Over time organisms have evolved to better suit their habitat. One example of an adaptation is defense. Defense is how an organism protects itself. There are many examples, even in your backyard, of defense adaptations. Some examples include a bee mimic moth, a thorn bush, a scarab beetle, a grasshopper mouse, and poke weed.

A bee mimic moth is colored like a bee to ward off predators. This is an example of warning coloration. Prey such as this has evolved their body coloration to lessen their chances of being eaten. Many of these colors help the prey to blend in with their surroundings.

Here is a bee mimic moth. Notice the coloring is exactly like that of a bee`s.

Scarab beetles have a hard casing over their wings. This is an adaption to protect them from predators, but the main purpose of this adaptation is to protect the beetle’s wings while walking on the ground.

The grasshopper mouse has many adaptations for defense. These include strong back legs, immunity to some types of venom, long claws, and long incisor teeth. The strong back legs are used for killing major predators like centipedes. They are immune to the toxins/ venom from scorpions and snakes (among others). Their long claws and long incisor teeth assist the grasshopper mouse in effectively catching and killing their larger, stronger prey. Many of these adaptations help the grasshopper mouse in protecting their young, if need be.

Here is one of the mice we caught. Its not exactly a grasshopper mouse, but they look pretty similar

Plants also have adaptations for defense. The poke weed plant truly lives up to the phrase “It gets better with age”. As the plant matures, it becomes more venomous. The poison is used to keep things from eating it.

The thorns on bushes keep animals from disturbing the plant (i.e. stepping on the plant or eating it). An example of this type of plant is a rose bush. An animal won’t eat a rose bush if it’s going to get all scratched up during the meal. Another example of this is a cactus.

As you can see, all kinds of things have adaptations for defense. From protecting their wings to killing all who eat them, things are well protected thanks to adaptations.