Animals living in the Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc habitat

Beaches are a unique habitat formed by thousands of tiny sand particles. Sand is formed by the breakdown of rocks after being exposed to wind and water. Sandy beaches are a wide expanse of land with very few trees or other plant life; leaving animals that live in this habitat open to unpredictable conditions. A projection of sand that is connected to the land but extends out into the body of water is called a sandspit. An example of a famous sandspit is the Dungeness Spit, located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

Although wide expanses of beach can appear to be completely devoid of animal life, this is not the case. Animals of all shapes and sizes call the beach home. Some of the smallest animals literally live in the sand and are called annelid worms. Other tiny animals that make their homes in the beach sand include snails and crabs. According to the Smithsonian Marine Station, 'although many species of birds are often observed on beaches, only 5 species of shorebirds . . . prefer nesting sites on bare sands in the upper beach zone.' The sea turtle is perhaps one of the most widely recognizable beach dwelling creatures. Sea Turtles utilize the abundance of sand at the beach to bury their eggs.

Despite offering little protection from the harsh elements, the classic leisure destinations known as beaches are home to a multitude of creatures.

Source:
Smithsonian Marine Station. 'Beach Habitats.' http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/beaches.htm.


Carnivores

Juan fernández fur seal
Guadalupe fur seal
Northern fur seal
Black-backed jackal
Northern sealion
Marine otter
Common otter
Hairy-nosed otter
Indian smooth-coated otter
Mediterranean monk seal
Hawaiian monk seal
Hooker's sea lion

Bandicoots and bilbies

Barred bandicoot

Rodents

Mountain beaver


Read more at the list of biomes of the world...
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