Weather, Climate, And Adaptations Of Animals To Climate
Rainfall is measured by an instrument called the rain gauge. It is basically a measuring cylinder with a funnel on top to collect rainwater. The day-to-day condition of the atmosphere at a place with respect to the temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed, etc., is called the weather at that place. Temperature, humidity, and other factors are called the elements of the weather. The average weather pattern taken over a long time, say 25 years, is called the climate of the place.
The western region of India, for example, Rajasthan, will show that the temperature is high during most part of the year. But during winter, which lasts only for a few months, the temperature is quite low. This region receives very little rainfall. This is the typical desert climate. It is hot and dry. Northeastern India receives rain for a major part of the year. Therefore, we can say that the climate of the northeast is wet.
1. The polar regions
- The polar regions present an extreme climate.
- These regions are covered with snow and it is very cold for the most part of the year.
- For six months the sun does not set at the poles while for the other six months the sun does not rise.
- In winter, the temperature can be as low as –37°C.
- Animals living there have adapted to these severe conditions.
- Polar bears, the penguin many types of fishes, muskoxen, reindeer, foxes, seals, whales, and birds have
- been seen in this region.
- Siberian crane comes from Siberia to places like Bharatpur in Rajasthan and Sultanpur in Haryana.
2. The tropical rainforests
- The tropical region has generally a hot climate because of its location around the equator.
- Even in the coldest month, the temperature is generally higher than about 15°C.
- During hot summers, the temperature may cross 40°C.
- Days and nights are almost equal in length throughout the year.
- These regions get plenty of rainfall.
- An important feature of this region is the tropical rainforests.
- Tropical rainforests are found in the Western Ghats and Assam in India, Southeast Asia, Central America
- , and Central Africa.
- Because of continuous warmth and rain, this region supports a wide variety of plants and animals.
- The major types of animals living in the rainforests are monkeys, apes, gorillas, lions, tigers, elephants,
- leopards, lizards, snakes, birds, and insects.
- The lion-tailed macaque (also called Beard ape) lives in the rainforests of the Western Ghats
- Many tropical animals have sensitive hearing, sharp eyesight, thick skin, and skin color that helps
- them to camouflage by blending with the surroundings.
- This is to protect them from predators.
CLIMATE AND ADAPTATION
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 and hot climates must
possess special features to protect
themselves against extreme cold or
heat. Features and habits that
help animals to adapt to their
surroundings are a result of the process
of evolution.
As examples of the adaptation of
animals to climatic conditions, we
discuss only animals living in polar
regions and tropical rainforests.
As the name suggests, the polar
regions are situated near the poles, i.e., the north pole and the south pole.
Some well-known countries that
belong to the polar regions are Canada,
Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden,
Finland, and Alaska in the U.S.A., and the Siberian
region of Russia.
Examples of some countries where tropical rainforests are found are
India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, the Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, and
Nigeria.
(i) The polar regions
The polar regions present an extreme
climate. These regions are covered with
snow and it is very cold for the most part of
the year. For six months the sun does
not set at the poles while for the other
six months the sun does not rise. In
winter, the temperature can be as low
as –37°C. Animals living there have
adapted to these severe conditions.
Let
us see how they are adapted by
considering the examples of polar bears
and penguins.
Polar bears have white fur so that
they are not easily visible in the snowy
white background. It protects them from their predators. It also helps them in
catching their prey. To protect them
from extreme cold, they have two thick
layers of fur. They also have a layer of
fat under their skin. In fact, they are so
well-insulated that they have to move
slowly and rest often to avoid getting
overheated.
Physical activities on warm days
necessitate cooling.
So, the polar bear
goes swimming. She is a good
swimmer. Its paws are wide and large,
which helps it not only to swim well but
also to walk with ease in the snow. While
swimming underwater, it can close its
nostrils and can remain underwater for
long durations. It has a strong sense of
smell so that it can catch its prey
for food.
Other animals living in the polar
regions are many types of fish, musk
oxen, reindeer, foxes, seals, whales,
and birds. It is to be noted that while
fish can remain under cold water for a long, birds must remain warm to
survive. They migrate to warmer regions
when winter sets in. They come back
after the winter is over. You know
probably that India is one of the
destinations of many of these birds. You
must have seen or heard about the
Siberian crane that comes from Siberia
to places like Bharatpur in Rajasthan
and Sultanpur in Haryana, and some wetlands of the northeast and some other parts of India
(ii) The tropical rainforests
The tropical region has generally a hot
climate because of its location around
the equator. Even in the coldest month, the temperature is generally higher than
about 15°C. During hot summers, the
temperature may cross 40°C. Days and
nights are almost equal in length
throughout the year. These regions get
plenty of rainfall. An important feature
of this region is the tropical rainforests.
Tropical rainforests are found in the Western Ghats and Assam in India,
Southeast Asia, Central America, and
Central Africa. Because of continuous
warmth and rain, this region supports a 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, and insects.
Let us read about the adaptations of
these animals to a hot, humid climate.
The climatic conditions in rainforests
are highly suitable for supporting an
enormous number and a variety of
animals.
Since the numbers are large, there
is intense competition for food and
shelter.
Many animals are adapted to
living on trees. Red-eyed frog has developed sticky pads on
its feet to help them climb the trees on which it
lives. To help them live in the trees,
monkeys have long tails for
grasping branches. Their hands and feet
are such that they can easily hold onto
the branches.
As there is competition for food, some
animals are adapted to get food not
easily reachable.
A striking example is
that of the bird Toucan, which
possesses a long, large beak. This helps
a toucan to reach the fruits on branches
that are otherwise too weak to support
its weight.
Many tropical animals have sensitive
hearing, sharp eyesight, thick skin, and skin color which helps them to
camouflage by blending with the
surroundings. This is to protect them
from predators. For example, big cats (lions and tigers) have thick skins and
sensitive hearing.
What you have learned
- The day-to-day condition of the atmosphere at a place with respect to the temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed, etc., is called the weather at that place.
- The weather is generally not the same on any two days and week after week.
- The maximum temperature of the day occurs generally in the afternoon while the minimum temperature occurs in the early morning.
- The times of sunrise and sunset also change during the year.
- All the changes in the weather are driven by the sun.
- The average weather pattern taken over a long time, say 25 years, is called the climate of the place.
- The tropical and polar regions are the two regions of the earth, which have severe climatic conditions.
- Animals are adapted to the conditions in which they live.
- The polar regions are very cold throughout the year. The sun does not set for six months in a year and in the other six months, it does not rise.
- Animals in the polar region are adapted to the extremely cold climate by having some special characteristics such as white fur, a strong sense of smell, a layer of fat under the skin, wide and large paws for swimming and walking, etc.
- Migration is another means to escape the harsh, cold conditions.
- Because of the hospitable climatic conditions, huge populations of plants and animals are found in tropical rainforests.
- Animals in tropical rainforests are adapted such that they eat different kinds of food to overcome the competition for food and shelter.
- Some adaptations of animals living in tropical rainforests include living on the trees, development of strong tails, long and large beaks, bright colors, sharp patterns, loud voice, the diet of fruits, sensitive hearing, sharp eyesight, thick skin, ability to camouflage in order to protect themselves from predators, etc.