Question

Reproduction is important for every type of living thing. Without it, species would die out. To ensure their survival, animals have developed unique adaptations to improve their chances of reproducing. Behavioral adaptations are behaviors an organism performs to help it survive. Structural adaptations are physical features that help an organism survive.

The image below shows two peacocks. The male peacock is large and brightly colored. The female peacock is not as colorful. The size and color of the male’s feathers attract females. This is an example of a structural adaptation intended to help with reproduction. Another structural adaptation is when male deer grow large antlers to attract females. Animals also use behavioral adaptations to attract mates. For example, male frogs sing to attract females and male spiders dance to attract females.



Plants also have adaptations to help with reproduction. While animals use behavioral and structural adaptations to improve reproduction, plants only use structural adaptations. For example, brightly colored flowers attract butterflies. Certain flowers also have nectar or give off an odor to attract insects. Attracting butterflies and other insects is important because they play a role in reproduction by pollination.

Classify each example as either a behavioral adaptation or a structural adaptation.

Behavioral
Structural
Builds a nest to lay eggs
Has sharp thorns to keep predators away
Uses large horns to attract a mate
Collects food to share with young
Uses long tail to brush away flies

Answer 1

Here is the classification of each example:

**Behavioral Adaptation:**
- Builds a nest to lay eggs
- Collects food to share with young
- Uses long tail to brush away flies

**Structural Adaptation:**
- Has sharp thorns to keep predators away
- Uses large horns to attract a mate