Animals Protective Mechanism - Essay Example

Gracey Porteous 22052820 050179 4129 Lake Tahoe Circle West Palm Beach, FL. 33409 Graceyporteous@yahoo.com Graphic Organizer Title: Animals Protective Mechanism Introduction Topic announcement: Animal Protective Mechanism Background: Animals are naturally suited to their own habitats through survival mechanisms. Thesis statement: This essay discusses how animal located in heterogeneous, air and aquatic habitats have different and special defense mechanism for their survival against predators. Body Paragraphs Turtles are animals which are suited to live everywhere on earth such as on dry land, water or the desert. This is because they have a hard shell, flipper for swimming, and webbed feet for dry land. Turtles like to eat worms, fish, snails, plants and bugs. A turtle is the only creature with a shell which is also classified as a reptile (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Gracey Porteous 22052820 050179 4129 Lake Tahoe Circle West Palm Beach, FL. 33409 Graceyporteous@yahoo.com Their protective mechanism is the ability to hide their bodies inside the shell for protection in case of sensing danger. When confronted by any danger the turtle is able to draw in its legs and tail into its shell for protection. Turtles are threatened by factors like; absence of nesting locations, tourism activities and fishing. The turtle uses its physical features or chemical combat to appear undesirable to its predators. Turtle disguises itself in form of a rock and hides its sensitive flesh in the hard shell which acts as defensive combat from any attacks of its predators. Sea turtle on the other hand lack the feature of drawing itself in a shell, but its size is used a defensive mechanism due to its large demeanor. Sea turtles grow to approximately eight feet long and weighing 750 kg (1500pounds) (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Turtle uses trickery to intimidate potential predators as formidable defensive system. As a result of false full features appear big and dangerous which works to its advantage as a protective mechanism. This large creature is able to adapt in a hostile environment due to its large size as it is able to intimidate its predators. Sea turtle also combat with ability to swim fast enough from potential predators when they feel threatened. Gracey Porteous 22052820 050179 4129 Lake Tahoe Circle West Palm Beach, FL. 33409 Graceyporteous@yahoo.com Fish is an organism which stays in water and is affected by extreme temperature changes. It breathes through the gills and has no limbs (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Fishes are suited to live in the water as they have tails to swim and gills to breathe. Fish eat worms, bugs and smaller fish. The survival mechanism of fish is in their streamlined bodies which are very sensitive to sound and therefore help the fish to sense danger and therefore escape to safer places (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). The streamlined bodies of fish assist them to cut through the water resistive force with great ease to escape from potential predators. There are different types of fish which have varied physical features that assist them in playing an important role of protection mechanism. Fish has a lateral line system, running vertically on side of the fish abdomen. This lateral line system, acts like an in-built sonar-like device for the fish sensitivity of water pressure gradient. This lateral line system is a receptor that sends rapid signals to the species to be alert in case of prompt danger. The specialized receptors, helps the fish class to respond to changes in direction of movement and speed at which the fish was moving (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Most fish live in groups known as schools. Fish living in schools together give them an added advantage due to the concept of ‘safety of numbers’ (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). This concept of living in large numbers works out to their advantage for protection in case of predator attack they easily distract the predator due to their large number. Some predators are intimidated by large number of fish living together for their dominance of numbers. Gracey Porteous 22052820 050179 4129 Lake Tahoe Circle West Palm Beach, FL. 33409 Graceyporteous@yahoo.com However, many fish tend to blend in with the ambience of the surrounding and environment to move without much exposure to the predators. Many fish have the ability to disguise themselves with the surroundings through the art of cryptic color. Giant kelp fish along the California waters has mastered this art; kelp changes the skin pattern and color to match the aquatic algae. Some fish burry themselves in seafloor sand in disguise in presence of potential predators or threat (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Fishes like manta rays have a unique way of countershading with the aquatic surroundings. Its black hued top matches the floor of the ocean abyss while the light colored blend in with the water surface when viewed from below (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). In addition, fishes use speed and maneuverability to escape from predators. Speed is a valuable asset to a fish safety especially if the fish is small in size that can’t be in a position to intimidate the predator. The fact that these fishes can move at a sporadic speed is not only an advantage for protection mechanism but also for hunting its prey. Special types of fishes like the puffer fish and balloon fishes consume large amount of water to inflate themselves to erect sharp needle-like structures on their bodies. This needle-like structures are used against any predators which possible threats to the fish. Other relatively small shark known as horn sharks possesses an erect sharp spine used for creating their way through cracks and crevices. Horn shark also uses the dorsal spine for its protection and attacking it prey (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Fishes like reef stone fish, lion fish and sting rays possess strong venom when they bite a threatening predator. Venom released by these fishes is very poisonous when inflicted to a prey they might kill or paralyze them. Butterfly fish uses mimicry to intimidate predators. Butterfly fish uses false eyespot to cloud the judgment of its predator into thinking that the fish big tail is the head, hence, attacking butterfly fish least vulnerable part. This feature helps the fish to fool the predator and escape easily from its predator (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Flying fishes like the sea lion and dolphin have wing-like structures that assist them jump relatively high out of the water and glide through the air while escaping from their predators. Fishes like sting ray have barb like stingrays that produces electric shock to an attacking predator (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). As the name suggests the electric shock is meant to intimidate and protect them from attacking the ray fish because apart from the electric shock they are defenseless. However, the technique of producing electric current is limited to producing it at only one attack at a time before unleashing the next electric shock. Gracey Porteous 22052820 050179 4129 Lake Tahoe Circle West Palm Beach, FL. 33409 Graceyporteous@yahoo.com Birds are animals that perch on trees to rest in their nests. They feed on plants, seeds, insects and bugs. The survival mechanism of birds is the ability to fly by wings in search of food and protection. Birds are versatile and flexible to fly and dodge land predators easily and without much struggle as opposed to animals without wings that fly (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Birds like burrowing owl found in the Canadian deserts, uses mimicry to intimidate foxes and other predators. The burrowing owl makes hissing sounds like a rattle snake to scare its predators. However, this unique defense mechanism works on human and other predators except snakes. Some birds have adaptive features of camouflaging and color shading itself to its surroundings. The Ghost and Potoo bird possess unique camouflaging feature that assist them to hunt and capture their prey with ease. They remain motionless aiming for their prey to settle and attack just in time without any alarm of their presence. Ghost bird uses mimicry feature to act dead and motionless while perching on a branch of a tree that blends with its camouflage (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Gracey Porteous 22052820 050179 4129 Lake Tahoe Circle West Palm Beach, FL. 33409 Graceyporteous@yahoo.com Fulmar bird ruins other predators’ feather by vomits to predators to chase them away. Another bird that has a special defensive mechanism is the cuckoo bird which mimics the physical appearance of the fierce sparrow hawk. Birds like ostrich have big strong kicks that help it fight predators that sneak up to steal its eggs. Many owls have puffed feathers that make them appear big and very fierce (Stevens and Merilaita, 2011). Conclusion Animals are diverse and unique in their habitats are different depending on how they are adapted to survive. Animals are categorized in accordance to their habitat, mode of feeding and defense mechanisms. Work Cited Stevens, Martin and Sami Merilaita. Animal Camouflage. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Read More