their backs, open their mouths, and even
stick out their tongue. If you try to flip them back over, they immediately flip back onto their backs.
Hognose Snakes, like the Virginia Opossum, will also emit a musk that smells like a dead rotting animal.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Hognose Snake playing dead www.zoo4you.co.uk
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Forgive the anthropomorphism, but it seems like they are saying “No, I really am dead! See! I’m on my
back and only dead snakes will be on their backs”.
Page 36
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Amanda Nicholson, WCV:
BEST SNAKE EVER!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
This behavioral adaptation of playing dead isn’t completely involuntary like it is in the opossum. It’s
more of cross between voluntary and involuntary. These snakes don’t necessarily decide to death feign,
but must have a situation that triggers the behavior.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
They can, however, stop the behavior once they are sure that the coast is clear. Interestingly, these
snakes can be quickly conditioned to not do this behavior in captivity once they are accustomed to being
around and handled by people.
Pardon me, I meant BEST SNAKE EVER!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Yes much better!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Want to see this Oscar worthy performance?
Page 37
Yes please..
Comment From Christa
Yes!
yes
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Orry Martin, the Texas Snake Hunter, has done a number of YouTube videos that dispel many snake
myths and focus on educating the public on how awesome these reptiles really are. Plus, he is really
funny and entertaining!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuZtKVM6koo&list=TLc-I6k_KaxGbj9Gsqvik669nuCVnhJv11
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Well folks, that about wraps it up for predator and prey adaptations part one! We have only just
scratched the surface of the many adaptations animals posses that help them be successful out in the
wild.
Orry!
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
Animals have specialized teeth that allow them to eat their food and eyes that designed to spot prey or
a potential predator.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
They also do some amazing behaviors like working together to capture their prey or fake their deaths to
avoid death itself.
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
So next time you are watching animal, think about how all their adaptations have allowed them to
survive—it makes it even more fascinating! I hope you learned something new about wildlife and stay
tuned for part two at a later date!
Page 38
Comment From BarbG
Awesome class thanks so much
Thank you Chapin... Wonderful class
Thank you Chapin. Loved this class.
Comment From Michelle
Great class! Thanks!
Great job Chapin! I have to read back tonight to catch the parts I missed (work gets in the way)
Chapin Hardy, WCV:
It was a long class so I completely understand :)
Comment From 33mama
Thanks Chapin!
Great class Chapin.....learned a lot again...
Thank you for the wonderful class, Chapin.
Page 39

Predator and Prey Adaptations - The Wildlife Center of Virginia

Transcription

Similar documents

institue of music welcomes new assistant director porché hardy

Hardy Brown College Prep`s Parent Newsletter Week 7

PDF

May 2013-June 2013

Bracken`s Brown Beauty Magnolia

The behavioral ecology of amblypygids

PDF - Nick de Semlyen

Colours as Represented in Tess of the D`Urbervilles (1)

February/March 2014 - Hardy`s Health Stores