An animal's habitat is where it lives. Each place has the ideal conditions for the subsistence of the different animal species. On our planet there are different types of habitats and, among them, two major areas stand out, the terrestrial and the aquatic.
Exploring from the ground
An animal adapts to a terrestrial ecosystem because its type of respiration allows it to breathe oxygen from the atmosphere. In this way, the animals of this environment live on the ground, such as forests, grasslands, deserts or savannas. In the terrestrial habitat also live all those animals that can fly, that is, birds.
In the forests, vegetation with very tall trees predominates and they are optimal places for bears, foxes or rabbits. The grasslands normally have a temperate climate and abundant pastures and these characteristics are ideal for animals such as rhea, zebra or wildebeest.
Desert animals can withstand extreme changes in temperature, just like some reptiles or insects. The savannah is similar to the prairie, but it has a tropical climate and large grasslands, so the animals that adapt to this habitat are impalas, giraffes, rhinos or gazelles.
From the depths
More than 70% of the Earth is covered with water. The aquatic environment is divided into two: the seas and oceans and the continental waters formed by rivers and lakes.
The animals that inhabit the seas are adapted to salt water and could not survive in the fresh waters of rivers. In the sea we can find a very varied fauna, such as octopus, whale, dolphin, vertebrate fish, starfish or mollusks. In the rivers we find salmon, trout, carp or crab, among many other species.
Terrestrial animals that adapt to the aquatic environment and marine animals that are in contact with the Earth's surface
The division between terrestrial and aquatic animals allows ordering the animal world. However, this differentiation should not be understood rigorously. In fact, there are terrestrial animals that also live in the aquatic environment, such as the hippopotamus, alligators and crocodiles or some birds such as ducks or geese.
There are aquatic animals that breathe with lungs and this allows them to adapt to a terrestrial habitat, such as with elephant seals or seals.
The case of amphibians is a bit special, since they are fully adapted to life in the sea and on land and for this reason they receive this name (amphibian comes from amphibia, which in Greek means both means or both lives).
Photos: Fotolia - Eric Isselée / Willyam
