Click image to open full size
Biology
Habitats
Forest, Desert, Ocean, and Wetland
Related Tools
Related Labs
Related Worksheets
A habitat is a place where plants and animals live. Forests, deserts, oceans, and wetlands are four different habitats found on Earth. Each habitat has its own weather, water, plants, and animals. Learning about habitats helps us understand how living things get food, water, shelter, and space.
Key Facts
- A habitat is a home for living things.
- Forests have many trees, shade, and animals like birds, deer, bears, and insects.
- Deserts are very dry and often have cactus plants, lizards, snakes, and camels.
- Oceans are large bodies of salt water with fish, whales, sea turtles, coral, and seaweed.
- Wetlands have shallow water and soft, muddy ground with frogs, ducks, reeds, and turtles.
- Animals survive best in habitats that give them the food, water, shelter, and space they need.
Vocabulary
- Habitat
- A habitat is the natural home where a plant or animal lives.
- Forest
- A forest is a habitat with many trees and other plants.
- Desert
- A desert is a very dry habitat that gets little rain.
- Ocean
- An ocean is a huge saltwater habitat where many water animals and plants live.
- Wetland
- A wetland is a habitat where the ground is covered with shallow water for part or all of the year.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking all habitats have the same animals is wrong because each animal needs a place that fits its body and needs.
- Putting ocean animals in freshwater wetlands is wrong because ocean animals usually need salt water to live.
- Thinking deserts have no living things is wrong because many plants and animals are adapted to dry places.
- Calling every place with water an ocean is wrong because wetlands have shallow water and muddy land, while oceans are huge and salty.
Practice Questions
- 1 Count 4 forest animals and 3 desert animals. How many animals are there in all?
- 2 A wetland has 5 frogs. Then 2 ducks come to the wetland. How many animals are in the wetland now?
- 3 A cactus has thick stems to store water. Explain why this helps it live in the desert.