Why do animals live in their natural habitat?

Why do animals live in their natural habitats?

Animals live in their habitat because it is the best environment for that particular species to grow and thrive. An animal’s habitat must contain a range of different elements in order for survival. These elements contain;

1. The desired climate (hot, dry, cold or wet)2. Necessary food and water sources3. Survival adaptations (hunting prey and escaping predators)4. Habitat Awareness (Containing knowledge on possible threats such

as, predators that share the same living environment (UEN, Animal Adaptations).

ClimateIn order for creatures to survive in their habitat, the appropriate climate is needed for the animals to survive. For example; if you were to remove a Frilled Neck Lizard from the hot desert temperatures and place it in the brutally cold temperatures of Alaska, it would not survive because it does not have the genetic make-up needed for the cold weather or the time to develop new behavioural adaptations to survive in the new climate (UEN, Animal Adaptations).

Survival Adaptations• Many animals contain two variations of adaptations, including

physical and behavioural. Physical adaptations including the way the animals are genetically built, for instance their body size and any specially designed organs or features they may have. Behavioural adaptations include, the strategies or techniques these animals create, enabling the animal to hunt prey and escape from predators. (UEN, Animal Adaptations).

Food and WaterThe correct food sources and the adequate amount of water are essential for animal survival; without food and water, survival is impossible. Food and water are generally found within the animals habitat. However, if for example an animal was removed from their habitat and put into an unfamiliar habitat where food and water sources were low, the animal would have little chance to no chance of surviving (Animal Adaptations).

Predators• Predators are a threat to many animals, causing creatures to create

surviving strategies to either escape or scare off other animals that are found in their natural habitats. Many species are aware of possible predators found within their habitation, therefore enabling them to develop effective survival adaptations. For example, the Frill neck Lizard can camouflage into its natural surrounding as well as has the ability to flare the frill around its neck to scare off predators such as birds and snakes that are found within the lizards habitat. (Frilled Neck Lizard, 2013).

In conclusion

• Animals live in particular habitats, where their adaptations make it possible for the animals to survive and thrive on earth (UEN, Animal Adaptations).

References• Frilled Neck Lizard. (2013). Retrieved September, 29 from

http://designeranimals.wikispaces.com/Frilled+Neck+Lizard

UEN. (n.d). Animal Adaptations. Retrieved from http://www.uen.org/themepark/habitat/animal.shtml