Community Life

Elementary General Science Systems and Interactions Habitats Community Life

Many animals are social animals. They live and breed in groups.

A female polar bear sits in a snow bank with her two cubs.
Wolves run in packs.

Honeybees are also social.

Honey Bees working hard in the spring sunlight

Bees live in a hive, a nest filled with tiny chambers or rooms. The queen bee is the most important bee in the hive. She mates with drones (male honeybees) and produces the eggs that keep the colony going.

The rest of the female bees (worker bees) take care of the eggs and the young bees after they hatch. Bees defend their home and goo out looking for food for the hive.

Ants are social as well.

Ant hill

Ants live in large groups. If the ant hill is in danger, an ant can alert the others. The soldiers work to protect the community.

A kind of insects named aphid on the green plant. Ants keep a herd of aphids for their sticky, sweet liquid called honeydew. They will protect them from harm and carry them to places to eat.
Leaf cutter ants are gardeners that carry leaves back to the nest. The leaves are used to grow a type of fungus they can eat.

Social animals are able to survive in groups as long as everyone does their job.

Community Discussion: In your own words: describe some of the characteristics of a social animal. Click on this link to leave your comment.

Here are some questions on community life of animals.