- Oh, hey guys.

I was just reading my book about Alaska.

They have a really cool frog there, but we'll talk about that later.

The last time we met we talked about the life cycles of organisms.

Do you remember anything about that lesson?

We talked about how all organisms are very different but we share some similarities like the stages of our life cycles.

We all go through birth, growth, reproduction, and eventually death.

There's some other characteristics that we share with other organisms.

Did you know that all organisms have adaptations that help them survive?

It's true.

I'll show you some, let's look at this seed from a tree, what do you notice about this seed?

I noticed that it shaped like a propeller.

This seed is from a redbud tree.

I have a redbud tree in my yard, and they're popular throughout the state of Arkansas.

This tree in the spring time grows beautiful, reddish-purple blooms that give way to the seeds that are shaped like propellers.

And what do you think happens when these seeds fall from a tree?

That's right, they fly everywhere because this is an adaptation that this tree has to help the species survive.

Let's look at some other interesting adaptations.

Here's a picture of a leopard, do you see his spots?

Those spots help the leopard hide from its prey.

And then there's a snow rabbit, this snow rabbit's fur helps it hide from its predators.

And this is an Alaskan wood frog, this guy can freeze up to 60% of his body to survive the cold Alaskan winters.

And then finally there's my favorite the cuttlefish.

No, he may not look very cuddly but this fish has a fascinating adaptation, it can change the color and even the texture of its skin to blend in with its surroundings in the ocean.

Wow!

Isn't life on planet earth amazing.

What I want you to do young scientists is I want you to find an organism in or around your home, it can be any living thing, a pet, a plant, an insect, even a sibling.

And I want you to see if you can think of the adaptations that organism has to help it stay alive.

That's all for today but until next time never stop exploring, and never stop discovering.

(upbeat music playing)