Circular illustration showing various habitats, including savannas, rainforests, deserts, tundra, and grasslands, with animals native to each environment, such as elephants, lions, polar bears, camels, and deer.

A circular diagram of diverse habitats, featuring animals in their natural ecosystems from rainforests to deserts and tundra, highlighting the variety of life adapted to each habitat.

Habitat

Category: Animal Biology Date: November 8, 2024

What is a Habitat?

A habitat is the natural environment in which an organism lives and thrives. The habitat provides the necessary resources for survival, such as food, water, shelter, and mates.

Niche vs Habitat

Niche and Habitat are related terms, but they mean different things in biology:

  • A habitat is the physical place where an organism lives. For example, a frog’s habitat might be a pond. It’s like the frog’s “home,” where it finds shelter, water, and the conditions it needs to survive.
  • A niche is the role or job an organism has in its habitat. It includes everything the organism does to survive, like what it eats, when it’s active, how it interacts with other animals, and how it affects its environment. For example, a frog’s niche might include eating insects, being active at night, and providing food for larger predators.

So, habitat is where an organism lives, and niche is how it lives and interacts within that place.