An Animal's Traits Help it Survive
Tanuki Time
Name: Next Generation Science
3-LS3-1 Animals have traits and variation of traits exists within a group of similar organisms. 3-LS3-2 Traits can be influenced by the environment. 3-LS4-2 Variation in traits helps the species survive.
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By Allison Whitezell, Isaac McCurry, Aysha Imtiaz, Jake Hunter, and Beth Hunter.
An Animal’s Traits Help it Survive: Tanuki Time
Student Edition ISBN 979-8-88987-006-7
Teacher Edition ISBN 979-8-88987-016-6
Edition 3
Featured contributing author:
Allison Whitezell Teacher, Bonneville Elementary School, Utah
While growing up, I loved school and learning. One of my favorite things to do was to read. I was able to experience so many things through books. I love being in charge and helping people, so I decided to become a teacher. Now, I have children of my own and I get to teach them too. Some of our favorite things to do together are playing outside and enjoying nature. We also love to read and visit new places.
Explore the Phenomenon!
Lesson Anchor
Be a bird with a specialized beak!
Birds have beaks to help them get food. Experiment with different tools to represent different types of beaks to see which works best to pick up different types of food.
What you'll need:
-Toby tweezers
-two spoons
-test tube or soda bottle caps
-Blocky axils, twigs, or chopsticks
-Various items to represent food for birds such as cereal, cut string, paper pieces, rice, seeds, beans, brads, pebbles, or marbles.
What you'll do:
1.Spread out a mix of “bird food” items for four bird beak groups.
2.Join a bird group and get your “beak” tools.
3.Collect as much “food” as you can in 45 seconds with your tools.
4.Count and record the items you picked up in the Bird Beak Game data table.
5.Rotate groups and try again using a different “beak.”
Find small objects such as these around your classroom or home.
Food items:
Bird beak tools:
Bird Beak Groups
Nuthatches
Nuthatches use their beaks to feed on seeds.
Waxwings
Waxwings use their short, thick beaks to feed on large berries.
Puffins
Puffins use their short, strong beaks to grasp on tiny fish.
Herons
Herons use their long beaks to grab large fish.
Question, investigate, and collect data
When you have a great question, you can investigate to find an explanation. With an investigation, you explore and make observations.
How does the shape of a bird’s beak affect its ability to pick up food? investigation question
Durring your bird beak investigation, count the items you pick up in 45 seconds in each round and record your results below.
Bird Beak Game Data
If you don’t have the same items pictured above, just get some small items to represent bird food from your home of classroom. Get creative! There are many things you could try picking up with your bird beak tools.
Tweezers
Bottle Caps
Spoons
Large items (nuts)
(small seeds)
Tiny items
Small items (insects)
Paper (leaves)
String (worms)
Waxwings
Herons
Nuthatches
Puffins
Which tools worked best for picking up which items? Use your observations and recorded results to explain your reasoning.
How do inherited traits influence an animal’s ability to survive in the wild? Watch me ace this challenge!!
m
Explain the Phenomenon!
Traits help organisms survive
A trait is a special feature or behavior that an organism has such as the shape of a bird’s beak. Living organisms have traits that help them survive in the places they live. For example, camouflage is a trait that allows certain animals to blend into their surroundings, keeping them hidden from predators.
What advantage does camouflage give each of these animals?
Think, Pair, Share!
We get our traits from our parents
An animal’s traits are inherited from its parents. This means that characteristics like fur color, size, and behaviors are passed down from parent to child. Inherited traits determine how an animal looks and acts.
A mother horse is called a mare and a baby is a foal. They look very similar.
Can you identify the similarities and differences between this mare and foal?
Plants have traits too
Plants cannot move, which makes them at risk of being eaten, especially if they taste delicious to certain animals or insects. So, how can a plant defend itself? Plants have traits that act as defenses such as thorns and spines that keep animals away. Others taste bitter and some are poisonous.
