Wildlife watch

Types of habitats

A habitat is the home of an animal or a plant. Habitats provide animals with food, water, and a place to live. Different habitats are home to different animals. There are lots of different habitats, including cities and towns, which are habitats for humans as well as wildlife.

Urban habitats are made up of lots of buildings, but also have parks and gardens where plants grow. Urban habitats are home to animals such as foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs, and pigeons.

Rainforest habitats are rainy and warm. Plants grow easily because of these conditions, so rainforests are full of many tall trees and leafy plants. Rainforests are home to insects and mammals such as jaguars and monkeys, as well as many more species of animals that haven’t been discovered yet.

Polar habitats are cold, windy, and covered in snow. Trees can’t grow in polar habitats, but you can find moss. They're home to polar bears, arctic foxes, orcas, seals, and penguins.

Marine habitats are in seas where the water is salty. They can be very different depending on how warm the water is. Marine habitats contain seaweed, hundreds of different fish species, whales, sharks, octopuses, and dolphins.

Grassland habitats are mostly made of grass. They’re not as dry as deserts, but they don’t get enough rain to be covered by trees like woodlands. They're home to giraffes, lions, and elephants.

Forest and woodland habitats are mainly covered by trees. There are lots of different kinds depending on whether they're in a hot or cold place. They're the natural home of some animals that are found in urban habitats (such as hedgehogs, squirrels and foxes) and animals such as deer, rabbits and bears.

Desert habitats are dry with very little rain. Deserts can be hot or cold. The animals that live there have adapted to living with very little water.  Deserts can be home to plants such as palm trees and cacti, as well as animals such as camels.

Coastal habitats vary a lot, from shallow shores and dunes to beaches and rocky cliffs. You can find different flowers such as thrifts and campions, as well as seaweed. Cliff tops are home to many bird species, and you can also find bats, lizards, and insects.

Dangers to wildlife

Urban development: as human populations grow, more cities and roads are built. Sometimes forests are cut down to make way for them, which means many animals lose their habitats. The noise of building work (as well as the noise of everyday life) can also disturb animals – and dangers such as fast cars can accidentally kill animals that don’t get out of their way.

Water development: building dams to provide water to our cities can change the temperature of rivers – this may damage habitats.

Pollution: introducing different chemicals into the environment can harm the animals and plants that live there. Some forms of pollution can be seen, while some (such as fumes from cars) are invisible.

Recreation: our outdoor activities can also harm wildlife and habitats – if we don’t take care, we can disturb them when we're exploring. It's very important that we clear up after ourselves, for example, by taking our litter and rubbish home so animals can’t eat it or get tangled in it.