ADAPTATION FOR SURVIVAL #3

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION

Structural adaptation is a special modification of structures which helps an organism to survive better in their various environment. some example of structural adaptation is described below.

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION FOR OBTAINING FOOD

BY A TOAD

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• The toad possesses special olfactory organ in the head for perceiving the odour of its food.
• It has the ability to drew eyes in so that they make a bulge in the roof of the mouth which helps to prevent their prey from escaping or help in swallowing.
• The tongue is attached to the front of the mouth which can easily be extended to capture or trap the prey.
• The tongue is long to help catch the prey.

BY BIRDS

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Birds have a structural adaption and feet which enable them to obtain food.

• Carnivorous birds such as eagles have powerful, sharp, curved beaks for killing and tearing the flesh of their prey which includes small birds e.g chicks, rat, toads and lizard.
• They have sharp, strong, curved claws for catching, gripping and killing the prey.
• Grain eating birds like the domestic fowls have short horny beaks for pecking at the grains. They also possess short, blunt and strong claws on their toes for scratching the soil.
• The filter-feeding birds such as the water ducks have beaks with serrated edges for sieving out food from water into the mouth. They also have webbed feet for swimming in the water.

BY INSECTS

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An Insect has a structural adaptation for obtaining food in different ways based on the type of mouthparts.

• Biting and chewing mouthparts:- These are found in cockroaches, grasshoppers and termite. They possess strong mandible and maxillae which enable them to bite and chew plant parts.
• Sucking mouthparts:- These are mainly found in butterflies and bees. They also possess long, coiled proboscis which enables them to suck nectars from the flower of plants. Houseflies equally are sucking insects but they only suck liquid food using their mouthparts.