Terrestrial and Aquatic Animals

In this article we will provide you the information about the Terrestrial and Aquatic Animals.

Terrestrial animals

In biology , we speak of terrestrial animals to refer to those animals that live preferentially or entirely on land , that is, on the continental surface of the planet, as opposed to aquatic animals , which live mainly in water . Terrestrial animals are physically and organically adapted to life away from water.

In the early days of the planet, life began in water and spread to Earth ‘s surface about 500 million years ago , when the first vascular plants left the water. The first animal forms appeared about 70 million years later, consisting mainly of arthropods and bony vertebrates .

Initially, the animals could barely move on land from one aquatic habitat to another for brief periods. But the opportunities for food and territory on the continental surface, and fierce competition in the water, motivated adaptation to dry terrain. The process of adaptation of animals to emerged lands is called terrestrialization .

Terrestrial animals currently make up a significant percentage of life on Earth , highly diverse and nearly as abundant as marine life. The greatest density of these animals is found in rainforests and humid tropical jungles . However, it has adapted to virtually all climates , habitats and regions across the globe.

May serve you: animal kingdom

Characteristics

Although terrestrial animals are very diverse among themselves, they share certain minimal characteristics of adaptation to the terrestrial environment, although this adaptation can occur through different mechanisms and organs. Thus, the minimum characteristics of Terrestrial animals are:

• Breathing . Gone are the gills and other mechanisms of aquatic respiration, in favor of gas exchange. Oxygen is removed from the air by the lungs, trachea, or directly through the skin.
• Robust skeletons. Since body weight is less in water than in air, Terrestrial animals require strong, non-cartilaginous bone structures, especially in the limbs that support them. In the case of arthropods, the skeleton is on the outside (exoskeleton) and in vertebrates, on the inside (endoskeleton). There are exceptions to this rule, in the case of simple beings with an elongated body, such as earthworms, which do not have a skeleton.
• Senses adapted to the dry. Sight, smell and hearing, the essential senses for hunting prey or for defending against predators, distinguish one from the other, must, in the case of terrestrial animals, adapt to the air, where sound waves travel more slowly and there is much more abundance of light .
• Prevention of desiccation. Being in an environment where moisture is lost rather than gained, Terrestrial animals must have skin adapted to prevent moisture loss or with endogenous mechanisms to hydrate it, as well as structures that protect them from cold or heat . such as fur, feathers, etc. . For the same reason, Terrestrial animals that lay eggs have adapted them to have a strong shell that prevents desiccation.

Classification

It is never easy to classify Terrestrial animals, as their only really common feature is living out of water. But many of them have reproductive cycles that they still need, whether it’s going through an aquatic larval stage, or having to lay their eggs in the water, etc.

Thus, there are ten properly terrestrial phyla ( Phylum ) in the world: flatworms, nemerteans, nematodes, rotifers, tardigrades, onychophores, arthropods, molluscs, annelids, and chordates.

And taking into account their specific habitat , we can distinguish between:

• Surface animals. Those who inhabit the surface of the earth.
• Underground animals. Those that inhabit the inner layers of the Earth’s surface.
• Tree animals. Those who live on the branches of trees.
• Rupicolous animals. Those who live in the rocks.
• Sand animals. Those that inhabit the sands and gravels of different types.
• Troglobitic animals. Those who inhabit caves.
• Flying animals. Those endowed with wings and who can switch between the earth’s surface, trees, mountains , etc.

Examples of Terrestrial animals

Some detailed examples of Terrestrial animals are:

• The elephant ( Loxodonta africana ). Native to Africa and India, this gigantic quadrupedal mammal with a vegetarian diet is famous for its long trunk with which it can pick up objects and even bathe in wells. Many ancient civilizations used them as living war tanks.
• The lion ( Panthera leo ). Largest feline carnivore on the planet and king of the African savannah , this huge animal with yellowish fur is a natural predator that is in danger of extinction . Males have a characteristic dark mane.
• Giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis ). Known for its striking yellow fur with brown geometric spots, and for its long neck that allows it to eat the highest leaves of trees, this four-legged African animal is one of the most exotic known to mankind.
• Panda bear ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ). One of the most curious furry bears in the world: black and white, and with a diet almost exclusively of bamboo, it is perhaps the most famous Asian animal on the verge of extinction. They are generally slow, sleepy and comfortable, weighing between 70 and 100 kilos.
• Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis) . This huge reptile native to Indonesia can measure more than two meters in length and weigh almost 90 kilos, it has a very dangerous bite, as it has a large amount of bacteria in its mouth.
• Ostrich ( Struthio camelus ). Large bird, native to Africa and some regions of the Middle East, capable of reaching 70 km / h in a run. It has small wings that are not good for flying and a long neck with no feathers.
• Orangutan ( Pongo pygmaeus ). Species of orange long-haired primates, highly intelligent and arboreal habits, are closely related to the human being evolutionarily. With solitary habits, they eat an almost exclusive diet of fruits, leaves and roots.

Aquatic animals

Types of aquatic animals