The big idea: Locomotion is moving the whole body from place to place. Animals do it for four main reasons, each of which raises their chance of surviving and reproducing.
The points to remember
- Foraging: moving to find food, where it is not available where the animal is.
- Escaping danger: moving away from predators or harmful conditions.
- Searching for a mate: moving to find a partner for sexual reproduction.
- Migration: regular, often seasonal, long journeys between feeding and breeding areas.
| Reason | Example | What moving gains |
|---|---|---|
| Foraging | Honeybees fly from the hive to flowers; wolves track herds of deer | Food and energy |
| Escaping from danger | A gazelle zigzags away from a cheetah; a scallop claps its shell to swim from a starfish | Survival |
| Searching for a mate | Male emperor moths follow a female's scent across moorland | Offspring |
| Migration | Arctic terns fly between the Arctic and the Antarctic; wildebeest follow the rains across the Serengeti | Food and breeding sites through the year |
Remember it as: Food, flight, family, faraway.
Real example: the Arctic tern. It breeds in the Arctic summer and then flies to the Antarctic for the southern summer, so it lives in long daylight and plentiful food for most of the year.
Trap: Each reason needs a named example and what moving gains the animal. 'To survive' on its own is too vague.
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How it is asked: Expect 'outline reasons for locomotion' or a question on one animal's journey, asking why it moves.
IB-style questionOutline[4 marks]
Outline four reasons for locomotion in animals, with a named example of each.
Model answer plan
See the answer broken into clear points, with guidance on how each point earns marks.