ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS

WEDDELL SEALS

Environment
The Weddell Seals live in Antarctica, the continent at the South Pole. It is an ice cold land with freezing storms. The Weddell Seals survive by living on the ice and under the ice.

ADAPTATIONS

• Flippers help them swim quickly away from predators.
• Fur- It is short and thick to protect them from the freezing air and cold water.
• Large eyes- Their eyes help them see in the dark water under the ice.
• Nostrils- They can close their nostrils under the water.
• Lungs- They can collapse their lungs so they can swim deep and stay under water for over an hour.

WEDDELL PUPS

• The mother seal gives birth in September, October, and November.
• The pups are 55 pounds when they are born.
• Each mother has only one pup at a time.
• After two weeks, the mother pushes the pup into the after for swimming lessons.
• The pups grow very quickly. It will be four times its size in seven weeks.
• The mother's milk is more than half fat.

The Weddell Seals Diet
Weddell Seals eat many types of sea animals such as krill, octopus, squid, and fish. When they hunt large prey, they swim very quietly. Also, they dive deep and look up for shadows of fish against the shiny ice. They can hold their breath down there for over an hour. Sometimes they blow air into the cracks of the ice and small fish will come out. The seals are very clever hunters.

As you can see, Weddell Seals have adaptations and behaviors that help them survive in the harsh weather of Antarctica.

GIRAFFES

Environment
Giraffes live in the savanna grasslands and woodlands of Africa. The savanna is a dry climate with low rainfall. Giraffes get much of their needed water from the leaves they eat. They prefer to stay where the trees are thicker and their spots camouflage them in the dappled light.

Adaptations
The giraffe is the tallest mammal on earth. Its long legs and neck help it to reach the leaves high in the trees. They also have a long tongue to help them pull the leaves from the branches. The tongue is covered with bristly hair so they can eat thorny acacia leaves. They usually live in large groups for protection from predators.

Giraffe Diet
Giraffes live on a diet of leaves, eating mostly acacia leaves. They have four stomachs to help with digesting food. Drinking water is dangerous for giraffes, because it can't watch for predators. They can go many days without water. Instead they get most of their water from the leaves they eat.

Giraffe Calves
Giraffes give birth to one baby at a time. It usually takes about fifteen months before the baby is born. The mother giraffe gives birth while standing up. The calf falls about six feet to the ground, but is not hurt. The mothers guard the calves carefully and keep them together in small nursery groups. Many predators prey on baby giraffes.

Giraffes are some of the strangest looking mammals in the animal kingdom. But these strange adaptations perfectly help the giraffe survive in its African environment.