Building a Shelter

Adaptations

How Do Animals Build Shelters?

Word of the Week

Shelter

A shelter is somewhere an animal can go where it is protected! Shelters keep animals safe from harsh weather, predators, and other threats.


Some animals have adaptations that help them build shelters, while others steal or borrow shelters from other animals.

Species Spotlight

Prairie Dog

Cynomys ssp.

Prairie dogs are a type of ground squirrel found throughout the grasslands of North America. The largest of the five prairie dog species can reach 13-inches tall and weigh up to 4-lbs! Despite their small size and adorable appearance, prairie dogs can be ferocious animals. Whether fending off predators or competing for territory, their sharp claws and powerful teeth make them skilled fighters. Their claws and teeth also help them eat all their favorite foods, like seeds, stems, roots, grasses, leaves, and insects.


Prairie dogs are very social and are usually found in large groups called “towns.” Towns are found in grasslands with fine soil perfect for digging burrows. Burrows can reach more than 15-ft deep and often have several entrances. They even have separate areas for different activities, like having babies, sleeping, and even listening for predators! 


Prairie dogs are very important in grasslands for many reasons. Their burrows bring oxygen and nutrients into the soil to help grasses and other plants grow. They also keep the grassland plants from overgrowing by feeding on grasses and young shrubs. Many other species also rely on prairie dog burrows for shelter, like black-footed ferrets, rattlesnakes, and burrowing owls. Without prairie dogs, the grassland would be a very different environment.

Conservation Corner

Recycling

Today, it is common to see pieces of plastic weaved into bird nests or even a hermit crab using a tin can as a shell. There is so much litter in the environment that it often ends up in part of an animal's life.


Recycling is a great way to prevent items ending up in the landfill or wild ecosystems, but did you know that the items you can recycle are different in every city? For recycling programs to continue, we must learn to recycle properly. You can figure out which items are recyclable in your city with a quick Google search! Look up your city or county's residential recycling program to find a complete list of the items your local recycling center accepts. While the acceptable items are different in each location, there are many commonly confused items that typically CANNOT be recycled. 

Learn More
BRAIN BLAST

Find out what items are recyclable in your local recycling program! Make a small poster and hang it on your fridge or above your recycling can to help remind your family what items should and should not be recycled.

Shelter Solutions

Match each animal to the type of shelter it creates or uses!

Shelter Solutions Printable

Building a Shelter Challenge

Becoming a Shelter Engineer

For these challenge activities, you will be designing a shelter for the animal you have been assigned. You will need to collect miscellaneous items from around your classroom or house to build the shelter (string, popsicle sticks, tape, markers, pipe cleaners, glue, paper, paperclips, etc.). Research your animal to learn about their habitat, behaviors, and needs. Then, build a shelter that would suit them best!


Read below to see what animal you have been assigned!


If your birthday is in...

January, February, March, or April: Spider monkey

May, June, July, or August: Brown bear

September, October, November, or December: Parrot

Glossary

Adaptation

The process by which a species becomes more fit for its environment over the course of several generations. It is a result of natural selection.

Behavioral Adaptation

 Things organisms do or ways they act that help them survive.

Burrow

A hole dug by an animal where they and other species can take shelter.

Brumate

A state of inactivity in ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) during the winter months.

Camouflage

The ability for an organism to blend into their surroundings usually to hide from prey or predators.

Climate

Weather conditions in a region over a long period of time.

Ectotherm

An animal that relies on the external temperature to regulate their body temperature (reptiles and amphibians). Also known as cold-blooded.

Endotherm

An animal that regulates their body temperature internally (mammals and birds). Also known as warm-blooded.

Hibernation

An extended state of decreased activity and metabolic rate in endothermic (warm-blooded) animals during winter seasons.

Physical Adaptations

Body parts or other physical parts of a plant or animal that help them survive

Predator

An animal that hunts other animals for food.

Prey

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.

Shelter

A protected space where animals will go when there is danger or to raising offspring.

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