Can someone please explain to me what a niche is? And differentiate it with a habitat (not like a huge paragraph just the main point)
So I’m stuck with this here. The Directions are to label the examples below either habitat or niche. (these are the numbers on the paper, I don’t want to get confused)
12. A chameleon changes its colors to blend in with its surroundings.
13. Ducks and amphibians live in or near a pond.
14. Birds nest in trees.
15. A male lion’s mane attracts a mate.
16. Your cat’s sense of smell helps it find its way home.
17. Monarch butterflies eat milkweed, making them poisonous to other species.
18. Woodpeckers use their beaks to pry insects from trees.
Please, somebody help me here!!
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Help With Classifying Niches And Habitats?
Posted on July 15, 2012.
I can understand your confusion, for the dictionary definition of niche is probably no good here. In the context of biology though, it would appear “niche” is referring more to an animal’s means of interaction with its environment, whereas “habitat” is simply the kind of environment it inhabits. Therefore, 12 would definitely be “niche,” because it states what the chameleon is itself doing to successfully interact/survive, whereas 13 is “habitat” because it merely details where the animal exists. The rest should be fairly evident.
A niche is the role an animal plays in its environment while a habitat is just the environment that the animals live in overall. So the answers are 12. niche; 13. habitat; 14. habitat; 15. niche; 16. niche; 17. niche; 18. niche. Because a male lion using its mane to attract mates its the job it performs in order to reproduce and a bird nesting in a tree means that tree is its habitat.