Science chap-7 Weather, Climate & Adaptations of Animals to Climate

                           Weather, Climate & Adaptations of Animals to Climate              science(chap-7)

§  The day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere at a place with respect to the temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed is called the Weather at that place.

§   The factors like the temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed  factors are called the elements of  Weather.

§  The weather reports are prepared by the Meteorological departments of the government. This department collects data on temperature, wind speed etc. and makes weather prediction.

§  Rainfall is measured by an instrument called the ’Rain Gauge’. It is basically a measuring cylinder with a funnel on top to collect rain water.

§  The weather of a place changes day after day and week after week. It can happen sometimes that it is sunny in the morning and starts raining heavily in the afternoon.

§  The maximum temperature of the day occurs generally in the afternoon while the minimum temperature occurs in the early morning.

§  The average weather pattern taken over a long time (over a years), is called the Climate of the place.

§  Climate has a profound effect on all living organisms. Animals are adapted to survive in the conditions in which they live.

§  Animals living in very cold or hot climate possesses special features to protect themselves against extreme cold or hot.

§  Features and habits that help animals to adapt to their surroundings is known as adaptation. Adaptation is a result of the process of evolution.

§  The well known countries that belong to the Polar regions are Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Alaska in USA and Siberian regions of Russia.

§  Examples of some countries where the Tropical Rain forests are found are India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

§  The Polar regions are covered with snow and is very cold for the rest part of the year. For six months the sun does not set at the Poles and for the other six months the sun does not rise. In winter the temperature is  below -37 degree Celsius. Animals living there have adapted to these severe conditions.

§  Polar bears have white fur for which they are not easily visible in the snowy white background. It protects them from their predators. It also helps them in hatching their prey.

§  To protect from extreme cold, the Polar bears have two thick layers of fur. They also have a layer of fat under their skin which are so well-insulated that they have to move slowly and rest often to getting overheated.

§  The Polar bears goes for swimmimg on warm days. It is a good swimmer as its paws are wide and large which helps not only to swim well but also to walk with ease in the snow.

§  While swimming under water, Polar bears can close its nostrils and can remain under water for long durations.

§  Polar bears have a strong sense of smell for which it can catch its prey for food.

§  Penguins, found in Polar regions are of white colour and it merges well with the white background.

§  Penguins have a thick skin and a lot of fat to protect it from cold.

§  Penguin’s body are streamlined and their feet have webs, making them good swimmers.

§  Other animals living in Polar region are many types of fishes, musk oxen, reindeers, foxes, seals, whales and birds.

§  While fish can remain under water for long, birds remain in warm to survive. Birds migrate to armer regions when winter sets in and return back after the winter is over. The Siberian Crane comes from Siberia to places like Bharatpur in Rajasthan, Sultanpur in Haryana, Chilika in Odisha and some wetlands of north-east and some other parts of India.

§  The Tropical region has generally a hot climate because of its location around the equator. Even in the coldest months the temperature is generally higher than 15’C, during hot summer it may crosses 40’C.

§  Days and nights are almost equal in length throughout the year. These regions get plenty of rainfall.

§  Tropical rainforests are found in Western Ghats and Assam in India, South-East Asia, Central America, and Central Africa. Because of continuous warmth and rain, this region supports wide variety of plants and animals.

§  The major types of animals living in the rainforests are monkeys, apes, gorillas, tigers, elephants, leopards, lizards, snakes, birds, insects etc.

§   Red-eyed frog has developed sticky pads on its feet to help it climbing trees on which it lives.

§  Monkeys have long tails for grasping branches. Their hands and feet are developed in such a manner that they can easily hold on to the branches.

§  Toucan bird possesses a long, large beak which helps it to reach the fruits on branches which are otherwise too weak to support its weight.

§  Many tropical animals have sensitive hearing, sharp eyesight, thick skin and a skin colour which helps them to accommodate by blending with the surroundings. This is to protect them from predators.

§  The lion-tailed Macaque, also called Beard ape, lives in the rainforests of Western Ghat. Its most outstanding feature is the silver-white mane, which surrounds the head from the cheeks down to its chin. It is a good climber and spends major parts of its life on the tree.

§  The Macaque mainly feed on fruits, seeds, young leaves,stems, flowers, buds and the insects under the bark of the trees. As it gets ample food from the trees, it rarely comes down on the ground.

§  The elephants adapts itself in the rainforests in many remarkable ways. The elephant uses its trunk as a nose because of which it has a strong sense of smell. The trunk is also used by it for picking up food.

§  The tusks of the elephant are modified teeth which can tear the bark of trees which is its favourite.

§  Large ears of the elephant helps it to hear even very soft sounds. It also helps to keep cool in the hot and humid climate of the rainforest.