CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS BASED ON HABITAT
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Terrestrial Animals: These animals live primarily on land. This category
includes a vast array of species, from insects to mammals. Examples include lions, elephants,
wolves, snakes, and insects like ants and beetles.
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Aquatic Animals: These animals live primarily in water.
They can further be divided into freshwater and marine animals.
Freshwater animals inhabit rivers, lakes, and streams, while marine animals inhabit
oceans and seas. Examples include fish, whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, and various
types of crustaceans and mollusks.
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Aerial Animals: These animals primarily live in the air. They include birds,
bats, and flying insects like butterflies and dragonflies. Aerial animals have evolved
specialized adaptations for flight and may also utilize terrestrial or aquatic habitats for
nesting, roosting, or feeding.
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Arboreal Animals: These animals live primarily in trees. They have
adaptations such as grasping limbs, prehensile tails, or specialized feet for climbing.
Examples include monkeys, squirrels, koalas, and certain species of birds and reptiles.
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Underground Animals: These animals live primarily underground. They include
burrowing mammals like moles and gophers, as well as many insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Some
species, like earthworms, spend their entire lives underground.
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Intermittent Habitat Users: Some animals utilize multiple habitats
throughout their lives. For example, amphibians like frogs may live in aquatic habitats
during their larval stage and then move to terrestrial habitats as adults. Similarly, certain bird
species migrate between terrestrial breeding grounds and aquatic wintering grounds.
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Man-Made Habitats:With increasing urbanization and human activity,
many animals have adapted to live in human-altered environments. This includes urban areas,
agricultural landscapes, and even indoor environments like houses and buildings. Examples include
pigeons, rats, cockroaches, and certain species of birds and insects that thrive in urban environments.
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Extreme Environment Dwellers: Some animals inhabit extreme environments such as deserts,
polar regions, deep ocean trenches, or high mountain ranges. These animals have special adaptations
to survive in conditions such as extreme temperatures, low oxygen levels, or high pressure.
