Biodiversity

Biodiversity means the differences between all living things on earth. If you look at all the plants and animals in nature, you will rarely find two that are exactly the same. Think about a fox and a dog: both animals walk on four legs and have a tail, but they aren’t the same. Even think of all of your friends, family and people you see in town. They are all human, but are any of them the same? No, all living things on earth are unique! This is biodiversity.

How many different species do you think there are in the world? Some scientists think that there are about 13 million different species, but others think that it’s closer to 30 million! So far, only 1.5 million species have been identified. Take a look at the pictures above and below to see examples of how diverse life on our planet is.