Why Animals Live Where They Live
Lumi stands at the edge of a sun-warmed pond, binoculars around her neck, pointing excitedly at a family of ducks paddling through the reeds while a frog leaps from a lily pad nearby.
- Identify the three things a habitat must provide for an animal to survive: food, water, and shelter.
- Explain why an animal is more likely to survive in a habitat that meets all its needs.
- Compare two different habitats and describe which animal would survive better in each one.
- Predict what would happen to an animal if one of its habitat needs was removed.
Key terms
- Habitat
- The place where an animal lives.
- Shelter
- A safe place to rest and hide.
- Survive
- To stay alive and keep healthy.
- Predator
- An animal that hunts and eats other animals.
Three Things A Habitat Gives
A habitat is the home where an animal lives. A good habitat must give an animal three important things. The first is food, so the animal has energy. The second is water, so the animal can drink. The third is shelter, which is a safe place to rest and hide. When a habitat has all three, the animal has the best chance to survive and be happy.
The Right Home For Each Animal
Different animals need different homes. A frog needs a pond because it likes water, eats bugs, and hides under lily pads. A camel can live in the hot desert because it eats desert plants and rests in the sand. A woodpecker lives in a forest where it eats insects in trees and nests in tree holes. Each animal lives where it can find food, water, and shelter.
When A Need Is Missing
If a habitat is missing even one need, an animal can be in trouble. Imagine cutting down all the trees in a woodpecker's forest. The woodpecker would lose its food and its nest at the same time. It might have to fly far away to find a new home. That is why animals need a habitat that gives them everything to survive.
Worked examples
Which habitat is best for a frog?
- A frog needs water to keep its skin moist.
- A frog eats insects and hides under lily pads.
- A pond has water, insects, and plants to hide under.
Answer: A freshwater pond is the best habitat for a frog.
Why would a polar bear struggle in a desert?
- A polar bear needs cold weather and ice.
- A desert is hot and dry with no ice.
- There is no seal food and no cool shelter for the bear.
Answer: The desert cannot give a polar bear the cold home and food it needs.
Activity
Drag each animal to the habitat where it can find food, water, and shelter.
Practice
Name the three things a habitat must give an animal.
Pick an animal and tell where its best habitat is.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Any place can be a home.A habitat must give food, water, and shelter to work.
- Animals can live anywhere they want.Animals live where they can find their food, water, and shelter.
Check your understanding
A frog needs water to keep its skin moist, insects to eat, and lily pads to hide under. Which habitat would help this frog survive BEST?
A forest is cut down and all the trees are removed. What is most likely to happen to the woodpeckers that lived there?
Which statement best explains why a polar bear would NOT survive well in a tropical rainforest?
Recap
A habitat is an animal's home that must give it food, water, and shelter. Different animals need different habitats. If even one need is missing, an animal will struggle to survive there.
Reflect
What does your own home give you that you need to live?