A small shallow water dish provides water for drinking and bathing. Placed on the ground, this also provides water for mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Ponds provide an aquatic habitat for dragonflies, fish, newts, frogs and other aquatic life. Cover Providing cover from predators is an important part of creating a healthy, vital backyard habitat. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide year-round protective cover from weather and predators.
Deciduous shrubs offer effective summer cover for nesting and escape from predators.
Rock, log and mulch piles offer very effective cover. Small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and a great variety of insects and other small animals find homes in these structures. Nest boxes for bluebirds, chickadees, wrens and purple martins will help attract these birds to your habitat. Evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs provide additional nesting areas for birds, squirrels, etc. Rabbits, shrews, mice, snakes and salamanders lay their eggs or raise their young under the boughs of plants as well as in rock, log or mulch piles.