What advantage do these defense traits give each of these plants?
Think, Pair, Share!
Foxglove (poisonous)
Death Nightshade (poisonous)
Poison Oak (poisonous)
Fold the flaps to discover the amazing abilities these animals from Japan have thanks to their traits.
These snow monkeys are covered with thick fur.
Fold Line
How does thick fur help the snow monkey?
Think, Pair, Share!
This rock ptarmigan has white feathers.
How do white feathers help this arctic bird?
Think, Pair, Share!
This serow, or forest goat, has a great sense of smell.
How does a great sense of smell help the serow?
Think, Pair, Share!
Thick fur is a trait that helps this snow monkey stay warm during the cold, icy winter.
White feathers are a trait that help this rock ptarmigan stay hidden in white snow.
A sensitive nose is a trait that helps the serow find good plants to eat.
This coot has wide, ribbed toes.
How does this trait help the coot?
Think, Pair, Share!
This sika deer sheep has a digestive system that gets energy from plants.
How does this trait help the sika deer?
Think, Pair, Share!
This pine tree has thick, sticky sap in its needles.
How does this trait help the tree?
Think, Pair, Share!
Fold Line
Wide, ribbed toes are a trait that help this coot swim through the water and walk on soft mud to find food.
A specialized digestive system is a trait that allows this deer to get energy from tough, woody plants, such as weeds.
Thick, sticky sap is a trait that helps the pine tree not freeze during the cold winter.
Traits enable living things to thrive
Different organisms look differently, act differently, and can do different things because of the traits they inherit. These traits help organisms live well in different habitats. A habitat is the environment that a plant or animal lives in.
Which traits help these plants and animals thrive in different habitats? Think, Pair, Share!
Jungle Desert
(Oryx)
(Whale) (Sandpiper)
(Giraffe) (Monkey)
(Arctic fox)
Marine habitat
Savanna Arctic Shoreline
Looking like a bee keeps these flies safe
Sometimes traits give organisms an advantage. Mimicry is a survival trait where one species evolves to look like another. For example, hover flies resemble bees with their black and yellow stripes. Although hover flies are completely harmless, predators avoid them because they think they are bees.
This hover fly avoids being eaten by looking similar to a stinging bee.
The traits of a bee and a fly
You can tell the difference between a bee and a fly by some simple traits.
Honey bee
Traits of a bee:
- Bees have long antennae.
- Bees have two pairs of wings (four wings total).
- Bees have hairy yellow and black stripes on their abdomen.
House fly
Traits
of a fly:
- Flies have short, stubby antennae.
- Flies only have one wing on each side (two wings total).
-Flies have less hair and different colored patterns on their body.
Is it a bee or a fly?
Bees and flies are different insects with distinct traits. Can you tell a bee apart from a fly by looking at their physical traits?
Feathers and Fur!
Feathers and fur insulate animals by keeping cold air out and body heat in. They also keep animals dry and help them stay camouflaged. Look closely to see what makes feathers and fur good insulators.
What you'll need:
- Toby tweezers
- a petri dish
- Meeka microscope or Maggie magnifying glass
- samples of feathers or fur
What you'll do:
1. Get some samples of feathers or fur. Your teacher may have some or you can go outside to look for some. You could collect fur from a pet at home too.
2. Draw and describe what you see.
3. Use your observations to explain how each trait of the feathers or fur could be useful to the animal.
Oooh, this fur feels soft.
It looks interesting too.
Observe the insulative traits of fur
Take a close look at these photos of a microscope’s view to see fur close-up. How do you think these insulating materials help the animals survive?
40X magnification Caribou Fur
40X magnification Buffalo Wool
Buffalo wool has crimped and twisted fibers that shed water and retain warmth even when wet.
40X magnification Puppy fur
Caribou have large, hollow hairs full of air, which helps insulate them from extreme cold. They also have wool strands in their coat for extra warmth.
This dog’s hair is straight and stiff. It provides great insulation when dry, but not when wet.
