Humps store fat for energy; wide feet spread its weight on sand; long eyelashes keep sand out.
Thick fur and fat keep heat in; white coat camouflages against snow; big paws grip ice.
Learn the Ideas
1A habitat supplies needs.
Food, water, shelter and space. A woodland, a pond, a desert — each suits certain living things.
2Adaptations suit the habitat.
Physical features (thick fur, webbed feet) and behaviours (hibernating, migrating) that aid survival.
3Environments change.
If a habitat changes — drought, new predators — poorly-adapted animals struggle. Over very long times, this drives evolution.
Worked Example
Why does a cactus have spines instead of leaves and a thick stem?
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
Not a choice! An individual can’t grow thicker fur by wanting to. Those born better-suited survive more — adaptation happens across generations.
Habitat = the home. It’s the specific place a living thing lives and gets its needs — a hedgehog’s habitat is the hedgerow, not ‘the countryside’ in general.
Behaviour counts too! Hibernating, migrating and being active at night are adaptations just as much as fur or feet.
⬇ Cheat Sheet
- A habitat provides food, water, shelter and space.
- Adaptations are features that aid survival there.
- Physical (fur, spines) AND behavioural (hibernating, migrating).
- Better-adapted individuals survive and reproduce — over time, evolution.
📖 Continue Your Journey
Quick summary
- A habitat provides an organism's food, water, shelter and space.
- Adaptations are features — physical or behavioural — that aid survival there.
- Camels, polar bears and cacti show adaptations to extreme habitats.
- Better-adapted individuals survive and reproduce; over generations this is evolution.
Frequently asked questions
What is an adaptation?
A feature that helps a living thing survive in its habitat — a camel's humps, a polar bear's thick fur, or a behaviour like hibernating.
Do animals choose to adapt?
No — an individual can't change its features by wanting to. Those born with helpful features survive better and pass them on, so the species adapts over generations.
What is the difference between a habitat and an environment?
A habitat is the specific place an organism lives and meets its needs; the environment is the wider surroundings, including weather and other living things.
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