Where do Amphibians and Reptiles live?
HABITAT
All animals need water, food and shelter to live. A place where an animal can find everything it needs to live is called its habitat. Lots of different places can be habitat for amphibians and reptiles. You can find them in forests, in prairies, in marshes or in lakes and rivers, even in cities. Anywhere there is some water to lay eggs in, you can find some kind of amphibian in Manitoba. Reptiles live in lots of different habitats, too, but northern Manitoba is too cold for most reptiles to live in.
WHERE IN MANITOBA?
When you read about each kind of amphibian or reptile you will learn the kind of habitat it lives in and you can see a map of where it lives. Some live all over Manitoba, but some kinds live only in small areas of the province. Here is the kind of map you will see:
The part of this map that is light green shows where Northern Leopard Frogs live in North America.
Why are some amphibians and reptiles found over all of Manitoba and some only in small parts of the province? The habitat that some animals need might only be found in certain areas and each kind can only live in some kinds of weather conditions. In the north, summers are too short and cool, and winters are too cold for most amphibians and reptiles. In the southwest of our province it is very dry, too dry for some amphibians to live there. Each kind of animal lives where it can find the right kind of habitat and where the weather is right for it.
Next: What do they do in winter?
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