What term describes the environment where a particular animal can live and thrive?

The term that describes the environment where a particular animal can live and thrive is "natural habitats." Natural habitats refer to the specific types of environments—such as forests, deserts, wetlands, or grasslands—that provide the necessary resources, such as food, water, shelter, and suitable climate conditions that allow species to survive and reproduce.

While ecological zones also refer to areas characterized by similar climate, vegetation, and animal communities, they are broader in scope and can encompass several different habitats within them. Wildlife reserves and conservation areas are places designated for the protection and preservation of wildlife and their habitats, but these terms imply human management and may not necessarily refer to the natural environment where an animal thrives. Hence, "natural habitats" is the most accurate term specific to the conditions required by animals to flourish in the wild.