Feathers and Fur
Look at your feather and fur samples under a microscope.
Sample 1:
Examine your sample. Describe its features.
Draw what you see.
Sample 2:
Examine your sample. Describe its features.
Draw what you see.
Sample 2:
Examine your sample. Describe its features.
Draw what you see.
What features or traits did you see in your feathers or fur samples that help the animal?
How does having insulating traits affect the survival of animals living in cold places?
Where do animals get the traits of their feathers or fur?
Think, Pair, Share!
A species can have many traits
A species is a group of similar organisms that can have offspring. Dogs are an animal species. Althought dogs have many different traits, all dogs belong to the same species.
German
Shepard
Australian
Shepard
What traits do you see in these dogs?
Think, Pair, Share!
Chihuahua
French Bulldog
Jack Russell Terrier
Yorkie
Labrador Retriever
Husky
Newfoundland Dog
Some traits help individuals survive better
Differences in traits among plants or animals of the same species can help them survive, find mates, and reproduce more successfully.
Some cats have better camouflage than others. Cats that are successful hunters may survive and have offspring.
These moths are members of the same species. The moth with better camouflage is more likely to stay hidden and survive to have offspring.
Think, Pair, Share!
How could a trait give a moth or a cat an advantage over others of their same species?
Parents and offspring have diverse traits
Parents and their offspring share similarities in traits, but they also have differences. Similarities and differences in traits also exist between siblings.
See if you can spot the similarities and differences between the parent mice and their offspring.
Traits of the siblings
Traits
Dark eyes
Red eyes
Solid-colored
Multi-colored
Number of mice
Traits of the parents
Traits
Dark eyes
Red eyes
Solid-colored
Multi-colored
What similarities and differences do you see between the parents and siblings?
Think, Pair, Share!
Mom
Dad
Mom
Dad
Mouse Family Traits
Graph the traits of these mice using the data table using the observations you recorded in the table, “Mouse Family Traits.”
How do the traits of the sibling mice compare to one another?
How do the traits of the parents compare to the traits of the offspring?
Some traits have advantages over others
Sometimes the differences in traits between animals of the same species have advantages for surviving or finding a mate. Some of these kittens have better color patterns for camouflage—they may have an easier time hunting for food than their siblings.
Traits of the kittens
Number of kittens
Striped neck
Calico body
Striped body
Striped tail
Solid tail
Traits of the mommy cat
Traits
Striped neck
Calico body
Striped body
Striped tail
Solid tail
Mom
Traits
How does the appearance of the kittens compare to their mother?
Circle the cats in the photo that you think may have the best camouflage. How do you think their colors could affect their survival compared to their siblings?
Can you find me in the story?
The illustrations in this book feature animals found in Japan. As you read, see if you can find these animals.
Check off the animals that you find in the illustrations of the story!
A tanuki is a raccoon dog with canine teeth like a fox, coyote, or wolf. Tanuki are real animals that live in Japan, but, you can also read about them in Japanese myths and legends.
These large mammals live in the wooded forests of Japan and graze on high mountains. They often stand on their hind legs to reach their favorite food.
Serow
The forest goat
Tanuki
Japanese raccoon dog
Eurasian Coot
A duck-like bird
With webbed feet and a dark beak, the coot finds food in muddy lagoons and even puddles.
Macaque
The pink-faced monkey
These snow monkeys are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they eat plants or animals when they need to.
Rock Ptarmigan
An arctic bird
The rock ptarmigan lives in cold climates. They have white feathers in winter and speckled feathers in summer.
Sika
The
wetland deer
These tiny deer are masters of camouflage. Their reddish-brown coats with white spots help them blend into the forest.
Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel
Giant flying squirrels have a flap of skin connecting their wrists and ankles which allows them to fly.
Amami Rabbit
The Small-Eared Rabbit
The tiny Amami rabbit lives on the Amami islands of Japan. They have tiny ears.
