Why Don’t Jellyfish Have Brains? And Other Odd Invertebrate Adaptations
Amazing Adaptations 4 Incredible Invertebrates 6 Not That Brainy 8 Death by Poison 10 Monsters of the Deep 12 Mind Control 14 Disguised as Droppings 16 A Bug with No Bite 18 Super Survivors 20 Crazy Cucumbers 22 It Grows Back 24 Smart Spiders 26 A Tough Clam to Crack 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 Words in the glossary appear in bold type the first time they are used in the text CONTENTS
Amazing Adaptations Some adaptations are MONARCH BUTTERFLY The animal kingdom is full of amazing adaptations Living things adapt in order to survive in their habitats Adaptations start out as mutations If a mutation is helpful it’s passed down from parents to their young Over time this mutation even if it seems odd becomes normal physical or body characteristics These are called structural adaptations An example is the hard shell of a crab which keeps it safe from predators Other adaptations have to do with behavior Monarch butterflies journey south to Mexico each year is a behavioral adaptation They travel thousands of miles to live in warm weather through winter 4 Adaptations serve different purposes Some help predators hunt prey Others help prey stay safe from predators Many adaptations deal with a living thing’s environment or surroundings Animals in the Arctic may have white fur to blend in with snow Animals living in the deep sea have special senses for living in the dark ADAPTATIONS AID
A common adaptation is camouflage or a shape color or behavior that helps animals blend in with their environment bugs called walking sticks are shaped and colored like twigs on the forest floor 5
