SAVING WILDLIFE Wetland Animals by Sonya Newland Smart Apple Media
Wetland Habitats Wetlands are some of the world's most important environments Because they are made up of both land and water they are home to thousands of types of plants and animals What Is a Wetland Wetlands are areas where the ground is covered with water for part of the year Although the water does not usually flow in or out the amount of water in a wetland region depends on the season In hot summer months the pools of standing water can dry up while in the rainy season almost all the land might be covered All sorts of creatures live in wetlands from tiny gnats to huge crocodiles Wetlands V Wetlands are areas of land that are covered in water for part of the year This marshland is in North Carolina one in North America Muskrat page 14 South America Marsh deer page
Types of wetlands The main types of wetlands are swamps marshes bogs and floodplains Each one is home to different plants and animals Swamps can be made up of freshwater or salt water and they often have tall trees growing in them Marshes are similar to swamps but they have more grasses than trees Bogs have a spongy soil called peat The plants that grow there are usually mosses or reeds Floodplains are areas around rivers that flood when the river overflows Other types of wetlands include fens ponds and mangroves EXTREME ANIMALS V This map shows the world s largest wetland areas although wetlands can be found in almost every country Wetland water scorpions have been nicknamed toe biters because of their painful nip They can seize fish larger than themselves with at their sharp pincers 4 in 2 cm Gharial page 1 Asia Europe Tropic of Cancer Africa Equator Tropic of Capricorn Australia Western swamp tortoise page 2 Hippo page
