Our Shelter

A shelter is a covered place, which provides protection to humans, animals and birds from their surroundings. Animals make shelters by burrowing into the ground, building lodges from tree branches and mud. Birds build their nest on trees. Humans build houses out of wood, mud, bamboo and stone according to the environmental conditions and the availability of the raw materials. 

Why Do We Need a Shelter?

• A shelter provides safety and protection from different types of weather conditions, such as rain, wind, heat, cold and dangerous animals. 

• It provides a place to rest and carry out day-to-day activities.

• It provides a private place and facilities for the storage of belongings.

Types of Shelter

Broadly, there are two types of shelter-

1. Permanent shelter: The places where humans or animals live for very long duration and spend most of their lifetime becomes their permanent shelter. Example - Houses, caves, bird nests.

2. Temporary shelter: The places where humans or animals live only for short duration and for specific purposes are called temporary shelter. Example- shelter home, caravan, tent houses, house boats, and migratory bird nests. 

Living Beings and Their Shelter

1. Animals and their shelter

• Animals that live on land and forests - cow, dog, donkey, horse, lion, elephant, deer, rhinoceros, peacock.

• Animals that live on trees - monkeys, birds, sloth, and apes.

• Animals that live in burrows - rat, ant, rabbits, snake, earthworms and scorpion

• Animals that live both on land and water - frogs, snakes, crocodiles, etc.

2. Birds and their shelter

Birds generally make their shelter in the form of nests with a variety of materials, such as grass, soft twigs, roots, wool, wire, wood, leaves, and hair. However, the place of building up the nests varies with the type of bird. 

3. Insects and their shelter

4. Humans and their shelter

The shelter of human beings is known as ‘house’. It can be of two types, depending on the type of material used in building them.

• Kutcha House - These houses are not very strong as they are made of mud, wood, straw etc. Example - huts

• Pucca House - These houses are strong as they are made of cement, bricks, iron, wood and steel. Example- apartments, bungalows, flats.

Important Factors Behind the Choice of Shelter

1. Location and Geography - The choice of house differs on the basis of area. For example, the houses in desert areas will be entirely different from houses found in hilly areas.

2. Environmental Conditions - The type of environmental conditions and the climate present in an area will play a very important role in deciding the type of house that should be built. 

3. Raw material availability and economic status of the individual - The raw materials that are easily available in a particular area make a good choice for building the house. Also, the economic status of the person decides the type of house that he/she can afford.

Type of Houses in Specific Area

• House made with mud - These types of houses are found in deserts of Rajasthan and other villages. The mud does not let the heat cross the wall, and makes people better able to adapt to excessive heat.

• Houses made with wood and bamboo - These houses are found in Assam and other parts of North-east India, where there is very heavy rainfall. The wood and bamboo remain standing above the ground, and therefore the houses do not get affected by the flood.

• Houseboat - These houseboats are found in Kashmir and Kerala. These are made with wood and float on water. 

• Igloo - Igloos are found in very cold regions and are made with ice blocks. It is usually oval in shape. 

• Tents - These are temporary shelters used by mountaineers and forest hikers and are made of plastic or clothes.

Solved Questions:

1. What is used to make an igloo?

Ans: Igloos are made by Eskimos with ice blocks. It is made in an oval shape and the entry door is kept small. 

2. What type of houses are found in areas having both snowfall and rainfall?

Ans: In these types of areas, the houses are built with sloping roofs so that the snow and rain can fall off easily. The raw material used for making these houses could be bricks, stone and woods.

Fun Facts

1. Nests are not always made by females. Among ‘weaver birds’, it is the duty of males to make nests for females so that they can lay eggs.

2. There is a bird named ‘Koel’ which never makes its own nest. It lays its eggs in the crow’s nest and the crow hatches them considering its own.

3. In hilly areas, such as in Himachal Pradesh, the roof of the house is made slanting so that snow and rain can easily fall down. However, in Delhi and Mumbai, the houses have flat roofs.

Summary

In this article, we have studied the importance of shelter and its types. We have learnt about the types of shelter made by different living organisms. We discussed the important factors which should be kept in mind while building a house in a particular area. We also studied different types of houses found in specific locations. 

Learning By Doing

1. Which type of houses will you find in a polar region?

2. How is a houseboat different from other houses?

3. Why do people make tent houses?