Picture trying to survive in the dry grasslands and deserts of southern Africa. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the springbok, a mammal about 80 centimeters tall at the shoulder, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider long, springy legs: this adaptation let it run fast and leap high to escape predators. The word predators refers to animals that hunt other animals for food. Equally important is a body that can get most of its water from plants, which lets it go a long time without drinking. Without these traits, the springbok would struggle to last a single season.
As a herbivore, the springbok is an animal that eats only plants; it depends on grasses, shrubs and succulent leaves. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it bounces straight up with stiff legs, called pronking, to show predators it is too fit to catch. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young springboks depend on their surroundings and on adult care. A newborn lies hidden in the grass for its first days while its mother feeds nearby.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: the springbok is the national animal of South Africa. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.