How Animals Survive in the Wild
Discover how animals find food, avoid danger, and survive difficult conditions—from cold winters to dry deserts.
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Questions with solutions-
1. Escolha a resposta correta.
What survival strategy is the insect using?
A stick insect looks like a small branch, making it difficult for birds to notice.
- Camouflage
- Migration
- Hibernation
Think about how the insect's appearance matches its surroundings.
Show solution
- Camouflage
Camouflage can involve shape as well as color. Some insects look like leaves instead of branches.
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2. Escolha a resposta correta.
How does pulling its head and legs inside help the turtle?
When danger is near, a box turtle pulls its head and legs inside its hard shell.
- It gives the turtle extra running speed.
- It puts a hard surface between the turtle and its attacker.
- It makes the turtle's bite stronger.
Show solution
- It puts a hard surface between the turtle and its attacker.
A turtle's shell is part of its skeleton, not a separate home it can leave.
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3. Preencha a lacuna.
How do many swallows respond to winter?
When insects become scarce in fall, many swallows ___ instead of staying for the winter.
- hibernate
- build nests
- migrate
Their food supply improves when they travel to another region.
Show solution
When insects become scarce in fall, many swallows migrate instead of staying for the winter.
Migration is a seasonal journey. For many birds, finding food is an important reason to travel.
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4. Escolha a resposta correta.
What is the main benefit of these changes?
During winter hibernation, a hedgehog's body temperature falls and its heartbeat slows.
- It uses less energy when food is difficult to find.
- It can search for food more quickly.
- It produces more heat than when it is active.
Keeping the body active requires fuel.
Show solution
- It uses less energy when food is difficult to find.
Hibernation is more than ordinary sleep: the body's activity slows greatly.
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5. Preencha a lacuna.
Standing in a group also blocks some of the cold wind.
In freezing weather, emperor penguins stand close together to ___.
- store extra food
- share body heat
- dry their feathers
Show solution
In freezing weather, emperor penguins stand close together to share body heat.
Penguins change positions within the group, so birds on the cold outside can move toward the warmer center.
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6. Escolha a resposta correta.
What does the hump mainly provide?
A camel's hump contains fat. Its body can use this fat when food is hard to find.
- A container filled with drinking water
- A surface that collects sunlight for warmth
- A stored supply of energy
Think about what the body gets from using fat.
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- A stored supply of energy
A camel's hump can become smaller as its body uses the stored fat.
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7. Escolha a resposta correta.
Which desert problem does this ability help solve?
A desert kangaroo rat can get much of the water it needs as its body breaks down the seeds it eats.
- There is very little water available to drink.
- There are few places to hide from predators.
- The ground becomes cold at night.
Show solution
- There is very little water available to drink.
Kangaroo rats also produce very concentrated urine, which helps them lose less water.
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8. Escolha a resposta correta.
How do these feather edges help the owl hunt?
The soft edges of many owls' wing feathers reduce the sound made during flight.
- They help the owl smell prey from farther away.
- They help the owl approach prey with less noise.
- They help the owl hold prey more tightly.
A mouse may hear danger before it sees it.
Show solution
- They help the owl approach prey with less noise.
Quiet flight also makes it easier for an owl to hear small animals moving below.
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9. Preencha a lacuna.
Giant anteaters have no teeth.
A long, sticky tongue helps a giant anteater ___ ants from inside narrow nests.
- chew
- crush
- collect
The insects stick to the tongue.
Show solution
A long, sticky tongue helps a giant anteater collect ants from inside narrow nests.
Anteaters swallow insects without chewing. Their strong stomachs help break the food down.
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10. Escolha a resposta correta.
Why is the stone useful?
A sea otter floats on its back and hits a shellfish against a stone resting on its chest.
- It helps break the shell to reach the food inside.
- It keeps the shellfish alive for longer.
- It removes salt from the shellfish.
Show solution
- It helps break the shell to reach the food inside.
Sea otters are among the animals that use tools to get food.
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11. Escolha a resposta correta.
How does the fish bring an insect within reach?
An archerfish stays in the water but hunts insects resting on branches above the water. It shoots a stream of water from its mouth toward an insect.
- It builds a path of water up to the branch.
- It knocks the insect down into the water.
- It traps the insect inside a floating bubble.
Think about what happens when the insect loses its hold.
Show solution
- It knocks the insect down into the water.
Young archerfish improve their aim through practice.
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12. Escolha a resposta correta.
How do both fish benefit?
A cleaner fish eats tiny parasites from a larger fish's skin. These parasites feed on and can harm the larger fish.
- The cleaner gets shelter, and the larger fish gets food.
- Both fish gain a new way to catch larger prey.
- The cleaner gets food, and the larger fish gets rid of harmful parasites.
Each fish receives a different benefit.
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- The cleaner gets food, and the larger fish gets rid of harmful parasites.
Some larger fish visit particular places on a reef where cleaner fish regularly work.
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13. Escolha a resposta correta.
Why are wide feet useful in deep snow?
A snowshoe hare has large back feet. They spread its weight over a wider area when it moves across snow.
- Its feet sink less, making movement easier.
- Its feet melt a clear path through the snow.
- Its feet press more deeply into the snow to find food.
Think about why people wear snowshoes.
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- Its feet sink less, making movement easier.
Hair on the hare's feet also helps protect them from the cold.
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14. Escolha a resposta correta.
Which insect is closer to the bat?
A bat uses returning sounds called echoes to locate insects. Sound takes longer to return from something farther away. One insect's echo returns sooner than another's.
- The insect whose echo returns later
- The insect whose echo returns sooner
- Both insects are the same distance away.
A shorter journey takes less time.
Show solution
- The insect whose echo returns sooner
This ability is called echolocation. It allows many bats to hunt without depending on daylight.
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15. Escolha a resposta correta.
Why is losing the tail helpful but also costly?
Some lizards escape an attacker by leaving their tail behind. The moving tail distracts the attacker. They can grow a new tail, but doing so requires energy.
- It saves the tail but prevents the lizard from moving.
- It scares away every attacker but stops the lizard from eating.
- It helps the lizard escape, but replacing the tail uses energy.
Consider both the immediate escape and what happens afterward.
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- It helps the lizard escape, but replacing the tail uses energy.
A replacement tail may look different from the original and have a simpler structure inside.