COMPARISON BETWEEN THE WEDGE TAILED EAGLE AND SHORT BEAKED ECHIDNA'S ADAPTATIONS
Adaptation is the process in which an organism or species becomes better suited to live in a particular habitat or habitats. Animals depend on their physical features to help them obtain food, keep safe, build homes, withstand weather and attract mates. These physical characteristics that the animal has developed are called structural adaptations. The wedge tailed eagle and short beaked echidna have completely different physical structures in order to survive in their environment/s. The Wedge tailed eagle is a bird of prey, therefore they have to be strong in order to hurt and carry their food back to their nests (for their mate and young). The short beaked echidna is a foraging animal; they do not require a strong body as they use their sticky tongue to get their food from crevices in the ground. The wedge tailed eagles have large talons and beaks which they use when attacking/killing their prey. The short beaked echidnas only use their tongue to get food. The wedge tailed eagle is a bird of prey therefore they require different physical features as they need to hunt for their food, there large wingspan enables them to travel greater distances at a faster rate. Wedge tailed eagle’s use their powerful adaptable vision which allows them to pinpoint their prey from a distance, the short beaked echidna does not need to attack their prey, therefore they do not need these strong structural adaptations. These two animals have different structural adaptations as their diets are completely different. The short beaked echidna is a small and vulnerable animal that uses their spikes on their back to protect itself from predators and have powerful limbs that they use for rapid digging.
The wedge tailed eagle and short beaked echidna have different physiological adaptations. The wedge tailed eagles are able to spot prey from far distances and are able to see rising thermals. They can detect the currents in the air to gain altitude while expending little energy. The short beaked echidna’s physiological adaptations are they are able to tolerate high levels of carbon dioxide as they are burrowing animals. They need to be able to dig rapidly to avoid predators and to find food (ants, termites, worms). The wedge tailed eagle has to be able to dive to survive sudden floods as they can not escape from floods where as the wedge tailed eagle can fly.
Since the wedge tailed eagle is a bird of prey and the short beaked echidna is a small and vulnerable animal the way in which they behave is extremely different, this adaptation is known as ‘behavioural’. The wedge tailed eagles often engage in aerobic displays to advertise with their mate to advertise their territory to competitors. The short beaked echidna is an animal that can be threatened quite easily and has to be able to protect itself from predators. When the short beaked echidnas are threatened they can dig very quickly into the earth, making their bodies disappear horizontally. Therefore protecting them from what they are threatened by. When the short beaked echidna is threatened they can also roll up into a ball so that only their spikes are showing. The sharp spikes scares off predators. Since the wedge tailed eagle is an animal of prey they need to be able to catch their prey effectively and fast. They attack their prey by diving and surprising them from above so they are able to quickly kill their prey before it can escape. Since the short beaked echidna never leaves the ground (as they can not climb trees or fly) they have to be able to adapt to underwater scenarios, in case there was a sudden flood. The short beaked echidnas are capable of diving underwater in sudden floods. Although they cannot swim for a long period they can survive these sudden floods, when they dive their heart rate drops, this allows them to preserve oxygen.
Many animals have adapted over time, allowing them to better cope with the threats they face as a regular part of their lives. There are many ways in which an animal can adapt to a certain environment. The wedge tailed eagles and short beaked echidna are completely different animals. One is a bird of prey and another is a small, vulnerable, scavenging floor animal that needs to protect themselves from predators.
The wedge tailed eagle and short beaked echidna have different physiological adaptations. The wedge tailed eagles are able to spot prey from far distances and are able to see rising thermals. They can detect the currents in the air to gain altitude while expending little energy. The short beaked echidna’s physiological adaptations are they are able to tolerate high levels of carbon dioxide as they are burrowing animals. They need to be able to dig rapidly to avoid predators and to find food (ants, termites, worms). The wedge tailed eagle has to be able to dive to survive sudden floods as they can not escape from floods where as the wedge tailed eagle can fly.
Since the wedge tailed eagle is a bird of prey and the short beaked echidna is a small and vulnerable animal the way in which they behave is extremely different, this adaptation is known as ‘behavioural’. The wedge tailed eagles often engage in aerobic displays to advertise with their mate to advertise their territory to competitors. The short beaked echidna is an animal that can be threatened quite easily and has to be able to protect itself from predators. When the short beaked echidnas are threatened they can dig very quickly into the earth, making their bodies disappear horizontally. Therefore protecting them from what they are threatened by. When the short beaked echidna is threatened they can also roll up into a ball so that only their spikes are showing. The sharp spikes scares off predators. Since the wedge tailed eagle is an animal of prey they need to be able to catch their prey effectively and fast. They attack their prey by diving and surprising them from above so they are able to quickly kill their prey before it can escape. Since the short beaked echidna never leaves the ground (as they can not climb trees or fly) they have to be able to adapt to underwater scenarios, in case there was a sudden flood. The short beaked echidnas are capable of diving underwater in sudden floods. Although they cannot swim for a long period they can survive these sudden floods, when they dive their heart rate drops, this allows them to preserve oxygen.
Many animals have adapted over time, allowing them to better cope with the threats they face as a regular part of their lives. There are many ways in which an animal can adapt to a certain environment. The wedge tailed eagles and short beaked echidna are completely different animals. One is a bird of prey and another is a small, vulnerable, scavenging floor animal that needs to protect themselves from predators.