Like plants, animals can also be found everywhere. Some are found in cold areas, some in wet areas and some in hot areas. Habitat refers to the place where animals live.
Depending on their habitat, animals are divided into five groups:
Animals must adapt special features in order for them to survive in their surroundings.
Terrestrial Animals
Animals living on the land are known as terrestrial animals. Rhino, dog, and elephant are examples of terrestrial animals.
These animals possess certain features that enable them to live on land. All terrestrial animals have a proper breathing system. Some of these animals breathe with the help of their lungs.
Animals have well-developed sense organs and a nervous system. Sense organs help animals to protect themselves and to hunt.
Some of these animals have strong legs that help them to run. Some like snakes do not have legs. They move by crawling along the ground.
Animals living in hot deserts have thick skin. It protects them from heat. Camels possess long legs. This is to keep their bodies off from the hot sand and keep its body cool. They also have a hump to store food in order to cope with food and water scarcity.
Animals such as penguins and polar bears live in cold regions. They have a thick coat of fur. This protects them from cold. Polar bear possesses white-colored furs to protect it from enemies. They have a layer of fat known as blubber in their body. This keeps their bodies warm and provides food in winters.
Aquatic animals
Animals living in water are known as aquatic animals. Crab and fish are examples of aquatic animals. Fish use gills to breathe. Aquatic animals have the following features that help them to live in water.
Animals such as fish have streamlined bodies. This helps them to propagate in water. Fins help fish to swim. The tail helps with changing direction in the water. Respiration takes place through the gills.
Whales, turtles, and seals have flippers that help them swim in the water. Some aquatic animals such as dolphins and whales have lungs that help them to breathe air.
Aquatic birds such as swan and duck have webbed feet. They help them to paddle in the water.
Amphibians
Animals living both in water and on land are known as amphibians. Salamander, toad, and frog are examples of amphibians. They have the following features.
They have lungs. They help them to breathe on land. When in water, they breathe through their moist skin. They also have specially adapted limbs that help them to float in water and also to move on land.
Arboreal animals
Animals living on trees are known as arboreal animals. Squirrels, monkeys, and chameleons are examples of arboreal animals. They have the following features.
They have strong limbs. They help them to climb trees. Their feet and hands are adapted to grip branches. They also have long and strong tails to swing from branch to branch.
Aerial animals
Animals that fly are called aerial animals. Insects, bats, and birds are examples of aerial animals. They have the following features. Birds have wings that help them to fly. They have feathers that keep their bodies warm. Their bones are hollow (hollow bones) to make their bodies light to fly.
ADAPTATION FOR FOOD
Different animals have different habits of eating. They have body parts that are adapted accordingly.
Herbivores
Animals such as deer, cows and zebra eat plants. They are called herbivores. They possess sharp front teeth that help them to cut grass and flat grinding teeth to chew food.
Carnivores
Animals such as tigers, eagles, and lions are animals that eat flesh. They possess sharp pointed teeth to catch and hold their prey and t tear flesh. Birds such as owls, vultures and eagles have hooked beaks and claws to tear flesh.
Omnivores
Animals such as bears eat both flesh and plants. They have different types of teeth. They have flat and sharp teeth to grind the food and tear flesh.
Parasites
Animals such as lice, mosquito, and tick live on or in the body of other animals to obtain food. They are known as parasites. They possess sucking tubes to suck blood from the host body.
ADAPTATION FOR PROTECTION
Some of the methods that have been developed by animals to protect themselves from enemies include.
Camouflage: some animals such as chameleons and polar bears have the ability to blend themselves in their environment. Chameleon has the ability to change the color of its body according to its environment. Therefore, chameleons confuse their enemies and protect them from attacks.
Migration: some birds from cold regions leave their homes, travel to areas that are warmer, and protect themselves from severe cold.
Hibernation: some animals such as lizards and snakes sleep in cold weather. They move to underground holes or caves and come out during summers.
Aestivation: some animals such as lungfish and crocodiles sleep for long periods of time in summer.
Some animals like deer and rhinos have horns to protect them from enemies. Animals like snails and tortoises have hard shells for protection. Animals like spiny anteaters have sharp spikes for protection.
We have learned that:
