Hummingbirds have
long beaks adapted for flowers.
Adaptations are a trait within an organism that confers some sort of survival advantage. Not every feature or function of an organism is an adaptation, but many adaptations across a wide range of terrain are useful to help a species flourish.
Land Environments
Some predators like cheetahs use speed to their advantage. Prey like hares also use speed, but hedgehogs, porcupines and echidnas instead adapted to a different strategy by using sharp quills or spines--sometimes poisonous. Armored ground crickets may look like fat and flightless easy prey, but they also secrete blood and throw up their food to makes themselves unpalatable to predators. On the other hand, stink bugs secrete foul smelling liquids. Another strange defensive adaptation can be found in the ribbed newt--the amphibian has tubercles through which its sharp ribs can puncture and act as a concealed weapon. Chameleons may be known for their camouflage, but they also have a concealed weapon in their long, extrudable tongues that can catch prey from a far distance.
Aquatic Environments
Many fish like herrings have a unique adaptation. They evade predators by congregating into synchronized schools and moving as one organism. Flying fish, on the other hand, have unusual pectoral fins that allow them to leap into the air and glide for around 50 meters. Some aquatic animals find ways to subdue prey. Sea snakes encompass a wide range of species that constitute some of the most venomous animals in the world. The angler fish draws in its prey with a lure on its forehead, but its reproductive habits are even stranger; the males are small enough to bite into the female without causing much harm. Once they do so, they die and slowly atrophy, releasing sperm directly into the female.
Air Environments
Songs are one of the most distinctive features of birds. Each song has a specific dialect that is taught at an early age and may be used to locate mates. Birds are also known for their feathered wings, but not all birds use them to fly. Penguins use their wings to swim, and ostriches have vestigial wings that are used for insulation and mating displays. Beak size is another adaptation of birds. Hummingbirds have beaks with lengths specifically adapted to draw nectar from flowers of different sizes. But birds are not the only animals to dominate the air. Bats utilize sonar to situate themselves, bouncing high-pitch sounds off of nearby walls. This is an adaptation for dark environments.
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