Tsushima Leopard
Tsushima Mountain Cat
Tsushima leopards are endangered wildcats; they’re so rare they’re called the sacred mountain cat.
Japanese Otter
Extinct Species
The Japanese otter lived in rivers all across Japan.
Japanese Lucky Foods
Japan has many types of “lucky” foods that are thought to bring luck, prosperity, and success to those who eat them.
Good Luck Roll
It is considered good luck to face east while eating the roll all at once. Not a single grain of rice can go to waste, or the good luck will be lost!
Fuki Beans
You must only eat as many beans as your age and then one extra for good luck.
Sticky Foods
Sticky foods such as raw egg, mushrooms, seaweed, yam, and okra are considered good luck. You can eat them to help you “stick” to hard tasks.
Katsu Fried Chicken
In Japanese, “katsu” means “to win!” This lucky meal can be eaten before sports matches or to do well on a test.
Red Tai Fish
This delicious fish brings prosperity and is eaten at birthdays, weddings, and new year celebrations for good luck.
Try to read
Tanuki Time
Part 1:
Trouble in Shirakawa
It was a day like most others, but the animal residents of Shirakawa wanted something lucky to happen to them.
Read to me:
It was a day like most others in the quiet Japanese village of Shirakawa. Purple mountains loomed over thatched roofs and rice paddies. Lush green lotus ponds shimmered in the sunlight. Each house in the village had a garden statue of a raccoon-like dog called a tanuki. The village animals listened to folktales about takukis and carried around stuffed tanuki dolls because they thought they were lucky. All across the village, the mystical tanuki were celebrated, however, none of the village animals had ever seen a real live tanuki before.
What traits do the animals in this illustration have?
Think, Pair, Share!
Color the illustrations while your teacher reads to you.
Try to read
They had been waiting to see a very important, lucky, and adorable animal called a Tanuki.
Read to me:
Seeing a tanuki in real life meant luck and prosperity for years to come.
“Once, I saw a long snout,” said Sika the wetland deer. “As the animal scurried away, I saw its long, bushy tail too, but, it turned out to be a fox,” she said sadly.
“Don’t remind me,” said Serow, the forest goat, “Once, I thought I had heard the ‘yiy-yip’ sound of a tanuki and my heart raced. But alas, it was just the sound of a trotting horse.”
As the animals walked on, they heard a rustling in the leaves ahead.
Then, they heard the unmistakable call that was the stuff of legends.
‘Yip-yip!’ It was the barking sound of a real tanuki!
Would seeing a real tanuki bring prosperity their way today?
Do you think the ‘yip-yip’ sound of a tanuki is a learned behavior or an inherited trait?
Think, Pair, Share!
Try to read
Part 2:
An Adorable Baby Tanuki
They finally found a baby tanuki in the forest. It was a cute and it looked very sad and scared.
Read to me:
The animals straightened up the best they could. They rearranged their whiskers, feathers, coats, and beards so they could impress whatever had made the sound. It was surely a tanuki—a celebrity with legendary status! They wondered if they should bow or curtsy. Nobody knew, because they had never met a real Tanuki before.
They imagined how royal the tanuki would seem. But, when they finally saw what made the sound, they didn’t see a magnificent creature. Instead, they saw a very cute and very wide-eyed baby tanuki. With its glistening brown coat, button nose, tiny paws, and fuzzy belly, it was the most adorable thing they had ever seen!
Look at the baby tanuki in the illustration. What traits does it have? Think, Pair, Share!
Try to read
Part 3: What’s Wrong, Tanuki?
The tanuki would not stop crying. The animals did not know what to do. Sika the deer thought they should feed it.
Read to me:
Wise Serow went closer, followed by the other animals. “My dear Tanuki, you are here! Have you come to change our destinies and bring luck to the land?” he asked.
The animals held their breath, curious to see the wisdom the celebrated tanuki would share. Instead, the baby tanuki flopped over onto its stomach and started bawling.
