Anti-‐Predator Adaptations

Anti-predator Adaptations 1. Avoiding Detection 1.1 Staying out of sight- living in caves, underground, or being __________________ 1.2 Camouflage- using materials, coloration, or illumination for _____________________ 1.3 Masquerade- hide in ___________ __________ as inedible objects 1.4 Apostatic selection- to look different from members of an _________________ species that serves as a food source 2. Warding Off Attack 2.1 Startling the predator- suddenly displaying to ___________ __________ or distract a predator, thus giving an opportunity to ______________ 2.2 Pursuit-deterrent signals- behavioral signals used to convince predators not to ___________ them. Example- gazelles jump high with stiff legs and an arched back (called ________________). This is thought to signal to predators that they have a high level of ________________ and can outrun the predator. 2.3 Playing dead-a form of ___________ in which an animal mimics its own dead body, feigning death to avoid being attacked by predators seeking live prey. 2.4 Distraction- distract their attackers by ejecting a mixture of chemicals, which mimics food or otherwise _____________ predators, or by attract the attention of predators away from an object, typically the ___________. 2.5 Mimicry and aposematism-when an organism (the mimic) simulates signal properties of ______________ ________________ (the model) to confuse a third organism. 2.6 Defensive structures-sharp, needle-like structure used to inflict pain on predators. They can be detachable, ____________ or poisonous. 3. Safety In Numbers 3.1 Dilution effect-when animals living in a _____________ "dilute" their risk of attack, each individual being just _________ of many in the group. 3.2 Selfish herd-when animal seek ________________ positions in a group. The center of the group has the lowest domain of danger, so animals will constantly strive to gain this position. 3.3 Predator satiation- to emerge very rarely, at irregular, and __________________ intervals. 3.4 Alarm calls-Animals that live in ________________ often give alarm calls that give warning of an attack. 3.5 Improved vigilance- groups are able to detect predators sooner than _________________ individuals. For many predators, success depends on _________________. If the prey is alerted early in an attack, they have an improved chance of escape. 3.6 Predator confusion- Individuals living in large groups may be safer from attack because the predator may be confused by the __________ ________ ___________. As the group moves, the predator has greater difficulty targeting an individual prey animal. 4. Fighting Back 4.1 Chemical defenses-Many animals make use of ________________ chemicals for self- defense. These give an attacker a taste of the chemicals before it actually bites or swallows the prey. A last-ditch defense is for the animal's ______________ itself to be toxic. 4.2 Communal defense-prey groups actively defend themselves by _____________ _______________, and sometimes by attacking or mobbing a predator 4.3 Defensive regurgitation-Some __________ and ___________ use defensive regurgitation to ward off predators. 4.4 Suicidal altruism- ________-_________________ acts which benefit all individuals in the colony 5. Escaping 5.1 Flight- The normal reaction of a prey animal to an attacking predator is to flee by any available means, whether ___________, gliding, falling, swimming, ___________, jumping, burrowing or _______________. 5.2 Autonomy- self-_____________________; the shedding an appendage in a last-ditch attempt to elude a predator's grasp or to distract the predator and thereby allow escape. .

Load more