Animal Defenses

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Key Vocabulary

Defend: resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect from harm or danger.

Defense: a means of protecting something from attack

Carapace: the hard upper shell of a turtle, crustacean, or arachnid.

Venom: a poisonous substance secreted by animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions and typically injected into prey or aggressors by biting or stinging.

Poison: a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.

Predator: an animal that naturally preys on others.

Scute: a thickened horny or bony plate on a turtle's shell or on the back of a crocodile, stegosaurus, etc.

Scale: each of the small, thin horny or bony plates protecting the skin of fish and reptiles, typically overlapping one another.
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What is one difference between poison and venom?
Poison is ingested, venom is injected.
Venom is ingested, poison is injected.
Venom is only used by snakes.
Poison is only used by humans.
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Poison is typically ingested, whereas venom is usually injected via a bite or a sting.Image: https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/whats-in-a-name-venoms-vs-poisons-toxinology-101
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Which of the following are things animals can use to defend themselves?Select all that apply.
Claws
Shells
Spines or Quills
Camouflage
Armor
Venom or Poison
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Animals can use a huge variety of things to defend themselves, including things like claws, spines or quills, armor, shells, camouflage, and venom or poison!Images: WWF - Symbolic Species Adoptions
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Animals can only use physical defenses, not chemical ones.
TrueFalse
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False! There are a large number of animals that use chemical defenses like venom or poison in addition to physical defenses like armor, teeth, or claws!Image: https://snakebuddies.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/pvv_list1.jpg
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How do sea turtles protect themselves from something like a predator?Select all that apply
Their hard carapace helps protect them.
They can bite the predator.
They swim fast or dive to escape.
They hide inside their shells.
Sea turtles do not have any defenses against predators.
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Sea turtles can swim away or dive to defend themselves from predators, but they can also bite the predator! Their hard carapace gives an added protection.*Fun Fact* Sea turtles cannot pull themselves into their shell - but tortoises can!
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Which of the following animals uses teeth to defend itself?Images: WWF - Symbolic Species Adoptions
Sea Turtles
Snow Leopards (Big Cats)
Honeybees
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A snow leopard (and other big cats) use their teeth to defend themselves, as well to catch prey! Sea turtles don't have any teeth - so they use their beaks and shells as protection! Honeybees may sting in defense if they are threatened!Images: WWF - Symbolic Species Adoptions
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