Survival introduces users to some of the principles of ecology (the interdependence of living things and their environment). By participating in the Survival 'game' players can clearly see some of the hazards that creatures must face in the wild. They must find enough food and water to stay alive, while keeping alert to escape from their enemies. The amount of food available and the likelihood of being killed by a predator both depend on the habitat in which the animal lives. The program illustrates how favourable or unfavourable habitats can be for different creatures. As users become more familiar with the program, they will build up a profile of each type of creature - its energy requirements, predators, lifespan - and see how it makes up part of a food chain (hawks eat mice, which eat berries, for example).