Imagine trying to survive in forests and scrubland across New Zealand. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the kiwi, a bird about 45 centimeters long, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider nostrils at the tip of its long beak: this adaptation lets it sniff out worms hidden in the soil. The word nocturnal refers to active at night and asleep during the day. Equally important is strong legs with sharp claws, which help it dig and run along the forest floor. Without these traits, the kiwi would struggle to last a single season.
As an omnivore, the kiwi is an animal that eats both plants and animals; it depends on earthworms, insects and fallen fruit. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it is nocturnal and hunts at night by poking its beak into the ground. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young kiwis, called chicks, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. A kiwi egg is huge for the size of the bird, about a fifth of the mother's weight.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: the kiwi cannot fly, and it is a national symbol of New Zealand. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.