Animal adaptation refers to any heritable trait that helps an organism, such as a plant or animal, survive and reproduce in its environment. Adaptations can be physical or behavioral. Physical adaptations are structural features of an organisms body that help it survive, such as a birds beak shape or a cheetahs speed. Behavioral adaptations are actions an organism takes to survive, such as a bird building a nest or a lion hunting in a group.

Some examples of animal adaptations include a dogs sense of smell, which is 1 million times more sensitive than humans, allowing them to find their food and detect territorial markings from other dogs. Another example is the symbiotic relationship between oxpeckers and zebras in the African savannahs, where the birds sit on the backs of zebras to pick off lice and other bugs, which is food for the oxpeckers, and the zebras can get rid of pests. Also, oxpeckers screech loudly when predators are approaching, which gives zebras early warning to run away.

Its important to note that animal adaptations dont happen immediately, but rather over many years of new generations of animals being born with characteristics that have suited their habitat better.