How are animals and plants adapted to their niche?

Animals and plants display structural and behavioural adaptations to their surroundings. Each animal and plant faces certain challenges to their survival such as predators, harsh weather or low food resources. Each species show structural and behavioural variation, some of which will increase the chance of the animal or plant surviving and reproducing. One example is the way plants may be adapted to the desert. Plants that grow here successfully are able to conserve water within them, this helps them to survive when there is not much rainfall. Another example of adaptation is camouflage. Some animals and insects look similar to their surroundings. This makes it more difficult for predators to find them, increasing their chance of survival. Successful adaptations allow the plant or animal to survive for long enough to reproduce. Their offspring will inherit some of their genes. It is likely that offspring will display the same behaviours or structures which allow them to survive. If the pressures facing a plant or animal change, previous adaptations may be useless and other aspects of variation may become beneficial.