Lecture Notes: Survival Strategies in Nature

Snakes and Iguanas

Snakes Alertness: Snakes are on high alert for feeding opportunities.
Baby Iguana Escape: Young iguanas can outrun racer snakes on flat ground.
Detection of Movement: Snakes have poor eyesight but can detect movement, allowing iguanas a chance to evade.

Crab Dominance: Christmas Island, governed by crabs, has millions of crabs adapting to land life from sea ancestry.
Annual Migration: Every year, crabs must return to the sea to breed—a significant event known as the March of the Red Crab.
Threat from Yellow Crazy Ants: Introduced by humans, yellow crazy ants attack migrating crabs, using acid to blind them, leading to their demise.
Extinction Rate: Approximately 80% of recent extinctions are among island species, emphasizing vulnerability to new challenges.

Pigeons' Adaptability: Pigeons have thrived in urban environments due to a lack of fear towards humans.
Predator Introduction: Monstrous Wells catfish, introduced 40 years ago, now target pigeons as a food source.
Hunting Strategies: The catfish uses barbel sensors to hunt pigeons, showcasing a new predatory behavior.

Frog Egg Protection: A male frog guards his eggs from wasps, using his body as a decoy despite the risk of being stung.
Tadpole Defense: Unhatched tadpoles can sense danger and wriggle free to escape, demonstrating instinctual survival tactics.

Diversity in Ecuador: Ecuador’s jungles host over 100 hummingbird species competing for nectar.
Swordbills' Unique Adaptation: Swordbills have longer beaks allowing them access to flowers others cannot reach, giving them an exclusive food source.
Preening Challenges: Long beaks complicate preening, requiring swordbills to adapt their grooming habits.

Golden Moles: These blind predators use their excellent hearing to hunt termites in the sand, adopting a stealth approach.

Stallions' Territorial Battles: Water access is critical for stallions to maintain their herds; fights can result in significant injury.
Struggling for Survival: The outcome of battles may determine the future of both the stallions and their females.

Bear Feeding Patterns: Bears bulk up during summer for hibernation, using specific trees to rub off winter coats.
Scent Marking: Scent from rubbing trees helps bears identify other individuals in their territory.

Predation in Grasslands: Arctic wolves chase caribou, targeting the weak or slow; young caribou exhibit strong will to survive.

Winter Survival: Bison dig through snow for food, while foxes strategically wait to catch prey revealed by bison.

Fishing Bobcats: Bobcats adapt by learning to hunt in winter conditions, utilizing hot spring-fed rivers to find food.
Prey Selection: Bobcats choose targets carefully to ensure successful hunts.