Toco+Toucan-+Garrick

Learn more about the Toco Toucan's ancestors:The ArchaeopteryxLearn more about the Toco Toucan's future species: The Steel Toucan **Toco Toucan** By Garrick Lai  The Toco Toucans (//Ramphastos// //Toco) // is one of most famous and well know species of toucan in the world. The Toco Toucan is a species of bird that is commonly located throughout large part of central and eastern South America . This bird lives inside the tropical forest and has gone though many adaptations and belong to a family of birds known as Aves. Some other animals that also belong to this group include the wild turkey. This report is going to outline the characteristics, habitat and adaptations it has gone through over time to survive.



**__C __****__haracteristics __** The Toco Toucan has many different characteristics but one very distinct characteristic is the Bill (beak). This bill makes the Toucan unique and is the most recognizable feature of a Toucan. The colour of the Toco Toucan’s bill has a combination of bright blues, yellow, orange, red and a black spot at the tip of its bill. Their throats and chests are white and have one or two bright colours on his tail. Besides that, the Toco Toucan’s feather is mainly black. Around the eye, is a very thick blue skin protecting its eyes and this is quite unique and distinct. The Toucan also has a very long flat tongue to eat food from tall branches of trees. The Toco Toucans have very strong claw/feet to support its weight, with two toes pointing forward, and two toes point backward to keep balance. Male Toucans are slightly larger than the females but these features are present in both gender. Scientists believe that Toucans used these bright colours to attract toucan mates. The Toco Toucan has small black wings and can fly, but due to its large bill, the Toco Toucan is considered a poor flyer and moves about primarily by hopping. The Toco Toucan lives in small flocks and mate within this small flock. The female approximately lays two to four eggs a year and the eggs hatches in 14-16 days. When the young are born, their parents will feel them for 7 to 8 weeks and then leaving them to hunt for themselves.

**__Habitat __**

The Toco Toucans are indigenous to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. The Toco Toucan is different to many other species of toucans as it has evolved to live in semi-opened habitats unlike some other species of toucan which evolve in a highly dense tropical jungle.

Like most birds, the Toco Toucan is a tree dweller and are usually on high branches of trees and the canopy (heights layer of the forest), usually to find food.

These birds live in tropical temperature that can range from 10°C at night, to 40°C in mid-day but the Toucans have learnt to survive these harsh temperatures. In the trees where the Toucans live, there are many vibrate colours such as flowers, fruits, insects and small animals which makes the colourful Toucans seem camouflaged. In the wet season, the tropical rainforests have heavy rain and the Toucan has adapted by hiding in hollows of trees. The Toco Toucan also sleeps in hollows of trees to protect itself from predators that at night. This creature is very shy and runs away from predators that he sees with its highly developed eyes. Some predators of the Toco Toucan’s are big cats, jaguars, snakes and the harpy eagles but the number one predators of the Toco Toucans are human due to environmental destruction that humans cause.  The Toucan has evolved to eat a diet that consists of many fruits because of its high amount of supply in the forest but they also eat insects (grass hopper), rodents ( cockroaches ), reptiles (lizards)and other small birds. In the forest there are plenty of food supply for the Toucan and do not have much competitors.

__Adaptation__ Toco 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 – Bill __**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 15pt;">The evolution and structural adaptation of the bill makes it very colourful and unique. The bill takes up approximately one third of the body and has many different functions that the Toco Toucan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">needs in order to survive in its environment. The long bill that it, has helps to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">grasp fruits from trees and crush them so that it is able to digest the fruits. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The bill also enables Toucan to reach into small enclosed spaces to hunt for food. The large bill also is designed to eat insects, eggs and small birds. Toucan does this by using its quick snapping of the bills to kill its prey. This long bill is deceivingly light and is a perfect adaptation for the Toucan. The bill is light because it is mainly hollow and it is made with a material similar to human finger nail which gives the hardness and the strength it needs. 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. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">One <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> common misconception of the Toucan is that it uses its bill as a weapon by swooping down at animal to stun them but in-fact, the toucan uses it to eat. The bill is opened to enlarge the size of the Toucan and, by exaggerating its size; it is able to scare off predators. media type="youtube" key="BdxNN3t7okM?version=3" height="300" width="492" align="left" <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">Like most birds, Toucans cannot sweat to cool down and birds have different ways to regulate their body temperature. Toucan has a very unique way of regulating its body temperature, different to any other type of birds. The Toco Toucan uses its bill to ‘dump’ heat by sending its body heat through blood vessels in its bill. This unexpected characteristic of the bill is used as a thermal radiator to radiate its excess body heat out. The Toco Toucans have adapted this incredible trait due to the range of temperature in the tropical rainforest. The Toco Toucan is able to cool down its body temperature by 10 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">°C <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">in just a few minutes, and this adaptation is one of the key characteristics that it needs in order to withstand the harsh temperatures that it faces in tropical forests. The bill has evolved these structural adaptations due to the environmental pressure of the changing climates in the tropical forest and the supply of food. Without this adaptation the Toucan will not be able to cope with the environment and become extinct. **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Structural Adaptation –Toes __**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 15pt;">The Toco Toucan is a poor flyer due to its large bill and relatively small bodies/wings, but instead, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">the Toucan’s toes have evolved to counter the lack of mobility. The Toco Toucan has four toes on each leg, two pointing forward and two pointing backward to help support the weight of their body along a branch. This adaptation of the toes gives the Toco Toucan the ability to grasp branches and have enough support to walk/hop along branches, high up in trees with easy due to its weight. Environmental pressure of this adaptation such its predators; have forced it to evolve stronger toes for balance and mobility. This adaptation of the toes helps with the survival of the Toucan by counteracting their lack of mobility and helps them avoid predators so they would not be killed easily.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Behaviour Adaptation-Sleeping __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The Toco Toucan has adapted to sleep in nesting holes of trees to protect itself from predators at night. But due to the Toucan’s large bill, the Toucan has also adapted to turn its head 180 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">° <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> (backwards) and placing its bill between its wings so that it is able to keep warm/protect itself from dangers at night. Another strange adaptation of the Toucan is that it tucks its tail to cover his large colourful bill. At night, the Toucan seems almost invisible in the darkness of the forest and due to environmental pressures such as the predators that lurk at night; this adaptation helps hid the Toucan from its predators so that it will not be eaten <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Behaviour Adaptation-Flocking __**