Was the tanuki injured? Was it sick? Was it missing its family? Had it lost a valuable treasure? They almost forgot about the baby Tanuki as they debated each other’s ideas. They decided to take the tanuki back to the village.
“All this crying makes me hungry. Maybe our little tanuki is hungry too?” suggested Sika, the tiny forest deer.
Part 4:
Muddy’s Good Luck Roll
Try to read
Muddy the coot used his webbed feet to swim and collect lotus root. He made the tanuki a lucky rice roll.
Read to me:
Since nobody had ever seen a tanuki, much less tried to feed one, they didn’t actually know what the tanuki would like to eat. They decided each animal would give the Tanuki the most special food they were able to gather.
Muddy the Eurasian coot went first. “With my wide, webbed feet, I can paddle through the water fast and walk in the mud very well.”
He made good luck rolls with a lotus root that he gathered from the pond. The rolls were filled with rice and wrapped in seaweed. Muddy turned the tanuki to face exactly east where the sun rises and stuffed the lotus roll down its throat and into its grateful belly. Not a single grain of luck was lost. The animals were astounded and Muddy was pleased.
What traits help the Muddy the coot get its food?
Think, Pair, Share!
Try to read
Part 5: Kuchu’s Fuki Beans
Kuchu
the flying squirrel used her wing flaps to glide and search for fuki beans. She gave the tanuki her lucky beans.
Read to me:
“Dear Tanuki! If you liked that, just wait until you try my lucky food!” Kuchu, the giant flying squirrel, exclaimed.
Kuchu led Tanuki to a small patch of grass surrounded by branches. As if unveiling a masterpiece, he pushed some twigs aside and there, arranged as neatly as oranges in a grocery store, was Kuchu’s collection of lucky beans.
“It’s a bit of an obsession,” said Kuchu bashfully. “My wing flaps allow me to glide far and wide to search for beans and my cheek pouches help me carry them here.”
The tanuki began gobbling up the beans. Chomp, chomp! Munch, munch!
What
traits help Kuchu the flying squirrel get its food? Think, Pair, Share!
Part 6: Tushi’s Katsu Fried Chicken
Try to read
Tushi the mountain cat used her claws and teeth to catch his food. He gave the tanuki katsu chicken.
Read to me:
“Now it’s time for you to try my favorite food!” said Tushi, the mountain cat.
Tanuki followed Tushi home.
“You’ve befriended a TANUKI and brought it home?” gasped Mama Cat. “Oh, the luck and prosperity this will bring! Please come in, Tanuki.”
The mountain cat family always had meat. “With our perfect eyesight and sharp claws,” beamed Mama cat, “we are good at hunting for our food.”
“Have some katsu,” she said as she served a thin piece of meat fried to a perfect golden crisp.
Crunch, crunch! Tanuki ate the katsu with a dark, sticky sauce.
What traits help Tushi the mountain cat get its food?
Think, Pair, Share!
Part 7: Snow Monkey’s very sticky food
Try to read
Snow Monkey used his strong arms to climb and search for his favorite sticky foods. He gave the tanuki okra to eat.
Read to me:
“Now for the stickiest food you’ve ever tried!” exclaimed the snow monkey.
“My strong arms make me an excellent climber. I can pick lots of fruits for you,” said the playful snow monkey. “Look at me! I can scamper and swing my way into lots of places!”
The monkey gave the tanuki his favorite lucky food—sticky green okra!
“I like okra because it’s slimy and fun to play with,” the monkey said,
The tanuki took a bite of the sticky okra.
“There!” exclaimed the snow monkey. “Now that you’ve eaten a sticky food, you can do your best to stick to things until you finish them.”
What traits help the snow monkey get its food?
Think, Pair, Share!
Try to read
Part 8: Kawa’s lucky red tai fish
Kawa the river otter used her strong tail to swim and catch fish. She gave the tanuki a delicious red tai fish.
