Toco+Toucan+(Future+Animal-+The+Steel+Toucan)+-+Garrick

Learn more about the Toco Toucan's ancestors:The Archaeopteryx Learn more about the The Steel Toucan's past related species; The Toco Toucan Steel Toucan By Garrick Lai In the world of 2199, humans have destroyed many vegetations and habitats of different animal species. Numerous animal species are now extinct and most of the surviving animals have gone through series of evolutions and adaptations in order to survive in the new environment. One of the surviving animals that live in 2199 is the Steel Toucans ( //Ramphastos // //Ferrum//)  which has speciated from the Toco Toucan.

  The Steel Toucan is the last surviving species of // Ramphastos family //and is now considered a threatened species like many other animals in 2199. T he world’s CO2 have exceeded the earth’s limits and have caused the temperatures to rise drastically. Many species of vegetation have either died off or have grown to adapt to the heat. This has limited the food supply in the rainforest. The Steel Toucans  also have adapted to the hot temperature and live in the scarce forest areas of South America, Europe and parts of Asia. The population of the world’s animals have dropped and many animals, in order to survive have had evolved to fight for the scarce food that remains in the world. In the forest, it is either kill or be killed. This report is going to outline the characteristics, habitat and adaptations Steel Toucan has gone through to survive the reduction of animal species, destruction of habitat and the hot climate, due to humans CO 2 emissions. The Steel Toucans have many unique characteristics that have adapted to the environment of 2199. The Toucan has a bill, like most toucans but the bill of the Steel toucan is hardened (not really steel). The Toucan uses its bills to scoop/stun its preys and by doing this, the prey cannot escape. The colour of the Steel Toucan’s bill has a combination of bright, yellow, orange, blues, red and black spot at the tip of its bill. Its eyes have a very thick blue skin that protects its eyes and this is a unique characteristic that the Steel Toucan has. The Steel toucan has evolved to become smaller, with exception of the wings, due to the limited food supply. The wings of the toucan have stayed the same and toucans are now able to fly long distances with less effort. The feathers of its skin are very unique and have adapted to change as it grows up. When the Steel Toucan is small, it has very bright colour feathers such as red, green and yellow which cover the whole body but as it grows up, the feathers slowly fall out and regrow its feathers to a dark navel blue or black. Scientists believe that when the toucan is young, its small body and agile movement make the predators difficult to catch. Furthermore, its bright feathers can also frighten off some small predators. But as the Toucan grows up, it becomes bigger and more visible. Becoming more visible makes them more vulnerable to bigger predators so the Toucan regrows its feathers as a camouflage. The Steel toucan is a very distinct bird as it has evolved to mimic sounds of its predators. It uses its ears to pick up sound wave and mimics their voice with its highly developed voice box. It mimics the sounds of large predators such as the eagles, jaguar and some human machine to scare off its predators when danger approaches. Sometimes, it even uses strange sounds to confuse its prey before striking the prey with its steel like bill. **__Habitat __** The Steel Toucans are indigenous to the tropic and sub-tropical forests of South America but has also migrated to the European countries and even to some Asian countries. It lives in semi-opened habitats similar to its ancestors, the Toco Toucan. However, the Steel toucan now can able to fly long distances to other parts of the tropical forest. The Steel Toucan moves around a lot, migrating to warmer/colder parts of the forest.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Characteristics __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucan lives in tropic temperature but due to the pollution of 2199, the temperatures are more extreme. The temperature changes significantly during a day, from low as 10°C at night, to 45°C in day time. The temperatures of the world have changed due to the ice caps melting, which increase the temperature of the world by approximately 6 degrees Celsius. As a result of the ice caps melting, the sea levels have risen with large piece of land in many countries being covered by water. The ice caps have melted due to the excess amount of CO2 emissions of humans and with all these CO2 emissions, global warming’s effects started to become more apparent. Most animals at the hottest time of the day will under the shade of trees or buried in the ground but the toucan uses this opportunity to catch its prey. In the wet season, the tropical rainforest have heavy rain causing minor floods. Many species animals includin <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">g the Steel Toucan have adapted by hiding in hollows of trees and other shelter to avoid the rain. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The size of the rainforest had shrunken due to deforestation. As a result, many species of animals have died out and now other animals fight to survive with the limited supply of food. The vegetation in the rainforest, has had a large impact on animals and in desperate attempt, the government have stopped further deforestation and hunting of animals in the rainforest.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">In the rainforest, there are less species of vegetation but in order to survive, the vegetations have evolved to reproduce faster by producing more seeds. Many types of vegetation have adapted to change from a seasonal plant to become a plant that grows all year around so that it is able to reproduce faster and go through more evolution. Tall trees have adapted to survive the hot blazing heat, the cold winter night and the heavy flooding rains. Tall trees that absorb the most sunlight have adapted to absorb water as well, by deepening its roots so that it is able to take the water needed from the water table. This adaptation keeps the tree hydrated and stops it from catching fire and enables it to grow very high. Also by deepening the roots, the tree is sturdy and can grow at any time of the year. These tall trees provide shelters for diverse species of animals. They are also a source of food and shade for the animals to regulate their body temperatures. In the wet season many plants drop their seed and use the floods from the rain to wash away to another place. Most of these seeds end up in the sea but some are caught besides trees and the ground and will regrow.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucan is a quiet creature which has become very sensitive to predators. It is able to see predators from far away distance with its highly developed eyes so that it can run away. Some of the predators of the Steel Toucan are the big cats, jaguars, __Eagture__ and the harpy eagles but the number one predators of the Steel Toucans still the human. The Steel Toucan has evolved to become an omnivorous creature. It has adapted to eat fruit, grass and meat due to the lack of food resource and rely on all types of food to survive. The Steel Toucan has evolved to eat animals that are slightly smaller than it. Due to the destruction of the rainforest, the Steel Toucan has had more competitors ever before and now nearly all animals that about the same size as the Toucan are a competitor of it. This is due to the limited food supply cause by human destruction of the forest in the past. Some of the competitors of the Steel Toucan include, cats, __Beiga Duck__ and the **__ Mixed Bat (Mixtum Vespertilionis) __****__.__** The Steel Toucan has adapted to use its fast wings to scoop up its food at the first sight of it before been taken by other animals.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Adaptation __**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucans have evolved and adapted due to environmental pressure in order to survive and this is called natural selection. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Structural Adaptation – Bigger wings __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">In the world of 2199, the food supply has decreased exponentially and the Steel Toucan has adapted to grow bigger wings to be able to fly further and faster for its food. The length of the wings increased and the muscles around the wings also grew stronger, allowing the Toucan to fly a lot faster and more spontaneously. The Steel Toucan has a pairs of wings, which are relatively large for its size and by having this adaptation, it also uses its wings to enlarge it sizes and scare off predators. The Steel Toucan can now fly for long lengths of time, so that it can find food and by having this, this counters its lack of mobility when on trees and ground. Environmental pressures that caused these adaptations are due to the fact that many species of plants/ animals have died off and now a lot more animals are competing over food. By having this adaptation of bigger wings, the Steel Toucan is able to acquire food faster to prevent starvation. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Structural Adaptation – Bill __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucans have evolved and adapted to harden its bill. This bill has many characteristics that the Toucan uses in order to survive. The Steel Toucan is made up of a hard bone like material but is also hollow inside to make the bill deservingly light. This bill has become heavier and harder than previous species of Toucan and it is used to strike preys. The bill has also evolved to bend slightly forward such that it is able to see its prey when fly down at them. In between the bill, the Toucan has evolved to have small teeth like indents so that it is able to rip off small pieces of meat. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The colourful bill is actually also a type of camouflage because of all the bright colours in the forest. Predators easily mistake the bright colours of the bill for flowers or fruit as the bird sits in branches high up on a tree and this helps the Toucan to be unseen. The bill is also used as a thermal radiator to regulate its body temperature as, like most birds, the Toucan cannot sweat. This adaptation allows the Steel Toucan to cool down extremely fast, and in hot summer weather, the Steel Toucans are still able to find fruits and hunt preys. Environmental pressures have made the Toucan’s adapted this trait. The Bill adaptations have allowed the Toucans to survive the extreme temperatures in the Tropics and helped the Steel toucan to hunt preys. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Structural Adaptation- Smaller Bodies __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">In 2199 the food supply are limited and the Steel toucans have developed smaller bodies so that it does not need as much energy to support its body. The Steel Toucan has shrunken every part of its body except for its wings, which grew a little bit bigger. Because its body has shrunken, it has helped it to survive. By having smaller body, the Steel toucan has become more agile, less visible to predators and be able to fly longer distance. By becoming more agile, the Steel Toucan is able to surprise its preys more quickly which gives less chance for its prey to escape. Environmental pressures such as the limited supply of food, has caused the Toucan to grow smaller body so it needs less food and has been one of the key factors of its survival. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Behaviour Adaptation-Mimicking __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucans, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">when it spots a prey with its eyes, it uses its unique voice to mimic the voice of different predators. As the prey is confused, the Steel toucan uses this opportunity to strike the prey. This extraordinary evolution that the Toucan has gone through allows it to confuse preys much larger than itself, and attack as it is venerable, trying to find the source noise. The mimicking of predator voices requires a highly developed voice box that the Steel Toucan has developed in the past 2 centuries. The Steel Toucan mimics the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;"> sounds of large predators such as eagles, jaguar and even some human machines. Like most birds, the outer ear is not seen as it is covered by feathers. The bird has three inner chambers inside its head (like humans) and is able to hear sounds. The Steel toucan also has highly developed inner chambers and is able to listen, remembers and projects the sound of predators. This adaptation is similar to lyre birds but the Steel Toucan uses this to help confuse its prey instead of using it for mating. Environmental pressures that cause this adaptation is due to the highly adaptations of the Toucans prey. The preys have also adapted to run away at the sound of <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> specific predators and by mimicking several predators’ voices, the preys will be confused and this increases the chance of the Steel toucan to catch its prey. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Behaviour Adaptation-Nesting __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucan has adapted to nest holes of trees to protect itself from the heavy rain in the wet season. In the wet season, these flooding rains can last for days or even weeks and the toucan has adapted to go into hibernation mood to conserve its energy while the rain lasts. When The Steel Toucan sleeps, it also nests in holes of trees. Due to the Toucan’s large colourful bill, the Toucan has also adapted to hide its bill when it goes to sleep so that it cannot be spotted at night. It does this by turning head 180 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">° <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;"> (backwards) and placing its bill between its wings. Then it tucks its tail to cover his large colourful bill and at night. The Toucan seems almost invisible in the darkness of the forest. Environmental pressures that caused the Steel Toucan to have these adaptions are due to the predators that lurk at night and the long period of rainfall that the Toucan experiences. This adaptation of nesting has helped the Toucan survives the long period of rainfall without food and stay hidden from its predators so that it will not be eaten. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Selection Pressure __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Steel Toucan is now considered a threatened species and this is due to lack of food resource caused by human’s destruction of the environment. Human interference has affected the toucans because many species of animals are now extinct and this is shifting the food chain into an unstable order. Many animals high up in the food chain are now having less food because down in the food chain, animals becoming extinct. This affects the toucan and now many species of animals are competing / fighting over for food. The Toucan may become extinct in the next decade due to the worsening problems of CO2 emissions and the domino effects on whole animals species being wiped out. This domino effect is destroying the food chain and the Steel Toucan’s could be extinct if humans do not fix this problem.

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