托福口语 Task 4

Today we’re going to talk about how animals use behavioral adaptation to survive in harsh environments. One key point is that some animals alter their daily activity patterns to avoid extreme temperatures or predators. Take the desert kangaroo rat, for example. During the scorching daytime, when temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius, the kangaroo rat stays in its cool underground burrow. It only comes out at night to forage for seeds, when the air is cooler and humidity is higher, reducing water loss. This nocturnal behavior helps it conserve precious water and avoid heat stress. Another example is the Arctic fox. In the freezing Arctic, instead of remaining active all day, the fox adjusts its hunting times based on prey availability. It primarily hunts during the twilight hours—early morning and late afternoon—when its main prey, lemmings, are most active. By being active during these brief windows, the fox maximizes its hunting success while minimizing exposure to the extreme cold and potential predators like polar bears. So, in both cases, shifting activity patterns is a crucial survival strategy.