Animal Habitats: Types, Characteristics & Examples

A habitat is a place which supports the survival of animals. There are many physical and biological factors which play a very important role in deciding the habitat of animals. Physical factors include temperature, light, and soil moisture. Biological factors include predators, prey etc.

Most organisms can live only in a particular type of habitat, they cannot live everywhere. Same for plants, many plants can grow in particular types of habitats. For example, a walrus is an animal which can live only in marine habitats and cannot live in terrestrial habitats. To know more about animal habitats continue reading this article.

What Is Habitat?

Habitat is defined as the region which is made up of biotic, abiotic and other factors that support the reproduction and survival of particular species. These are the natural environments where organisms make their home.

Types Of Habitat Types, Terrestrial

There are mainly two types of habitats. These are terrestrial habitats and aquatic habitats. Aquatic habitats again are of two types: freshwater habitat and marine water habitat.

Terrestrial habitats include forests, deserts, grassland, wetlands and ice caps etc whereas aquatic habitats include rivers, lakes, streams etc.

Terrestrial Habitat

Terrestrial habitats are habitats that are found on land throughout the world. Terrestrial habitats include all types of land habitats. This includes both natural as well as man-made habitats. Some of the terrestrial habitats are described below:

• Grassland: Grasslands are terrestrial habitats where grasses are one of the important types of vegetation. These are places where most of the animals live. There are two types of grassland: tropical rainforest and temperate forest.

• Desert: Deserts are places where very less rainfall occurs. It does not favour the presence of all types of animals. It is of many types such as hot and dry habitats, cold deserts, coastal deserts and semi-arid deserts etc. Animals with certain modifications can survive here. For example, camels can live in deserted areas, because of some special characteristics. These characteristics are hump, a camel can store water in its hump, it can move easily on the sand due to its

• Mountain: Mountains are very cold places, where life is very harsh. food and other resources required for survival are also present in very fewer amounts. Animals and plants with special features and modifications can survive here. Such as mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mountain lions etc.

Aquatic Habitat

Habitats which thrive in water are classified as aquatic habitats. There are two important kinds of aquatic habitats: freshwater habitat and marine water habitat.

Freshwater habitat

Freshwater habitats include rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, etc. Freshwater comprises only 3% of the world's water.

• Rivers and streams: Animals such as dolphins, river turtles and American crocodiles live in this type of freshwater habitat. These animals require a special type of adaptive feature to cope with the water flowing continuously in the same direction.

• Wetland: bogs, fens, marshes, swamps and waterlogged areas are included in this habitat. These habitats are home to many fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals. Skylarks, mute swans, catfish and palmate newts are some of the animals living here.

• Lakes and Ponds: Salmon, trout, common toads, and greater flamingos are some of the species of animals living here. Lakes and ponds are the most favorable place for a wide range of animal species.

Marine water habitat

As we all know more than 70% of per cent space on earth is covered by Oceans. Coral reefs, deep oceans, open oceans and hydrothermal vents are marine water habitats. These habitats are explained in detail.

• Deep ocean: it is the bottom or deepest region of the ocean where sunlight does not enter. There are no plants or algae. Only species with some special adaptive features can survive here. This region does not support a normal food chain or food web. Examples of fishes that can survive here are ray-finned fish, angler fish, and lobe-finned fish.

• Open ocean: it includes the uppermost layer of the ocean. It is also known as the marine desert. Because like a desert here also lacks important nutrients to support life. Blue whales, harbor porpoises, and narwhals are some of the animals that live here.

What Is Microhabitat?

As the name itself suggests, micro is small and a habitat is a place where animals and plants live. So, it is a small environment which is different from its surrounding habitat. These unique habitats contain unique species of animals and plants which would not be found in the surrounding habitat.

Habitat Protection

As we have already discussed, there are many types of plants and animals that can survive only in a particular type of condition. If these habitats would be damaged or destroyed then animals living in that particular area or habitat will suffer. And in the present time, humans are destroying a wide variety of habitats in the name of development.

So, there is an immediate need to protect and safeguard the habitats of both plants and animals. Many countries including India have passed legislation to protect these habitats.