Living things have homes — Biology, 4–6 years
A habitat is the place where a living thing finds what it needs, such as food, water, shelter and space.
A home that fits
A habitat is not always a house made by people. It can be a pond, a tree, soil or a rocky shore. Each living thing needs a place with the right food, water, shelter and room for its life.
Why habitats matter
A living thing cannot live well just anywhere. A frog needs wet places for its skin and eggs, while a cactus needs a dry place. People learned about habitats by watching where animals and plants were found, and what happened when those places changed.
A frog’s pond
Look at a frog beside a pond. First, the pond gives it water and keeps its skin from drying. Next, plants and tiny animals provide food, and mud or plants give it places to hide. That pond is a suitable habitat because several needs are met together.
The biggest place is not always best
It is easy to think that a large park suits every animal because there is plenty of room. But room alone is not enough: a fish still needs water, and a bird may need a tree for its nest. The mistake makes sense because people often feel more comfortable in a bigger space.
Caring for homes
When people leave rubbish in a stream, they change an animal’s habitat. Cleaning the stream, keeping ponds full of plants and leaving some wild corners can help the animals that live there. Gardeners and park workers use this idea when they protect places instead of removing everything.
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