Fabulous Faker Finding food isn’t an animal’s only challenge. So


is watching out for trouble. In the wild, danger is everywhere. So, like the cassowary, many animals have adaptations to defend themselves. Take Australia’s frilled lizard. Birds of prey


and snakes like to eat it. How does this lizard fi ght back? It doesn’t! T is fabulous faker tries to trick its enemies instead. It stands tall on its hind legs. It spreads out its frill. It opens its yellow-colored mouth and hisses. T is lizard, which can grow up to a meter long, now looks bigger and scarier than ever. If it can’t bluff its way out of danger, this lizard has another plan. It turns and sprints away. It’s quite a sight. Because its legs extend out from its body, it has a kooky, wobbly run.


Finding Fish Sometimes, a changing habitat causes problems. In Africa, long, hot summers can make lakes shrink. Some even dry up. T at’s not a problem for the lungfi sh. It’s


one of the few fi sh with lungs, so it can breathe air. It survives by digging down into the mud. T at’s great for the fi sh, but what about for the shoebill? T is big bird eats lungfi sh. Luckily, it has an amazing adaptation, too. Its oversize, odd-looking bill makes a perfect fi sh fi nder. T e shoebill waits on shore. It scans the water and mud for signs of the hiding fi sh. When it spots one, it ducks its head under the water. T en it nearly stands on its strong bill. It digs in the mud, using its bill to pry loose a long, wriggling lungfi sh.


Don’t bother this lizard! When it gets upset, it fl ares the frill behind its head, stands tall, and hisses.


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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER

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