Question

An adaptation to arboreal life (tree living) is
(A) Thick skin
(B) Camouflage
(C) Opposable thumb
(D) Hibernation

Answer 1

Hint: This adaptation helps the arboreal animals to make strong grip by which they can climb on trees and hold on to stuff.

Complete answer: Arboreal species are organisms that spend most of their time in trees. They are feeding, sleeping and playing in the tree canopy. There are thousands of animals living in trees, including monkeys, koalas, possums, sloths, assorted rodents, parrots, chameleons, geckos, tree snakes and a number of insects. Many animals have developed unique adaptations to sustain their arboreal lifestyles.

Now, let us find the step-by-step solution from the given options-
1. Thick skin helps to show the insulation to the body of certain animals living in cold weather. Seals have a dense layer of fat called blubber that lets them retain moisture in their bodies. They wouldn't be able to stay warm in cold water without this blubber. The blubber acts as a form of insulation to keep their internal body temperature up.
2. Camouflage is an adaptation to blend with the environment in order to defend from predators as in Chameleon. Organisms use camouflage to hide their identity, location, and movement. This helps the prey to escape predators, and the predators to creep into prey.
3. The Arboreal animals spend most of their time on trees. Various such animals feed as well as sleep on the tree canopy, like monkeys, koalas, parrots, etc. That is why they have an opposable thumb that gives them a strong grip to help them climb on trees and hold on to stuff.
4. Hibernation is the winter sleep displayed by the frog in which it avoids its activities and burrows in the mud. Hibernation is a great technique that helps animals to conserve energy when food is scarce. During hibernation, body temperature drops, breathing and heart rate slows, and most of the body's metabolic functions are held in a state of quasi-suspended animation.

Thus, the correct answer is option C i.e., Opposable thumb.

Note: Arboreal locomotion refers to animals that live in and pass through trees. These animals also have physical adaptations that assist in this movement.
These adaptations can include long arms, prehensile paws, and claws.