🦆 Part 1: Understanding Animal Adaptations

1. What is an animal adaptation? Circle the best answer:

A special feature or behaviour that helps an animal survive

The colour of an animal's fur

Where an animal lives

What an animal eats

2. Why are adaptations important for animals? Write your answer below:

🥝 Part 2: New Zealand Native Animals

3. Read the text about the kiwi bird. Then fill in the blanks:

The kiwi is New Zealand's national bird. It has several amazing adaptations that help it survive. The kiwi is nocturnal, which means it is active at _____________. Its long beak has nostrils at the tip, helping it _____________ for food underground. The kiwi's feathers look more like _____________ than typical bird feathers, which helps it blend into the forest floor.

4. Based on the text above, tick all the kiwi's adaptations:

Being active at night

Having a colourful beak

Having nostrils at the tip of its beak

Having hair-like feathers

Flying very fast

🦎 Part 3: Skimming and Scanning Practice

5. Read this passage about the tuatara and answer the questions below:

The tuatara is a unique reptile found only in New Zealand. Unlike other reptiles, the tuatara can survive in cool temperatures as low as 5°C. It has a special "third eye" on top of its head that can detect changes in light and shadow, helping it spot predators. The tuatara grows very slowly and can live for over 100 years. During winter, it can slow down its heart rate and breathing to save energy - this is called brumation.

a) What is the lowest temperature a tuatara can survive?

b) What helps the tuatara spot predators?

c) What is brumation?