Every animal has a place where it belongs. From the icy waters of the Arctic to tropical rainforests and colorful coral reefs, animals have evolved to survive in environments that provide the food, shelter, water, and space they need.

Understanding where animals live helps us understand how they survive, why they behave the way they do, and why protecting these environments is so important.

On WildE Planet, we’ve organized animal habitats into three easy ways to explore the natural world.

Continents

Continents help us understand where animals are found around the world. Each continent has its own climate, landscapes, and wildlife. Some animals live on only one continent, while others are found across several regions or even around the globe.

Explore the wildlife of Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Antarctica, and the world’s oceans.

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is a community of living things interacting with each other and their environment. Forests, coral reefs, deserts, wetlands, grasslands, mountains, rivers, and oceans are all examples of ecosystems that support unique plants and animals.

Learning about ecosystems helps explain how species depend on one another and how changes to the environment affect entire communities of life.

Habitats

A habitat is the specific place where an animal lives within an ecosystem. It provides everything an animal needs to survive, including food, water, shelter, and places to raise young.

For example, a coral reef is a habitat within the marine ecosystem, while a mangrove forest provides habitat for many fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals. Different species often share the same habitat while filling different roles in nature.