Many animals migrate, traveling seasonally to find food, raise young, or avoid harsh weather. Monarch butterflies navigate using the Sun and a built-in clock that helps them keep direction as the day changes. Sea turtles sense Earth’s magnetic field like a map, returning to beaches where they once hatched. Even tiny shorebirds can cross oceans by storing energy as fat and timing their flights with favorable winds. Migration shows how behavior and biology work together to solve the challenge of living in changing environments.
Comprehension Check
What is a main reason animals migrate?
Which natural signal helps some animals navigate long distances?
Engineers of the Wild
Some animals reshape their habitats in ways that benefit many other species. Beavers build dams that slow rivers, forming ponds where fish, frogs, and water birds can thrive. Coral polyps construct limestone reefs that act like underwater cities with homes, markets, and hiding places for countless creatures. Even small builders such as termites create mounds with vents and tunnels that control temperature and airflow. These “engineers” remind us that living things both adapt to—and actively design—their environments.
Comprehension Check
How does a beaver dam change a river ecosystem?
Which statement best explains why coral reefs are called “underwater cities”?
Champions of Camouflage
Camouflage helps animals hide from predators or sneak up on prey. Arctic hares turn white in winter, blending into snow to escape hungry foxes. Leaf-tailed geckos look like bark and fallen leaves, so they remain invisible as they rest on branches. Cuttlefish can change skin color and texture in moments, using tiny pigment cells and muscles to copy rocks, sand, or seaweed. Camouflage is not magic; it is a set of adaptations that match an animal’s body to its surroundings so it can survive and hunt more effectively.
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