It is very common to hear about the habitat of animals and that their destruction endangers the survival of several species. But, after all, what is habitat?
Habitat can be defined as the place where a species lives and develops.. In a very didactic way, we can say that it is the house of an organism, its address. Fish, for example, live in water and that is why we say that their habitat is aquatic. Earthworms, on the other hand, live underground, which is their habitat.
We can split the habitat in two main types: the Natural it's the artificial. You natural habitats they are those created by nature itself, without man's interference. already the artificial habitats are those that are built by man. These environments have as their main function to make the living being feel in its true habitat, reproducing and developing normally. A classic example of man-made habitats is zoos.
As already said, the habitat it is the place where a species finds the determining factors for its survival, such as climate, vegetation and its food. If removed from their habitat, species usually die from the difficulty of establishing themselves in a new home.
Take, for example, a Komodo dragon. This magnificent lizard, considered the largest in the world, is found only on three islands in the Pacific: Rinca, Flores and Komodo. As he lives only on these islands, they can be considered his natural habitat.
Now imagine that the islands are overrun with buildings and rubbish. This place is nothing like the old environment in which he lived. The Komodo Dragon no longer finds food or a place to shelter. His house was destroyed! It goes without saying that the survival of the species is threatened, is it?
Nowadays we can say that the habitat destruction is one of the problems that most lead species to extinction. Normally this destruction occurs as a result of human action, which destroys nature for the construction of houses and expansion of pastures and crops, for example, in addition to to pollute and contaminate several areas.
So, before throwing garbage on the floor, remember that you are littering someone's house and your action can directly harm some species!
Take the opportunity to check out our video lesson on the subject:
