Cover is any place that animals can use for safe living space, including for resting, foraging, raising of offspring, and escape from predators. Cover for land animals can be provided by living vegetation, such as trees, tree cavities, bushes, hedges and tall grass, and by other objects, such as fallen logs, burrows, caves and other rock formations, and even abandoned buildings. Cover for fish and other marine animals is frequently provided by coral reefs, kelp forests, rock formations and sand.
The requirements for cover vary greatly according to the species. Some species highly selective as to the type of cover while others show no preferences.
Cover is important to take into consideration when planning land use and species preservation. It is also important to consider when restoring land to a natural condition and restoring or building wildlife migration corridors, including overpasses and underpasses over and under roads.