What Is a Habitat?
A habitat is the natural home of an animal — the place where it finds food, water, shelter, and space. Every habitat has specific conditions like temperature, moisture, and types of food available.
- 🌿 Forest — dense trees, moderate climate; home to deer, owls, foxes
- 🌳 Desert — hot, dry; home to camels, rattlesnakes, roadrunners
- 🌊 Ocean — saltwater; home to sharks, dolphins, octopuses
- 🦀 Arctic — freezing, little sunlight; home to polar bears, Arctic foxes
Adaptations
An adaptation is a body feature or behavior that helps an animal survive in its habitat.
- 🦀 Polar bears have thick fur and fat to survive freezing temperatures
- 🐪 Camels store fat in their humps for energy in the desert
- 🐟 Fish have gills to breathe underwater
- 🦉 Owls have silent wings and forward-facing eyes to hunt at night
💡Key Idea
Adaptations develop over many generations through natural selection. Animals born with traits that help them survive are more likely to reproduce, passing on those traits.