Semiaquatic

Semiaquatic describes organisms that live partly in water and partly on land. Semiaquatic species rely on both aquatic and terrestrial environments for feeding, shelter, or reproduction, and they typically move between these habitats as part of their daily or seasonal life cycles. The term is used in ecology and natural history and can apply to animals and plants, as well as to habitats that are transitional between fully aquatic and fully terrestrial.

In contrast to strictly aquatic or strictly terrestrial organisms, semiaquatic species regularly inhabit both environments. Amphibious is a closely related term, but semiaquatic emphasizes ongoing use of two distinct habitats rather than a single life stage.

Common examples include beavers, otters, muskrats, and other semiaquatic mammals; many turtles and crocodilians; waterfowl and other wading birds; and various amphibians that spend part of their lives on land. Insects such as certain aquatic larvae and adult water striders also fit the concept. Some plants, such as water lilies and rushes, are described as semiaquatic because they root in wet soil or shallow water but extend shoots above the surface.

Adaptations to semiaquatic life often involve locomotion in both media, such as webbed feet or streamlined bodies, as well as behavioral strategies like foraging at the water’s edge. Respiratory and integumentary adaptations may enable breathing in air and water, and reproductive strategies frequently require moist or aquatic environments for eggs or larvae.