Living Things and Their Habitats

Do you recognize these big furry fellows? Yes, they are polar bears. They live near the North Pole. What’s the weather like there? Brrr! It’s cold, cold, cold. Look at what’s all around the polar bear: ice and snow, and lots of it!

The polar bear lives where it’s cold and icy all the time. He doesn’t seem to mind the cold weather. Look at him again. See his thick, furry coat? With all that thick fur, he stays pretty cozy, even at the North Pole.

Now, imagine that the polar bear goes on vacation… Of course, you and I know that bears don’t take vacations, but let’s pretend. Let’s say that the polar bear goes on a golfing trip to Hawaii. What would our big, furry friend think of the sunny, sandy beaches of Hawaii?

TOO HOT!! You might like the hot, sunny beach, but… Polar bears are not adapted to living in such hot weather. Their thick fur makes them too hot! If you’ve ever been swimming at the beach, you probably changed your clothes and put on a bathing suit. The polar bear can’t take off his fur to change!

Poor Polar Bear! He wouldn’t enjoy a trip to warm, sunny Hawaii. It’s a lovely place, but not for him. It’s not his habitat. He likes the cold, icy waters that have delicious and

What’s a Habitat? A habitat is the place where an animal lives, eats, sleeps, makes its home and has babies and gets its food and water from. But it’s not just any kind of place. An animal’s habitat is a special place that has everything it needs: the right kind of food, the right kind of shelter, and the right kind of water. Plants have habitats, too.

Are These The Correct Habitats? A fish that swims in water couldn’t possibly survive in the mountains, could it? No, it would die because it needs water to help it breath. Mountains are not a fish’s habitat. Could a cactus live in a swamp? Of course not-the swamp has too much water. Cacti like dry land. Swamps are not a cacti’s habitat. Would a worm that crawls through the moist, rich soil of the forest be happy living in the hot, sandy desert? Of course not, it would dry up and die. The desert is not the worm’s habitat. + = + = + =

Different animals live in different habitats.