Animals – What do animals need to survive?

Voice of a child: What do animals need to survive?

Maddie Moate: There are all kinds of animals living around us. These animals need the same four things to survive: air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat and shelter – a place to live. The area in which an animal lives is called its habitat and it is important that a habitat provides everything an animal needs to survive. This is an acorn snake, its name is Jack Frost.

Omolara: A snake is a reptile.

Enya: Reptiles are cold-blooded. Their bodies do not produce heat.

Enya: Stay inside where it's nice and warm.

Maddie Moate: Corn snakes need the place they live – warmth. This reptile house is kept warm to resemble Jack Frost's natural habitat in the wild. Let's find out more from an expert.

Yussef: Hi, I'm Yussef and I'm an animal expert. One of the most important things an animal needs to survive is a habitat. A habitat is a place where an animal lives, it can be a hot desert for example or even your own garden. And it provides an animal with everything it needs. It provides it with food. Let's take a crested gecko for example, these animals live high up in the trees of the rainforests and they like to eat insects and other bugs, they like to eat juicy fruits and a rainforest provides them with all of that. It also provides them with leaves and twigs and bumpy bark where they can take shelter from bad weather and it protects them from predators.

Omolara: Are there wild snakes in Britain?

Maddie Moate: Yes, there is. The most common species is the grass snake. They are usually found in England and Wales. Let's find out what makes a good habitat for a grass snake. A good habitat has everything an animal needs to survive. This grass snake needs to make sure the habitat is just right. It needs water to drink, but also because grass snakes love to swim. And food – some of its favourite foods live in bodies of water. And shelter – from autumn to spring, grass snakes hibernate, which is like a very long sleep, so there needs to be somewhere it can find shelter during the winter months. So this grassy, ​​damp habitat is ideal for the grass snake!

Child's Voice: This habitat looks a little different than the last one.

Maddie Moate: That's right. Deer live in woodland and on open heathland and moorland. This land is perfect for them to graze as there is plenty of food for them to eat.

Child’s voice: You must really like grass!

Maddie Moate: Yes! Deer eat grass, leaves and sometimes even tree bark. All animals have one thing in common: they need to eat food to survive. But animals eat different things depending on what species they are. Some animals eat plants, we call them herbivores. Some animals eat other animals, we call them carnivores. And some animals eat both, we call them omnivores. OK, let's see if you can remember which is which. Which species of animal only eats other animals?

Children:Carnivores!

Maddie Moate: Yes! Our corn snake eats mice, rats, birds and bats, making it a carnivore. Wolves and lynx are carnivores that once roamed wild in Britain. But today we only find them in zoos and wildlife parks in Britain. Can you remember the species that only eats plants?

Children:Herbivores!

Maddie Moate: Well done! Herbivores eat things like seeds, fruits, nectar and algae. So what do we call animals that eat plants and animals?

Children: Omnivores!

Maddie Moate: Pigs are omnivores, they eat roots, vegetables, fruit, eggs, flowers, leaves, worms and insects. They eat pretty much anything! Humans are also omnivores in that they eat both plants and meat from other animals. However, some people eat a purely plant-based diet. We share this planet with so many different animals and they all rely on their habitat to get what they need to survive. That's why it's so important that we look after their habitat and make sure we protect it for the future so that we can continue to coexist with a rich diversity of life.