A chameleon changing colors is a perfect example of the nervous system (brain) at work. When the chameleon’s skin experiences a change in temperature or mood, its brain processes the shift and reacts appropriately by expanding and contracting cells that contain pigment sacs. Just like any other animal, the chameleon is reliant on its mind to process external stimuli.

The way in which an organism gathers information will depend on the organism and the body structures that pick up signals from the environment. Many animals, like humans, have sense organs that gather information from the environment through seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. Some animals have sensory receptors or other mechanisms that allow them to sense such things as light, temperature, moisture, and movement.

Source: (http://media.ride.ri.gov/eeie/Resources/RIModelCurr/UnitsofS/4th_Units_of_Study/RIDE_NGSS_Gr04_Unit4_2014May24_final.pdf)

Animals rely on their abilities to use sensory programs to stay alive. Their brains process information quickly to help them hunt, stay alive, and reproduce. Animals’ brains, like humans’, store information so they can also reference learned behaviors when similar scenarios arise and make decisions quickly.

Animals process many different types of information. Snakes, for example, can process infrared radiation to assist in hunting. Chameleons process changes in temperature, and their skin changes colors accordingly. Platypus can detect electric signals using their bills to find prey in the mud.

This is a true statement. Animals have specific receptors that do a specialized job. Animals use their five sense just like humans to take in information that later is processed. They may have different levels of abilities with the senses (exceptional eyesight, night vision, echolocation, etc.), but they all use them to receive information.

This classroom investigation is a great hands-on way for students to see how animals receive information. Deer are prey animals and are always on the look-out for predators. Their massive sound collecting ears are perfect for amplifying or increasing the volume of soft noises in the woods. A predator will try to ambush or sneak up on a deer, so they walk very slowly and carefully. The deer can hear even the slightest crackling of leaves or sticks, and this advantage may very well be what keeps them alive.

Prey animals spend their whole lives trying to avoid being eaten by a predator. Predators exert immense amounts of energy to hunt prey animals and get a meal. Their vision is ideally suited for their specific lifestyles and tasks. A full, board field of view will help a prey animal like a gazelle see all around it while it grazes. A cheetah has zeroed in on the gazelle with its forward-facing binocular like vision. Each animal has eyes to receive information for their need and adaptations.

Whiskers are a unique feature that mammals have to detect vibrations in the ground and air. Animals such as mice will stop and sniff the air for scents but also sense any movement from a possible predator through their whiskers. Animals will also use their whiskers to feel the air current, and when there is limited light, they will use the whiskers to judge the size of an opening or hole to determine if they can fit. Their whiskers are continually picking up information for their brain to process.

Nighttime in the jungle can be a scary place because it is incredibly dark. The thick canopy blocks out light from stars, the Moon, and nearby cities. As sugar gliders travel through the trees to find food, they need to see where the branches are for their next landing and if there is a predator approaching. Their large eyes are adapted to receive information from their surroundings. Their pupils will dilate, making their eyes look almost entirely black to allow more light into the eye. This adaptation helps the sugar glider find food and be on the look-out for predators.

Many animals, like humans, have sense organs that gather information from the environment through seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. Some animals have sensory receptors or other mechanisms that allow them to sense such things as light, temperature, moisture, and movement. Because animals live in different environments from one another and have multiple different types of prey/predators, they must gather information in different ways, which best benefits their species.