Habit (biology)

This cultivar of Japanese Maple has a dome-like habit.

Habit, when used in the context of biology, refers to the instinctive actions of animals and the natural tendencies of plants.

In zoology, this term most often refers to specific behavioral characteristics, even when directly related to physiology. For example:

• The spider monkey has an arboreal habit and rarely ventures onto the forest floor.
• The brittlestar has the habit of breaking off arms as a means of defense.

In botany, the term is used most often to describe the general appearance, growth form, or architecture of a plant. For example:

• Many species of maple have a shrubby habit and may form bushes or hedges rather than trees.
• Certain alpine plants have been chosen for cultivation because of their dwarf habit.

Since both concepts – mode of behavior and external form – are significant in zoology, the term habitus (from which the word "habit" actually derives) is used for the latter. Habitus may also be found in botany; here it means the same as "habit", as plants generally do not have "habits" in the zoological sense.

See also

• Habitat

External links

• The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05
• Biology-Online.org