Adaptations can be split into three categories: behavioural, physiological, and anatomical.
Behavioural adaptations are those that change the way an organism acts, such as how it interacts with the environment it lives in or other organisms. An example of this is the behaviour of small desert mammals, which stay completely still to blend in when a bird of prey flies overhead to avoid being detected and caught.
Physiological adaptations are those that change the processes occurring within the body of the organism. These often involve reducing waste of energy in reactions. For example, hedgehogs go into hibernation in the winter, by lowering their rate of metabolism significantly and entering a sleep-like state. This reduces use of energy in a period where food is scarce.
Anatomical adaptations are changes to the structure and features of an organism's body that help them to better survive in their environment. These are usually the most obvious, such as thick insulating fur on polar bears who live in cold climates, or large ears on desert foxes to help loose heat via radiation.