Alligator Armadillo Bats Bears Bugs
Cats - Domestic Cats - Wild Koalas Lizards
Alligator
Armadillo
Armadillos have hard plates that cover their back, sides and top of
their head. These hard plates protect them from attacks from other animals.
All armadillos curl up to protect their soft underside, but only the 3
banded armadillo can curl up into a complete ball. Armadillos can also
burrow into the ground. Since the 9 banded armadillo cannot curl up into
a tight ball, it will often dig an escape. It can dig a hole extremely
fast to escape and enemy using 2 front curved claws on each front paw.
They enemy can't reach the soft unprotected underside.
Armadillos can jump up to 3 feet straight up into the air to startle a predator. This sometimes gives the armadillo a few seconds head start to escape. Also, when the armadillo jumps up he may hit his predator in the mouth with his hard armor and dislocate the predator's jaw. Back to Top
Bats
Bats hang upside down in case a predator comes a long. Then it can
get off easier. They stay in the dark so the enemies can't seem them very
well. Back to Top
Bears
Bears are very big. They have claws four inches long and 3 inch long
teeth. The coats of bears blend in with their hibernation spot making them
hard to be seen. Back to Top
Bugs
There are many ways bugs protect themselves. One of the ways is camouflage.
Some bugs pretend to be a plant. Like the rose thorn tree hopper who pretends
to be a thorn on a rose bush by standing very still and having its thorn
shaped body face the same direction as the real thorns. Another tricky
way bugs defend themselves is to act like another bug or animal that is
really dangerous. For example, the fungus beetle looks like a ladybug with
its red back and round and black spots. The animals that have eaten a lady
bug know that they don't taste that good so they leave the fungus beetle
alone. Back to Top
Cats have retractable nails. So they can swipe at their enemy with their sharp claws. Cats also have sharp teeth to help protect themselves. Cats have exceptional hearing so they can often hear an enemy before it arrives. This gives the cat a head start on escaping. Cats also have excellent night vision. This helps them in spotting and escaping predators. If a cat is attacked it will often arch its' back and raise its' fur to make it look bigger. This will sometimes scare off a predator. Back to Top
Cats
- Wild
Wild cats have all the abilities of the domestic cat and even more.
They have camouflage which allows them to hide from enemies by blending
in with their surroundings. Wild cats also have excellent speed. The cheetah,
for instance, can run up to 70 miles per hour. Back
to Top
Koalas
Koalas have sharp claws for defense and they are good climbers. They
protect their babies by putting them in a pouch.
Back to Top
Lizards
Lizards best defense is camouflage. When it stands still it is very
hard to see. When seen by a predator they can run very fast. They can even
run up a tree., or under rocks. Some of them run on their hind legs. The
fastest lizard is the zebra tailed lizard. It runs up to 18 miles per hour.
The tails of most lizards can come off, leaving the predator with a mouth
full of scales. It eventually grows back. The Blue tongued skink startles
attackers by sticking out its big, bright, blue tongue and wiggling it.
Back to Top
Rabbits
Rabbits coloring helps them hide. Arctic hares are white and can't
be seen on the snow except when they run. Back
to Top
Scorpion
The main defense on a scorpion is its venomous stinger on the end of
the tail. As the scorpion stings an enemy, it injects poison from a pair
of poison glands. Back to Top
Shrew
Shrews are a small mammal similar to a mouse but related to the mole.
Some species of shrew have poison in their salvia. Some species can secrete
a foul odor as a means of defense. This comes from their glands. When a
shrew is attacked it may squeal to warm off an enemy. Back
to Top
Hero Shrew
Have you ever heard of a hero shrew? Well a hero shrew is a special
kind of shrew that can hold the weight of a human body on its back! So
what is it's secret? The hero shrew's vertebrae are shaped so they lock
together to make a strong line of bones. So if you step on it, it will
not be harmed. Warning! Do not try this with just any shrew! Back
to Top
Snakes
As you know most snakes have venom, can swim , or are camouflaged to
fit in with their environment. But there are is one snake that has a really
cool defense. It's called the hognose snake. When the hognose snake is
under attack it will suddenly roll over dead. When an animal tries to roll
it over on it's back, it will pop back up to life and roll right back over
on its belly and fake dead until the enemy finally goes away. Back
to Top
