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Behavioural adaptations in animals

Adaptations help organisms survive in their ecological niche or habitat; adaptations can be anatomical, behavioural or physiological. The adaptations in the behaviour of an organism are termed as behavioural adaptations. It includes hibernation, aestivation, migration, etc. which enable the organisms to escape environmental stress.

For example, Ectotherms are cold blooded animals and they cannot regulate their own body temperature e.g. fish, amphibians, reptiles, etc. To maintain their body temperature, they have shown various behavioural changes such as, the desert lizard basks in the sun during early hours when the temperature is low. As the temperature rises, the lizard escapes the scorching sun by burrows itself inside the sand. Certain endotherms (warm-blooded animals) such as birds and mammals also show behavioural adaptation. They escape cold hibernating during winters and hot weather conditions by aestivating during summers.