How do animals meet their needs?
They Use the Environment
Animals get the resources to meet their needs from the environment in which they live.
Animals find meat or plants to eat in the environment. Animals will live in places near a food supply. They change the environment by consuming resources.
Oxygen
Animals get oxygen from either the water or the air in their environment. Animals on land breathe air with lungs, while many animals who live in the ocean breathe with the help of gills. Animal breathing changes the environment because they change oxygen to carbon dioxide with every breath. You cannot see it because both oxygen and carbon dioxide are invisible.
Water
Animals who do not live in the ocean will often try to live near bodies of water. Animals also can get water by eating plants for their water supply. This is particularly true in the desert, where water is less available.
Animals build or find homes in their environment. The use materials that they find to make their homes. Some animals use sticks, rocks, or even burrow in the ground. Animals change the environement by using resources to make their homes.