2.Design/invent an animal/plant/microbe/alien that lives in an extreme habitat.
ID: 272655 • Letter: 2
Question
2.Design/invent an animal/plant/microbe/alien that lives in an extreme habitat. Make sure to describe the aspects of the environment that make it "extreme".You must include a basic description of the organism (size, shape, major body structures-as appropriate). For three of these four body systems-gas exchange, feeding & digestion, osmoregulation & excretion and/or circulation-describe what is special/unique/different from a "normal" organism that allows it to survive in its environment. Also include at least one more system (as appropriate for your organism) out of these: reproduction, endocrine, muscular/skeletal system (locomotion), immune/defense or nervous system/sensory organs. (15 points) Sketches are appreciated but not required!)
Explanation / Answer
The unique organism about which we will discuss is unique to the Gobi Desert.
The Gobi desert is a vast arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia. It is known for its sand dunes, mountains and rare animals like the Bactrian camels , snow leopards etc. The deep ice fields of Yolyn Am canyon are mysterious and extremely difficult to explore. It is also an area where several dinosaur fossils are found. Our animal lives in the ice fields of Yolyn Am canyon.
The Gobi is a cold desert with frost and occassionally snowfall occuring on its dunes. Not only is it located on far northern latitudes but also on a plateau roughly 3000 to 5000 feet above sea level. It has the world's most extreme weather conditions with rapid temperature chages within a day.
The animal we are talking about , let us name him Giant Joe, was first spotted in the Yoln Am canyon , the area where the first dinosaur fossil was found.
Giant Joe is about 10 feet tall and stands erect. Its entire body is covered with a thick coat of reddish brown fur. The fore limbs are quite long. There are 5 digits in each limb. The space between the digits in the hind limbs have thin flaps of skin between them , making the feet look webbed. This is for a purpose in their adaptation to the extreme climate of the region. The digits of the fore limb have strong and sharp claws which are used for defence and for hunting and scraping grass or shrubs from the substratum.
Giant Joe is an omnivore as we have observed it eating the shrubs and scanty grass growing on the rocks of the canyon. It also hunts for and eats small animals like marmots.
Although Giant Joe is terrestrial but gill like structures are observed behind its external ears. This is strange but is a form of adaptation. Since the fur cover on Joe's body is extremely thick , it cannot bear even a slight raise in temperature . While the temperature during the winter months can be as low as -- 40 degree celcius , in the summer it can reach upto 40 -45 degree celcius. Although , in the ice canyon the temperature does not rise this high but still the heat is intolerable for Joe. So, it moves into the water bodies in the region. While in water, it brathes through gills and feeds on aquatic plants and animals.
Although Joe looks like a mammal, but the females of its species lay eggs. Both parents take care of the egg and keep it warm . When the eggs hatch , a young one arrives which is hairless and completely dependent on its mother. The young one feeds on mother's milk and is nurtured by the mother for about a year. The young ones remain with the parents till they are mature enough to fend for themselves.
It is also stange to note that members of these species seem to communicate with each other by taking out different sounds. During the arid and cold winter months, these animals conserve water in a unique way. They stop excreting urine. Only solid waste is given out by way of excretion and this contains solid uric crystals. So , they seem to excrete nitrogenous waste by two methods.
Mating is seasonal , generally in the summer months. The eggs are laid 4 months aftr fertilisation and it takes another 3 months for the eggs to hatch. The eggs are incubated by both the parents.
Giant Joe and the members of its species make their homes in the rocky caves found in the walls of the grand canyon. They spend the winters in these caves along with their newborns. Summers are spent in the water bodies . They seem to be warm blooded as they do not go into hibernation during winters but reduce physical activity to conserve energy.
Despite their huge structure, the species are not very aggressive or curious. They have confined themselves to their habitat with very little or no interaction with the outside world . They donot like outside intrusion either and show their displeasure by growling and baring their teeth. The sharp claws on the fore limbs also keep the adventurous at bay !
A lot is yet to be discovered about Giant Joe and his species,.
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