The complexity and detail, the structure of every living thing is astonishing. Each new personal discovery produces a broader appreciation and respect for nature, such as learning how many species have specialized defense mechanisms. This innate ability develops over time through adaptation. Adaptations are changes in an organism's physiological structure, function, or habits that allow it to survive in a new environment. Animals use numerous weapons to escape harm. These include camouflage, deception in the form of camouflage, chemical combat, and appearing injured or pretending to be dead. I had heard of birds that pretended to have a broken wing to lure intruders away from their nest. After what seemed like eons of waiting, this behavior finally manifested itself in a neglected pasture littered with tansy, thistles, and piles of ancient petrified horse manure. The killer deer had been giving its shrill warning for some time when, suddenly, it appeared with its wing askew, looking rather broken. Mesmerized, I watched as the intrepid mother bravely attempted to carry me away from her nearby nest. While numerous species have defensive weapons at the ready, others, like the monarch butterfly, go to great lengths to survive predation. The adult butterfly lays its eggs on milkweed leaves. After hatching, the caterpillars feed on milkweed, which contains a poison called cardenolides, or cardiac glycosides, which is toxic to almost all vertebrates. The monarch stores this bitter-tasting chemical during the changes from larva to pupa to adult. One attempt at a monarch dinner is all it takes to teach a hungry predator to avoid the bright colors of monarch caterpillars and butterflies. Not surprisingly, many other… middle of paper… nisms are harder to spot, meaning predators often get frustrated and give up. As environments and conditions change, the organisms that live there must also change. The development of defensive mechanisms such as mimicry, camouflage and chemical combat increases the chances of survival. Adaptation is necessary for organisms to survive predation."Adaptation is not limitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation."-Mahatma GandhiCome read about adaptationMade to eat vegetation;Or even more gruesome is the story,By those who chewed the tail of another. Look at your hand, and then at your thumb; A dinosaur wasn't that stupid; Just like your hand, its claw worked well for grabbing, pushing, climbing or killing. Author unknown