Habitats 

            *     Scrub 

            *     Wetland 

            *     Marine 

            *     Grassland

            *     Savanna 

            *    Desert 

            *     Forest 

    Habitats are homes to a number of different animals and plants. Let’s take a journey through habitats around the world and learn more about them.

          Scrub

Our first stop is the scrub habitat. The scrub habitat is very unique in its animals and vegetation. Many scrub habitats are found along the coast and are made up of sand, shrubs, trees and grass. Scrub habitats are managed through controlled fires.  A controlled fire is a fire that is intentionally set and monitored by firefighters.  These controlled fires are necessary to preserve the animals and food supply.

A large variety of animals make their home in the scrub habitat.  Varieties of birds, lizards, and snakes are just some of the animals that have adapted to living in this type of environment.

              Wetland

Next on our journey is the wetland habitat.  A wetland is an area where water is covering the soil or the area is very wet.   Bogs, swamps, lakes and marshes are all examples of wetlands. Did you know that there are both freshwater and saltwater wetlands?  Freshwater has a smaller amount of salt in the water than saltwater.  Freshwater wetlands include areas along lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams. Oceans and seas are two examples of saltwater wetlands.

Many different species of animals make wetlands their home.  A trip through a wetland on an airboat may allow you to see alligators, fish, birds, muskrats, frogs, or even bear. 

                Marine

  Before we head back to land, let’s visit the marine habitat.  The marine habitat contains animals and plant life that depend on saltwater to survive. Marine habitats are often divided into coastal and deep-sea habitats. Coastal habitats are found near the coast or surface of the ocean. The deep-sea habitat is found in the deep ocean and goes to the bottom of the ocean floor.

Reptiles, mammals, and fish can all be found in marine habitats.  If you are looking for a marine animal, you may see something as small as a shrimp or as large as a whale.  Dolphins, sharks, snails, and turtles can all be found in a marine habitat.

            Grassland

Back on land, we travel to the grasslands.  The grassland is a habitat of all grass and very nutrient rich soil. This habitat has enough grass that it is not considered a dessert but not enough grass to make a forest.  Grasslands tend to get very dry which can result in  fires.

With such a large amount of area covered in grass, many animals in this habitat are considered grazers.  Grazers are animals that survive by eating the plant life, grass.  Elephants, deer, and zebras are examples of grazers.  Some other animals that can be found in grassland habitats include lions, wolves, hyenas, gophers and birds.