Read to me:
Kawa knew the other animals had impressed Tanuki, so it was time to bring her best paw forward.
“Oh great Tanuki, I’d be honored to offer you the luckiest food I know of—a delicious tai fish,” Kawa announced. “Tai fish are very fast, but I’m skilled at catching them!”
“I have a very strong tail,” said Kawa. I can swim fast, dive, and hold my breath as I search for the perfect fish.”
In a flash, Kawa slipped into the water. Tanuki tried to peer in wondering if he should follow, but soon Kawa was back. In her mouth was the special fish. Tanuki licked its lips and happily ate the entire lucky fish.
What traits help Kawa the river otter get its food? Think, Pair, Share!
Part 9: The Village
Try to read
Each animal could get special foods with their special abilities. The tanuki liked all the lucky foods that the animals gave him.
Read to me:
Wise Serow asked Tanuki the question they’d all been most curious about: “Which food did you like best, dear Tanuki?”
The tanuki was so full it just leaned back and gave a little hiccup. It had liked all the lucky foods! In fact, this was one of Tanuki’s most important traits—not being a picky eater helps tanuki survive.
If there was one thing Tanuki knew for sure, it was that each of the amazing animals of Shirakawa-go had special talents and abilities. All it took for the animals to realize this was one poor baby tanuki that was grumpy because it had not had breakfast yet.
What type of trait describes the tanuki’s ability to like all kinds of food? Explain your reasoning. Think, Pair, Share!
A plant's surroundings affect its traits
A plant’s traits can also be influenced by other factors in its surroundings such as availability of food and water. A fern growing in a dry place will not grow as well as a fern growing in moist soil even if they are the same type of fern.
This fern will stay smaller than others of its kind because it receives less water and has less soil in its rocky crevice.
These ferns grow large and healthy because they have good soil and lots of water.
How can the surroundings affect how these ferns grow?
Think, Pair, Share!
An animal's surroundings affect its traits
While the traits of an animal are inherited from its parents, other characteristics result from its surroundings. A coyote with little available food may look skinnier than a coyote with plenty of food.
This coyote is skinnier because it has less food in the desert.
This coyote grows large and healthy because it has lots of food in the forest.
How can the surroundings affect how these coyotes grow? How are the surroundings related to the traits of these coyotes?
These cats are fluffy and fabulous
A pet dog or cat that eats too much and exercises too little may become overweight. A trait such as this is influenced by the surroundings and is called an environmental trait. The weight gain is influenced by the cat’s environment and lifestyle, and is not an inherited trait like fur color. In disguise as a fluffy marshmallow!
Think, Pair, Share!
The enviornment can effect traits
Inherited traits and where an animal lives effects how an animal looks and acts. Factors like climate, food availability, and learned abilities shape what the animal becomes.
@RoundAndProudCats
The best view is from this angle.
How could climate impact a plant or animal’s environmental traits?
10,967,003 likes
How is an environmental trait different than an inherited trait?
I’mjustfullof air,butthis catisfullof cuddles!
@TubbyTabbyTales
Hibernation mode: engaged!
Napping ismy cardio.
120,947,001 likes
Think, Pair, Share!
Think, Pair, Share!
Say cheese!!
Behavioral traits can be learned
Many animals have unique behaviors and skills. Some behavioral traits are inherited but others are learned. Animals often learn these behaviors from other members of their species and by practicing.
Chimpanzees learn to use tools by observing other chimps. This chimp uses a stick to fish for termites.
Dolphins learn to make dolphin sounds to communicate with others in their pod and to hunt as a group.
Ospreys learn to catch fish with practice. A parent will feed its chick until it gets good at hunting too.
Mountain goats learn to navigate steep terrain by playing follow the leader with older goats.
Do you think an animal’s behaviors are learned or inherited? Think, Pair, Share!
Can you explain it?
What types of traits can animals have and how do their traits influence their ability to survive in the wild?
Explain the Phenomenon!
