Classification of Animals Based on Their Habitat - Class 4 Notes

Classification of Animals Based on Their Habitats

a) Different plants and animals live in different places, which we call their habitat. A habitat is where an animal or plant can survive and live comfortably.
b) Animals can be found in habitats like deserts, grasslands, oceans, rivers, polar regions, and on land.
c) They choose habitats where they can find food, protect themselves, reproduce, and where the climate suits them.
d) In order to live in a particular habitat, animals have to make changes or adaptations to themselves.
e) These changes allow them to survive and thrive in their environment.
f) Organisms that can adapt to a specific environment are able to live there. However, organisms that cannot adapt themselves are in danger and may eventually die.

Animals can be divided into categories depending on the various habitats in which they live. These groups are:

1. Terrestrial Animals

a) Terrestrial animals live on land.
b) Examples of terrestrial animals are kangaroos, camels, goats, giraffes, and tigers.
c) Different habitats on land include mountains, plains, and deserts.
d) Terrestrial animals have special adaptations that help them survive in these habitats.

Here are some adaptations of terrestrial animals:

i) Animals living in plain regions have legs to walk and run on land, and they breathe through the lungs.
ii) Most terrestrial animals have well-developed sense organs and nervous systems, which help them sense and respond to changes in their environment.
iii) Some animals, like snakes, don't have legs. Instead, they have muscles and scales that help them crawl.

iv) Deserts are hot and dry places with little water. Camels are adapted to live in the desert. Camels have special adaptations like huge padded feet that don't sink in the sand, thick lips to eat thorny plants, and thick skin to prevent water loss. They also have long eyelashes that protect their eyes from sand. Camels can survive without water for three months and store fat in their hump.

v) Desert kangaroo rats are found in deserts. They have a unique ability to survive without drinking any water. Instead, they get the moisture they need from the seeds they eat. These rats also have really good hearing and can even hear the faintest sounds.

vi) Animals like polar bears and yaks live in very cold places with lots of snow. They have a thick layer of fat called blubber under their skin, which helps keep them warm by trapping their body heat. Polar bears have padded feet that make it easier for them to walk on the snow. During winter, they use the fat stored in their bodies as a source of food.

vii) Some animals, such as lizards, snails, bats, bears, and frogs, go into a long sleep during winter to protect themselves from the cold. This long winter sleep is called hibernation. They become inactive and sleep for several months until the weather becomes warmer and more favourable.

viii) These special adaptations help animals survive in their specific habitats and deal with the challenges they face, whether it's extreme heat in the desert or freezing cold in snowy regions.

List of Terrestrial Animals and Their Characterstics

2. Aquatic Animal

a) Aquatic animals are animals that live in water, such as fish, seals, turtles, sharks, crabs, starfish, whales, octopuses, and ducks.

Aquatic animals have special adaptations to help them live in water:

i) Fish and crabs have gills, which are special organs that allow them to breathe in water.
ii) Whales and dolphins, on the other hand, have lungs just like we do. They come to the water's surface to breathe air.
iii) Fish use their fins to help them swim in the water. Fins are like special limbs or flaps on their bodies that help them move through the water smoothly.
iv) Some animals have a special body shape that is streamlined, which means it's shaped in a way that allows them to swim easily in water.
v) Ducks have webbed feet that help them paddle through the water by pushing against it with their feet.
vi) Turtles have flipper-like feet that are shaped like paddles. These paddle-like flippers help turtles push against the water while they swim.

List of Aquatic Animals and Their Characterstics

3. Amphibians

a) Amphibians are animals that can live both on land and in water. Examples of amphibians are frogs, toads, and salamanders.

Amphibians have some unique features that help them survive in both environments:

i) They have moist skin, which allows them to breathe through their skin while in water. This is important because they don't have gills like fish.
ii) On land, amphibians use their lungs to breathe, just like we do.
iii) Amphibians have webbed feet, which means that the skin between their toes is connected. This helps them swim in the water by making their feet act like paddles.
iv) Frogs and salamanders have stronger back legs, which are specially adapted for hopping and moving on land.

List of Amphibians and Their Characterstics

4. Aerial Animal

a) Aerial animals are animals that can fly and spend most of their time in the air. Examples of aerial animals are birds, bats, and most insects.

Some features that help these animals fly are:

i) They have feathers, which are lightweight and help birds stay in the air. Feathers also help them steer and control their movements while flying.
ii) Birds have hollow and light bones, which make them lighter and easier to lift off the ground.
iii) Their bodies are shaped like a boat, which makes it easier for them to glide through the air.
iv) Birds have wings that are specially designed for flight. They use their strong muscles to flap their wings and generate lift, allowing them to stay in the air and fly.
v) Bats are unique because they are the only mammals that can fly. They have wings made of a thin membrane stretched between their long fingers. Bats use their wings to fly and navigate in the air.

List of Aerial Animals and Their Characterstics

5. Arboreal Animals

a) Arboreal animals are animals that spend most of their time on trees. Examples of arboreal animals are monkeys, gibbons, chimpanzees, and koala bears.

Arboreal animals have unique features that help them live on trees:

i) They have strong arms and legs that are specially adapted for climbing up and down trees. These strong limbs allow them to move easily among branches and navigate their tree-dwelling habitat.
ii) Arboreal animals also have strong grasping abilities, which means they can hold on tightly to tree branches. This helps them stay secure and stable while moving and resting in trees.

List of Arboreal Animals and Their Characterstics

Classification of Animals on the Basis of Presence and Absence of Backbone

Animals can be grouped into two types based on whether they have a backbone or not.

Invertebrates

a) These animals do not have a backbone.
b) Instead, they have a different kind of structure called an exoskeleton, which is like a hard outer covering.
c) Exoskeleton provides support and protection for the body.
d) Invertebrates include insects, worms, jellyfish, starfish, crabs, spiders and slugs.

Vertebrates

a) Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone or spinal cord inside their bodies.
b) Unlike invertebrates, they don't have an exoskeleton.
c) Vertebrates include birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals.

Characteristics of Vertebrates