Imagine a polar bear in the desert. At first, it might seem funny, but take away the sunglasses and swim trunks, and you’ll see a bear that’s hot, hungry, and unhappy. Why? Because the desert isn’t where a polar bear belongs. There are no seals to eat, no cold water to swim in, and no snow to sleep on. The desert is not its habitat.
A habitat is the place where an animal lives, but it’s more than just a location. It’s a place that provides everything an animal needs to survive, like food, water, shelter, and space. Just like you need food, water, and a home, animals need these things too.
Animals get their food from other living things in their habitat. This is part of what we call a “food chain,” which shows how energy moves from one living thing to another. But in reality, there are many food chains that overlap and connect, forming a “food web.”
For example, a polar bear’s favorite food is seals, but it might also eat walrus, dead whales, bird eggs, or even plants if it has to. This shows how food webs are complex and interconnected.
Let’s look at two different habitats: the forest and the Arctic.
In the forest, plants like trees and grass use sunlight to make food. Animals like mice and rabbits eat these plants, and predators like owls and snakes eat the smaller animals. Decomposers like insects and fungi break down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil for plants to use again.
In the Arctic, it’s mostly ice, so where are the plants? Look closely at the sea water, and you’ll find tiny plants called phytoplankton. These are eaten by small creatures called zooplankton, which are then eaten by small fish. Larger fish eat the smaller fish, and marine mammals like whales eat both fish and plankton. Seals, which are a polar bear’s favorite food, eat fish too. In the cold Arctic, decomposers work slowly because of the low temperatures.
Different habitats have different food webs and ecosystems. Small changes, like the amount of water or the type of land, can affect which plants and animals live there. In the Arctic, a polar bear fits perfectly into its habitat. It has the right food and the right body adaptations to stay warm and comfortable. A polar bear wouldn’t survive in the desert or the forest because those habitats don’t meet its needs.
So, let’s make sure our polar bear stays in the Arctic, where it belongs and can be happy!
