Exploring Habitats

A fish tank,

an aquarium,

and an ocean.

What do these three places have in common?

Yes, they all hold fish and water.

More scientifically,

they are all habitats.

A habitat is a place where an animal or plant lives.

Habitats provide plants and animals with four

important things they need to survive.

Can you name those four important things?

Yes, that's right.

Food, water, air, and space to live, grow,

and stay safe.

A crocodile in a river habitat needs food to eat,

water to drink, and air to breathe.

It finds all of those right at the surface of the river.

Crocodiles swim through plant that also need food, water, and air.

The plants get energy from the sun,

nutrients from the soil, and the water they need from the river.

The river habitat in which the crocodile and plants

live is the space they both need to live,

grow,

and stay safe.

Habitats can be hot like the Sahara Desert in Africa

or cold like the glaciers in Antarctica,

they can be wet like the Amazon rain forest in South America,

or dry like the Australian Outback.

They can be large like the prairies of North America

or small like this hamster cage in a pet store.

Even, the single tree stump is a habitat. A

micro habitat,

it is many different plants and insects living on, around, and under it.

Living things have enough food, water, air, and space

even right around this fallen tree.

The base of this tree is also a micro habitat because it is small

and home to different living things than the surrounding habitat.

Animals and plants depend on each other in their habitats.

For example, this frog feeds on grasshoppers,

while grasshoppers eat plants to gain energy.

This is an example of a food chain.

A food chain

is a model that shows how energy passes from one living thing to another.

There are food chains under the water too.

Fish feed on plants in the water and crocodiles eat the fish to gain energy.

There are so many different kinds of plants

and animals that live in different habitats.

Do you wish you could spend all day sneaking around different

habitat to learn more about the plants and animals living there.

One day, you can.

Different types of scientists visit these habitats every day.

Do you want to study the animals in a rainforest such as monkeys,

parrots,

and tree frogs?

Well, that's what a wildlife biologist does.

A botanist studies the plants in a rain forest

such as ferns,

mangrove trees,

and orchids.

In a small forest near your home,

wildlife biologists might study foxes or deer.

All botanists might study pine trees

or wildflowers.

Are you interested in insects such as ants,

centipedes,

and stink beetles?

Scientists called entomologists study them in a desert habitat.

At a local park,

they might study lady

bugs,

butterflies,

or bees.

Do you want to jump in the ocean and

see the different plants and animals living underwater

such as this great white shark,

starfish,

blue crabs,

brain coral,

or even seaweed.

Marine biologists study all of these things.

At a pond or stream close to your home,

marine biologists might study catfish, turtles,

and water lily.

Habitats can be big like the ocean

or small like your front yard.

So, explore near where you live.

What habitat do you think you will find?

What other habitats can you name? (MUSIC).