Worksheet: how animals protect themselves (with answer key)

Learning goals

• Students can explain eight ways animals protect themselves, with Indonesian examples.
• Students can correctly tell camouflage and mimicry apart.
• Students can explain autotomy and the difference between poisonous and venomous animals.
• Students can explain why animals should be watched from a safe distance without touching them.

Short reading

Animals protect themselves from predators with camouflage, mimicry, autotomy, body armour such as scales and spines, poison or venom, warning colours, smells or ink, and playing dead. For example, house geckos drop their tails (autotomy) and pangolins roll into a ball.

• Camouflage means blending in with the surroundings, while mimicry means looking like another living thing.
• Changing colour to blend into the background is camouflage, not mimicry; Indonesia's bunglon lizards are not true chameleons either.
• Autotomy means dropping a body part, such as a gecko's tail or a crab's claw; a regrown tail is not an exact copy.
• Poisonous animals are harmful when touched or eaten, while venomous animals inject toxins by biting or stinging.
• Pangolins roll up, porcupines rattle their quills, squid squirt ink and some snakes play dead.
• Watch animals from a distance; never catch, touch or pull the tail of an animal.

Activity 1

Write how each animal protects itself. Choose from: camouflage, mimicry, autotomy, rolling up, spines, poison, venom, warning colours, smell, ink, playing dead.

Activity 2

1. What is the difference between camouflage and mimicry? Give one Indonesian example of each.
2. Why does a gecko's dropped tail keep wriggling?
3. What is the difference between poisonous and venomous animals? Name one example of each.
4. A friend says, "A bunglon is a chameleon and always changes colour to hide." How would you correct this?
5. Why should we never pull a gecko's tail or handle toads and snakes?

Reflection

Which defence strategy interests you most? Why?

Which term did you think you understood but needed correcting?

How can you watch animals near your home safely?