[♪ INTRO]
Hey, Squeaks!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, that’s a new look for you.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh, you’re pretending to be a platypus…
[Squeaks squeaks]
For research?
[Squeaks squeaks]
What kind of research?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Ah, I see.
Squeaks just learned all about the platypus.
It’s an animal that looks really funny,
but all the funny things about it help it to survive in its habitat.
[Squeaks squeaks]
A habitat is a place where living things make their home,
like forests or coral reefs or almost any place on Earth.
In their habitat, they can find everything they need to live and grow.
So the platypuses must be on to something,
and Squeaks figures he might as well join in.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Ohh!
Now you’re ready for the next step of your research!
[Squeaks squeaks]
Platypuses live in a specific habitat in only one place on Earth…
so you want to learn more about the place that they’re from.
[Squeaks squeaks]
And you want to get started by looking at pictures of the Earth
taken from way up in space!
Great idea!
These pictures can show us the different features of a place on the Earth’s surface,
and we can learn a lot about a place that way!
The part of the Earth you want, where platypuses live, is Australia.
Here’s a picture of what Australia looks like from space.
It’s a kind of map that tells us about the features of the area.
Those features are things like water, or mountains,
or other things we can see from way up high.
Australia definitely is a fascinating place.
Watch this: If you put Australia over North America,
you can see how big it is compared to our whole continent.
But let’s look at our picture of Australia again.
What do you notice about it?
[Squeaks squeaks]
That’s right.
A lot of the ground in the inside parts of Australia is orange or red.
Even though this picture is taken from far away,
you can still tell what color the ground is.
What do you think about that?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh, that’s a great observation!
Squeaks says the orangey-red ground in Australia
reminds him of the red planet, Mars.
You know, Mars and Australia are both reddish in color for the same reason!
They have something called iron oxide in their dirt.
That’s another word for plain, old rust, like you might see on a piece of old metal!
In Australia, the big red area you notice is called The Outback.
The Outback is an amazing part of the world.
My favorite place is Uluru.
It's a huge, red rock about 350 meters high!
That’s taller than the Eiffel Tower in France.
What else do you notice?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes. You’re right!
That’s a lot of blue all around it.
That blue is water – the picture is telling us there’s lots of water
around the edges of Australia, but not very much in the middle.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yeah. the Outback has many different environments,
but you’re right, a lot of it is sand and uncovered rocks.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh yeah, that does remind you of a desert, huh?
Well, many areas in the Outback are desert.
And many deserts, including the Outback, are hot.
[Squeaks squeaks]
How was the Outback formed?
Well, on Earth, deserts can form for a lot of different reasons.
When we look at the map, we can find clues.
See how these areas along the northern coast are more green?
They get more moisture from the ocean.
But in the middle here, it’s far away from any ocean,
so the air and land is much drier.
With so little water, a desert formed there.
Even though there’s very little moisture, or water, in deserts,
lots of animals and plants live in dry habitats – and those living things
are a great example of what it means to adapt to your environment.
Adaptation is when living things change their bodies or their actions
to fit the place that they're living better.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Yes!
Kind of like wearing a sweater in cold weather or sunglasses on a bright day, exactly!
Except animals adapted to their habitats over a very long time,
and you can just buy sunglasses from the store.
Sunglasses are a great way to adapt to a bright, sunny desert,
but there are other ways to adapt to deserts, too!
Take the Red Kangaroo for example, an animal that lives in the Outback.
Big animals like the Red Kangaroo need lots of water to survive,
and there isn’t much of it in the Outback – so, sometimes, kangaroos have to travel
a long way to get to water.
The way the Red Kangaroo has adapted to these long trips is by...
spitting on themselves.
[Squeaks squeaks]
It seems gross, but the spit has a really great job, or function.
It helps the kangaroo cool down in the hot desert sun.
The spit cools the kangaroo off as it dries, a lot like our sweat.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Gross and cool!
But it’s not the only way animals in the Outback can get water.
This lizard, the Thorny Devil, looks fearsome and spiky!
Those spikes are special structures that can help defend against predators
who want to eat them, but they also collect drops of dew for the thorny dragon to drink.
It has a personal water dish on its back!
And check out the Giant Centipede!
In order to survive in the desert,
the Giant Centipede comes out at night when it’s cooler.
The Giant Centipede also has strong pincers and venom to help it catch its prey.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh, don’t worry, buddy; I’m sure robot rat isn’t on its menu.
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh, you’re right.
All these adaptations mean the Outback is the perfect habitat for these creatures.
People live there too, and have for a very long time.
But there’s one other thing the Outback is great for.
Remember your observation that the Outback seems similar to Mars?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, you were right on!
The Outback isn’t just red.
It’s very dry, with lots of sand and exposed rock.
It’s actually a lot like the surface of Mars!
A while ago we learned about Mars rovers,
and how they can drive around and explore Mars for us.
And engineers like to test their designs before they send them into space.
Because the Outback is like Mars, it can be a great place for doing those tests!
Hey Squeaks, how do you think you’d adapt yourself if we ever visited the Outback?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Oh wow, you are looking so cool and very adapted, Squeaks!
Looks like all your research is paying off!
Thanks for joining us on Scishow Kids and learning about the Outback with us.
If you want to keep learning with me, Squeaks, and all of our friends,
be sure to subscribe and we’ll see you next time here at the Fort.
[Squeaks squeaks]
[♪ OUTRO]