Animal Adaptations and Traits Teaching Resources
Get ready to teach about animal adaptations and animal traits this school year with printable worksheets, digital activities and more teacher-created resources for primary teachers!
This collection of Australian Science curriculum-aligned resources includes printables and Google Slides templates that have been thoroughly reviewed by our expert teaching team to ensure they're ready for your lesson plans and your students.
Save time on lesson planning with ready-made teacher slides, vocabulary guides and activities that can easily be differentiated to meet your students' individual needs.
New to tackling this topic in the classroom? The expert science teachers on the Teach Starter team have put together the answers to some of teachers' most common questions about animal adaptations and animal traits!
What Are Animal Adaptations? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Let's start with an easy way to explain what adaptation in animals is to your class! Here's a kid-friendly definition from our teacher team:
Adaptation is when animals change their bodies or behaviours to survive better in their environment. Humans may put on a jacket when it's cold outside — that's an example of how we adapt. Animals also have their own special ways of dealing with different environments.
How Do Animals Adapt to Their Environments?
Just as there are countless kinds of animals living around the world, there are many ways that different animals will adapt to their environment. There are two major types of adaptations:
Behavioural Adaptations
One way that an animal can adapt is through a process called behavioural adaptation. This kind of change doesn't require a change in the animal's DNA or its physical features.
Instead, this involves changes in an animal's actions or habits that help them survive in their environment, such as a bear hibernating during the winter.
Structural Adaptations
Another way that animals adapt is through changes to physical features or body parts. These are called structural adaptations, typically occurring over time via evolution, the process of gradual change in species over many generations.
A polar bear's white fur is a good example of a structural adaptation for this tundra animal. The color of the fur helps polar bears blend in with the snowy environment of the Arctic, providing camouflage and making it easier for them to hunt and sneak up on prey.
Animal Adaptation Examples
Looking for more animal adaptation examples that kids love to share with your students? Give these a try!
Desert Animal Adaptations
- Camels have humps that store fat, which they can use as food and water when there's not much available.
- Desert snakes have scales that help them move smoothly on the sand.
- Beetles that live in the desert have a hard outer covering that prevents them from losing water.
Tundra Animal Adaptations
- In addition to the color of their fur, polar bears have thick fur and a layer of blubber (fat) that keep them warm in the freezing cold.
- Arctic foxes can change the color of their fur from brown in the summer to white in the winter to blend in with the snow.
- Caribou have wide hooves that help them walk on the soft tundra and dig through the snow for food.
- Free Plan
Animals With Scales, Fur, Shells and Feathers Worksheet Pack
Investigate different animal body coverings by sorting and colouring animals with feathers, fur, scales and shells.
- Plus Plan
Identify Nonliving and Living Things - Printables
Download a pack of Living or Nonliving? Printables to help your students differentiate between living and nonliving organisms.
- Plus Plan
Characteristics of Living Things - Science Worksheets
Identify the characteristics of living things and animal classes with a pack of printable Animal Class Characteristic Worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Animal Adaptations for Kids - Worksheet Pack
Identify and label different animal features and discover how these adaptations help animals survive with a pack of printable lift-the-flap matching worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Echidna Adaptations – Reading Worksheet Pack
Discover the adaptations of the echidna with a printable reading passage and comprehension worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
Characteristics of Animal Classes - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Identify the characteristics and features of different animal classifications with a cut-and-paste activity.
- Plus Plan
Animal Adaptations Digital Learning Activity
Discover a variety of structural, behavioural, and physiological adaptations with an Animal Adaptations Digital Learning activity.
- Plus Plan
Vertebrate or Invertebrate? Game
Have fun classifying vertebrates and invertebrates with an exciting Google Slides Interactive Science Game!
- Plus Plan
Rainforest Bird Craft & Writing Template
Pair a fun bird craft and informational writing to create a fun jungle-themed classroom display.
- Plus Plan
What Are Behavioural Adaptations? Digital Interactive Notebook
Discover behavioral adaptations of animals with an independent research-based Behavioural Adaptation Digital Learning Activity.
- Plus Plan
Classifying Vertebrates Flow Chart Poster
Classify vertebrates using an animal classification flowchart poster.
- Plus Plan
Adapting, Migrating, & Hibernating Animals Research Project
Research and report on animals that hibernate, migrate, and adapt with an animal adaptations project.
- Free Plan
Plant and Animal Sort – Task Cards
Sort plants and animals based on characteristics with a set of task cards and picture cards.
- Plus Plan
Animal Classification Table Activity Pack
Classify mammals, reptiles, birds, and other animal groups with a printable pack of animal classification table worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Animal Adaptation Examples – Anchor Chart Set
Help your students identify physiological, behavioural, and structural adaptations with printable Examples of Adaptations Anchor Charts.
- Plus Plan
Animal Adaptations Vocabulary Display
Introduce animal adaptation and behaviour vocabulary with a word wall featuring photographs and definitions of adaptation-related words.
- Plus Plan
Identifying the Parts of a Butterfly Worksheet Pack
Learn about the anatomy of a butterfly with a printable reading passage and butterfly labelling worksheets.
- Free Plan
Label the Ant Diagram Worksheet Pack
Learn about the anatomy of an ant with a printable reading passage and ant labeling worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Plant and Animal Adaptations - Vocabulary Worksheets
Review key vocabulary associated with plant and animal adaptations with a pair of vocabulary worksheets.
- Free Plan
Plant and Animal Adaptations – Word Wall Vocabulary
Build scientific vocabulary skills with a printable display of words relating to plant and animal adaptations.
- Plus Plan
Amphibians vs Reptiles Worksheet Pack
Compare Amphibians vs. Reptiles and their characteristics with our printable animal comparison worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Animal Group Fact File Worksheets
Research and write about the characteristics of different animal groups with printable Animal Group Fact File Worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Insect Investigation - Parts of an Insect Activity
Take a peek at the features and characteristics of insects with an engaging Insect Investigation Lab activity.
- Plus Plan
Design the Perfect Dog Breed - Inherited Traits Activity
Investigate inherited traits that parents pass to their offspring with a Create-a-Puppy selective dog breeding project.
- Plus Plan
Characteristics of Animals - Year 1 Writing Activities
Help your young students read and write about features of animals with a printable Animal Characteristics Write the Room activity.
- Plus Plan
Polar Bear Craft Template
Pair a polar bear craft and informational writing to create a fun winter animals classroom display.
- Plus Plan
Australian Animal Adaptations Trading Cards – Forest Biome
Discover the adaptations of animals in the forests and woodlands of Australia with printable animal trading card templates.
- Plus Plan
Types of Insects - Minibeast Fact Cards
Discover facts and features of a variety of insects with a handy set of insect fact cards.
- Plus Plan
Animal Classification Worksheets for Foundation Year
Identify and sort animals according to their characteristics with a printable pack of cut-and-paste animal worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Arctic Animals Colouring Page Booklet
Engage your little learners and build vocabulary skills with a printable winter animals colouring book.
- Free Plan
Diagram of an Earthworm Worksheet Pack
Read, learn and label the parts of a worm with a set of printable animal features worksheets.
- Plus Plan
How Living Things Survive – Teaching Presentation
Use this 13-slide teaching presentation to teach your students about the basic needs and physical characteristics of animals and plants.
- Animal Adaptations and Traits Worksheets
- Animal Adaptations and Traits Posters
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Foundation Year
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Year 1
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Year 2
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Year 3
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Year 4
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Year 5
- Animal Adaptations and Traits for Year 6