How might an animal species be different in various habitats?

Answer 1

Ok, here goes. I'm going to use examples of adaptations by the animals in the Gallapagos Islands to their environment.
There are 2 kinds of tortoises, one with a dome shaped shell and one a saddle back. The tortoises that have a long neck and stretch to eat leaves from bushes have the domed shell. The ones that eat things close to the ground have a short neck and a saddle shaped shell..These turtles evolved as slow movers because there were were no preditors...unfortunately, with the coming of people to the island, the number of turtles decreased tremendously because they were so easy to catch. There are also birds that no longer fly, because they live and eat by the shore, so flying for food isn't necessary. Lizards that are light in color in South America, are dark in color in the Galapagos to blend in with the lava.
I hope this helps.

Answer 2

look at dolphins and primates! they used to have a common ancestor about 90 mya? and look at how different they are now! their ancestor was on all fours, relied mostly on smell, had fur, pointed snouts, etc. but some went into the water, some stayed on land and went arboreal.. the species diverged (though there is lots of evidence that a lot of social convergence took place despite the different habitats) .. means they are very different physiologically but very similar socially - i find it pretty amazing =)

so depending on the habitat, they may evolve to rely on smell vs. vision vs. audition.. have/shed fur, be on all fours, rely on tactile touch, etc. they may also change colors, stop flying, start swimming, etc.. a bunch of variables. depends on what they need to survive!