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The Toco Toucan has adapted to live in flocks which travel to food sources as the season changes. These Toucans mate within the flock and help raise their young for 7 to 8 weeks. In a flock, Toucans are able to communicate amongst themselves by using their loud frog like croaking sound and clicking of their bills. When a flock of Toucans meets predators, the Toucans have adapted in many ways to scare off its predators such as synchronizing swing of their bills and long screeches to scare off predators. By flocking, the Toucans are able to look out for predators at many direct <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">ions at the same time so they are able to run away from them. Flocking has been a core survival technique of the Toucan and due to environmental pressure like the predators, by flocking it is able to protect each other from predators and reproduce.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Psychological Adaptation- Diet __** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">The Toco Toucan in the past mainly ate a fish diet and other small animals but has adapted to eat a high fruit diet, insects and rodents due to e <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">nvironmental pressure. The Toco Toucan has adapted this trait because of the lack of food such as fish and the change of climate which caused the Toucan to find a new source of food. Over time, evolution occurred and the Toucan had adapted to eat fruits, insets and rodents which had no need to use their teeth to eat it. Over many generations, the Toucan’s teeth were not used and gradually the trait of teethes disappeared. In the past, the Toco Toucan ate large amounts of meat but as it slowly adapted into a fruit diet, the stomach also adapted and eventually it could digest both fruits and meats. This adaptation of diet has led to the Toucan to survive due to the change of food resources in the past.

= =

__Bibliography__ = =
 * **__<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 14pt;">Information __** ||  **__<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 14pt;">Photographs/images __**  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Cadena, C. & Pellegrini, G. (2003). **//** Species of Toucan **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved from June 20, 2011 from **  **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 9pt;">http://science.jrank.org/pages/6877/Toucans.html **  ||  <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Danilchenko, A. (2009). // Birds //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Ramphastos_toco_-Birdworld%2C_Farnham%2C_Surrey%2C_England-8a.jpg   ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Hippler, M. (2011). **//** What Adaptations Enable Toco Toucans to Live? **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 22, 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/info_8360062_adaptations-enable-toco-toucans-live.html ** ||  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Graham, R. (2009). // Engineers Discover Why Toucan Beaks are Models of Lightweight Strength //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 17, 2011 from http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/graphics/images/2004/toucan_lg.jpg   ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Honolulu Zoo (2008). **//** Toucan **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 13, 2011 from http://www.honoluluzoo.org/toucan.htm ** ||  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">School of Engineers (2005). // ENGINEERS DISCOVER WHY TOUCAN BEAKS ARE MODELS OF LIGHTWEIGHT STRENGTH //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 19, 2011 from    []  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Schaffner, B. (2001). **//** Toco Toucan **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 10, 2011 from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/toco_toucan.htm ** ||  <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Toco Toucan (2005). // Toucan //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from http://www.freewallpapersdb.com/wallpapers/full/birds-wallpapers-602444312.jpg   ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Strieter, A. (2007). **//** Toco Toucan **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 13, 2011 from http://www.anywherecostarica.com/flora-fauna/bird/toucan ** || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wikipedia (2009). //Toco Toucan//. Retrieved June 17, 2011 from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Ramphastos_toco_-Birdworld%2C_Farnham%2C_Surrey%2C_England-8a.jpg and http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Toco_toucan_range.PNG   ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Animal Sport (2008). **//** Toco Toucan Ramphastos toco **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 16, 2011 from http://www.theanimalspot.com/tocotoucan.htm ** ||  **__<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16pt;">Videos __**  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wikipedia (2011). **//** Toco Toucan **//**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 13, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toco_Toucan ** || <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wired (2009). // Toucan Bill Regulates Body Temperature //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt;">. Retrieved June 22, 2011 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCH_1IxxfNU   ||