SpringBoard Magazine Animal Homes

ANIMAL HOMES

All animals need food water and shelter to survive. The shelter i.e. the HOME

protects them from rough weather conditions, keeps them cozy and warm, and is

a place to bring up their young ones. Most of the animals have some kind of home.

The home could be a CAVE, a BURROW, a NEST, a WEB etc.

Humans live in various kinds of homes. Human homes could be houses,
apartments, cottages, huts, tents, igloos etc.

Let us explore some of the animal homes.

1) Barns - Humans build barns to house pets or domesticated animals, like Cows, Horses, Sheep, Goats etc.

2) Caves and Dens- Caves are found in mountainous regions. Many animals take protection and shelter in the rocky caves or crevices. E.g.- Tigers, Lions, Bears, Wolves, Bats. Some fishes also live in caves in the oceans. Eels always live in rocky crevices. Dens are smaller than the caves.

3) Burrows and holes - Many animals dig the ground and make their homes in burrows and holes.

The Fox’s underground home is called a burrow. A Rabbit home is called a Warren. Many animals, like the Gophers and Moles, create very extensive underground burrow systems. They connect together many entrance and exit holes with tunnels allowing them to travel underground. Skunks also live in burrows.

Mice and Snakes live in holes. Plenty of worms also live
underground. Ants live in ant hills, made of soil.

4) Nests- Nests are built by birds,  and other animals,
as a home for themselves and especially for their eggs.

Birds make nests from twigs, grass, earth, moss, lichens and
soft fibers. Most nests are bowl-shaped and are found built in
tree branches, on the ground, or even in buildings.

5) Tree hollows-Many times animals make homes in hollows in
the trees. The tree provides both shelter and protection from
the enemy. E.g.- Owl, Squirrels, Raccoons and some Monkeys.


6) Hives- Bees live in colonies made of thousands of bees. All
the bees in the colony share the same home which is the hive.
The hive is usually built in the ground, in trees, or even
buildings. A hive is made up of small hexagonal chambers or
cells made of wax. The bees create the wax in their abdomen.
Then the queen places her eggs in these chambers. The worker
bees collect nectar and pollen from the flowers to make honey
which is their food. They also store their food in the chambers
of the hive.

7) Webs- Spiders have an ability to produce silk from an organ
in their abdomen called the spinneret. With this silky thread
spiders weave intricate webs, where they live. The spider's web
also serves other purposes in addition to being a place to live.
Spiders use their web to trap insects for food. Once an insect is
caught, they may also use their web to tie up their victim.

8)Shells - Some creatures carry their homes on their backs.
These are the Shells. Mostly animals with soft bodies live in
shells. E.g.- Snails, Turtles, Oysters, Clams etc. The shells are
hard. They also keep the animals safe from the enemies.

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Humans live in various kinds of homes. Human homes could be houses, apartments, cottages, huts, tents, igloos etc.

Let us explore some of the animal homes.

	1) Barns - Humans build barns to house pets or domesticated animals, like Cows, Horses, Sheep, Goats etc.

	2) Caves and Dens- Caves are found in mountainous regions. Many animals take protection and shelter in the rocky caves or crevices. E.g.- Tigers, Lions, Bears, Wolves, Bats. Some fishes also live in caves in the oceans. Eels always live in rocky crevices. Dens are smaller than the caves.
	3) Burrows and holes - Many animals dig the ground and make their homes in burrows and holes.
	The Fox’s underground home is called a burrow. A Rabbit home is called a Warren. Many animals, like the Gophers and Moles, create very extensive underground burrow systems. They connect together many entrance and exit holes with tunnels allowing them to travel underground. Skunks also live in burrows.

	Mice and Snakes live in holes. Plenty of worms also live underground. Ants live in ant hills, made of soil.

	4) Nests- Nests are built by birds, and other animals, as a home for themselves and especially for their eggs. Birds make nests from twigs, grass, earth, moss, lichens and soft fibers. Most nests are bowl-shaped and are found built in tree branches, on the ground, or even in buildings.

	5) Tree hollows-Many times animals make homes in hollows in the trees. The tree provides both shelter and protection from the enemy. E.g.- Owl, Squirrels, Raccoons and some Monkeys.

	6) Hives- Bees live in colonies made of thousands of bees. All the bees in the colony share the same home which is the hive. The hive is usually built in the ground, in trees, or even buildings. A hive is made up of small hexagonal chambers or cells made of wax. The bees create the wax in their abdomen. Then the queen places her eggs in these chambers. The worker bees collect nectar and pollen from the flowers to make honey which is their food. They also store their food in the chambers of the hive.

	7) Webs- Spiders have an ability to produce silk from an organ in their abdomen called the spinneret. With this silky thread spiders weave intricate webs, where they live. The spider's web also serves other purposes in addition to being a place to live. Spiders use their web to trap insects for food. Once an insect is caught, they may also use their web to tie up their victim.

	8)Shells - Some creatures carry their homes on their backs. These are the Shells. Mostly animals with soft bodies live in shells. E.g.- Snails, Turtles, Oysters, Clams etc. The shells are hard. They also keep the animals safe from the enemies.