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Traits are things that make us who we are! We can think of traits as characteristics that both humans and other animals display. There are some traits we all share, but traits are often things that make us different from one another, that make us unique! Traits can be physical or behavioral. Physical traits are things we and other animals have, while behavioral traits are things we and other animals do! To learn more about the difference, check out our behavioral vs physical traits video.

Traits can all be inherited or acquired. Inherited traits are things we are born with that we get from our parents, while acquired traits are things we develop during our lives! Inherited traits and acquired traits can be both physical or behavioral. Inherited behaviors are known as instincts! Instincts are innate behaviors that we animals are not taught. Let’s look at some traits that humans have!

We inherited traits like our eye color and our height from our parents. If your parents have brown eyes, you likely have brown eyes. If your parents both have blue eyes, you likely will have blue eyes! If both your parents are tall, you will likely be tall and if both your parents are short, you will likely be short! These are traits that are passed from our parents in our DNA. Freckles are also a physical trait that is often inherited. Oftentimes, if you have freckles, it is likely that other members of your family also have freckles. The ability to breathe air is also something that is inherited. We are not taught to breathe air, our bodies know to do it right when we are born. Blinking is also a behavior that is inherited; no one teaches us to blink! Both blinking and breathing are instincts!

Some traits we might acquire during our lives are the length of our hair or any scars we may have. We are not both with a particular hair length, we acquire it during our lives. We also are not commonly born with scars; most people develop their scars during their lives and they have nothing to do with traits passed from our parents. We acquire many behaviors over our lives, as well. The ability to read and ride a bike are learned behaviors, as is developing a favorite food! You’re not born with a favorite food, you develop it as you try new foods.

Other animals inherit and acquire traits, as well! A rattlesnake inherits its rattle; they are born with the start of a rattle that grows as a result of their DNA. They also inherit the behavior of rattling the rattle when threatened; this is not a behavior they are taught. Gazelles inherit their brown coloration and also the behavior of being still when they think a predator might be near. This is part of their fight or flight mechanism, which is an instinct! Birds inherit wings and feathers from their parents and also the ability to fly! Some birds even migrate, which is an instinct! They are not taught to migrate, they just know to do it. We even see some of these inherited behaviors (instincts) in our domestic animals at home. Our dogs may chase after a small animal just like their wild wolf relatives. Also like a wolf, they will pant when they are hot! Our cats at home may purr when they’re happy or hiss when they’re mad, just like cheetahs and lions! Dogs were not taught to pant and cats were not taught to hiss; they are instincts!

Animals also acquire traits during their lives. Elephants may break a tusk during competition or feeding. They are not born with a broken tusk, so it is an acquired trait. Jaguars may lose a tooth while hunting; a lost tooth is also an acquired trait! Some kangaroos grow big and strong throughout their lives while other kangaroos may not get as many nutrients causing them to stay small. An animal’s muscle mass is acquired and can cause animals to look and act differently from one another! Behaviors can also be acquired. Deer may stay in a part of their habitat that gives them hiding places from wolves because they have learned where the wolves like to hunt. Similarly, the wolves likely hang out in areas where they can sneak up on prey because they have learned where the best hunting spots are. Favoring these parts of the habitat are learned or acquired traits. Elephants may favor a shallow part of the river where it is easier to cross, which is also a learned behavior! Both inherited traits and acquired traits can affect an animal’s survival.