An Essay about Animal Habitats

All living things-humans and other animals, and even plants-share some of the same basic needs. One of those needs is a home. But a home is more than just a house. Home is the place where plants and animals find food, water, shelter and space. The scientific name for this kind of home is "habitat."

All animals need some kind of shelter. People build houses, apartments, trailers, even houseboats, for shelter. Wild animals don't need that kind of home, but they do need some kind of shelter. They might use an underground den, or a bush, or build a nest in the crook of a tree.

All animals, including humans, need food and water. There are people who plant gardens to provide some of the food they need, but most of us go to the grocery store to find food. Wild animals don't have that luxury. All of their food and water must be available within their home territory-the space they call their own. Unlike the grocery store, which can order more food when the shelves are bare, a wild animal's "store" only has so much food. Animals need enough space to find food and water for themselves and their young. The land where they live can only support so many animals. "Carrying capacity" is the term scientists use to describe the number of animals a certain portion of land can support.

There are many different kinds of habitats. Some habitats are very small, while others are quite large. The animals that live in these different habitats have special characteristics which enable them to survive under these special conditions.

For example, the kangaroo rat lives in a desert habitat. There is very little water to drink in a desert, but that isn't a problem for the kangaroo rat. This special little animal is able to get all the water it needs to live from the seeds and grasses it eats.

The polar bear has a thick layer of fat and special hollow hairs covering its body which help to keep it warm in its arctic habitat. A kangaroo rat would freeze to death in this habitat, but polar bears do just fine. In fact, polar bear bodies are so well insulated that they have to be careful not to overheat!

The ocean is another kind of habitat. There are many different kinds of marine animals living in the ocean-starfish, dolphins, turtles, sea cucumbers, and hundreds of different kinds of fish. All fish need to live in water, but not all fish can live in the ocean. If you take a fish from a fresh water stream or lake and put it in the ocean, it will die. Its body doesn't have the special adaptations needed to live in such a salty habitat.

Not all animals are as specialized as a kangaroo rat or a polar bear or a sea turtle. But all wild animals need a habitat - and so do you.