Habitats are the places where plants and animals live. It includes forests, oceans, and deserts. Each habitat has its own type of soil, landscape, weather patterns and mix of plants and animals.

 

• Over 80% of all reptiles live in tropical rainforests which are being destroyed at levels that cannot be sustained into the future.

• It’s not just about rainforests, natural habitats throughout the world are being destroyed. If reptiles and other animals don’t have places to live they will not survive and many species currently existing today will go extinct.  

• People need places to live, work, play, raise their children, and places to grow food, but we need to make sure that we do our best to give other animals a place to live and raise their young as well.

• Just as each person is unique and makes our lives more fun and exciting, the same is true for each species of animal on the planet. Less animal diversity leads to less things to learn and get excited about.

• Other Issues and Interesting Facts

  • Ancient peoples began the process of habitat destruction by setting fires to catch animals for food, which replaced forests with grasslands and savannahs.

  • Much of the natural grasslands have been converted into farmland because it has the optimal soil type for growing farmers’ crops.

  • Roads we build create barriers for reptiles and other animals that need to move around in their habitat. Snakes are especially susceptible to getting hit by cars as they are long and usually slow moving.

  • Approximately 80,000 acres of rainforest are cut down every day.