Some animals, like the rat are flexible and can cope with change, but others, such as the mountain gorilla have more specific needs. They eat certain foods and reproduce at a very slow rate. They are more likely to become extinct. When habitats change naturally, animals and plants are often able to adapt or evolve with them. For example, in the hot dry zones of the earth, such as the deserts, plants have, over millions of years, lost many of their leaves to save water.
Some plants also store water in their trunks and stems.
Animals that live in deserts either need very little water to survive or have evolved special adaptions. Camels for example, are able to store fat in their humps. When water is in short supply, they use up their fat instead. In this way they can survive for many days without drinking any water. We can try to develop wildlife habitats in school grounds or at home.