The place where an organism life is known as a habitat. The word itself comes from a Latin word meaning ‘it dwells.’
For example, the Amazon River flows through the Amazon rainforest. The primary habitat of the giant otter sometimes called the ‘river wolf,’ is the river itself. Sometimes the giant otter rests on swampy land next to the river. Living in the swamp may be a frog. The swamp is another example of habitat – as it’s a place where that organism lives.
Habitats comprise physical factors, resources, and other organisms a species will need to interact with to survive.
- Soil, moisture, and temperature are some physical features of a habitat that will influence which organisms can live there.
- Resources are things like water and nutrients (through food sources).
- Other organisms may be potential mates of the same species, prey, or other species that help support them. For instance, both bees indeed need flowers, and flowers need bees within their habitat.
Children will learn about the importance of shelter, water, food, and space within a habitat. They’ll learn about how within an animal’s home, they’ll have everything they need to be able to find food and successfully raise young.
For example, a pride of lions will need the following:
- Space – lots of room to roam and hunt
- Water – they can get this from their food or a lake or stream
- Food – large prey animals like antelope, buffalo, zebra, and giraffe
- Shelter – to protect themselves from the hot sun and hide from prey and predators, lions need plants such as shrubs and trees
This makes savannah and grassland ideal habitats for lions. However, their range – the part of their world – is different from their habitat. Today, lions’ range is limited to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and a small amount of western India.
What are Different Habitats
Habitats vary hugely. They can be vast and tiny, filled with many other species, or isolated, very hot or cold.
There are lots of different habitats that are home to a wide variety of different types of animals. These include:
- Grassland / Savannah
- Rainforests
- Arctic Habitat
- Deserts
- Mountains
- Oceans
- Coral Reefs
Natural Habitats
A natural habitat is an ecological or environmental area where a specific species lives. It’s the place in nature where that species of plant or animal calls home. To better understand this, think of a zoo. Zookeepers need to study where a specific animal lives to replicate the animal’s natural habitat.
Natural habitats are land and water areas that contain certain environmental conditions and types of plant and animal species. These habitats are naturally occurring – meaning that humans haven’t created them.
Natural habitats are affected by soil and bedrock, water conditions, and microclimate. Therefore, some habitat types are protected to safeguard ecological diversity and the habitats of different species.
Types of natural habitats include forests, wetlands, deserts, and Arctic tundra.
