(A)An adaptation is a characteristic that helps an animal survive in its habitat. All animals must be able to obtain food and water, protect themselves from harm, withstand the climate, and reproduce young so the species doesn't become extinct. ... Without their adaptations, the species could not thrive in that environment.
GIRAFFE-That ability – coupled with the tongue's impressive reach and its tough skin – allows giraffes to selectively browse, plucking leaves from among the nasty thorns brandished by many of its preferred food trees, such as acacias.
