How It Works. World of Animals - Issue 18 2015

DISCOVER THE FOUR DEADLIEST FROGS ON EARTH From the makers of

TM

FOX

KING OF THE CANINES!

REVEALED! AMAZING VARIETIES OF NATURE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL DOG

WEIRD WILD CATS BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS 150 OVER

FIVE BEST PLACES TO SEE THE BRAINIACS OF THE OCEAN

AMAZING FACTS

PLUS

BROWN BEARS WILD DONKEYS GREAT WHITE SHARKS CRAZY CAMOUFLAGE

ORMOUSE SURVIVAL

WHY THESE MICE HAVE TAKEN TO THE TREES

ALL ABOUT OWLS ODD HABITS OF A MASTER DIGGER

HOW DID ANTEATERS EVOLVE LIKE THIS?

GIANT TORTOISES: BEST PARENTS WHY THEY GET SO BIG ON EARTH

ISSUE 18

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net Welcome

As regular readers will have learnt by now, animals adapt to life in surprising and unexpected ways, from the incredible senses of the great grey owl (p.36) to the heartbreaking way harp seals raise their young (p.50). But the humble fox has shown the greatest ability of all to adapt to life’s challenges like no other animal on the planet can. Foxes have conquered every single habitat on Earth, from the frozen arctic tundra to the scorching desert (p.14). Can you believe there are 47 incredible species of fox, including the red fox, which is nature’s most successful carnivore? Another group of animals with more species than you’d expect is the wild cat – a staggering 37 of those exist and we take you through the rarest, the smallest and the most dangerous in our epic 8-page special (p.58). It doesn’t just end with this issue either – we’ve gone competition crazy with a whole host of wildlife prizes, from overnight safaris to zookeeper experiences, at animalanswers. co.uk. You’ll find a whole load of other exclusive goodness there too, like aweinspiring animal videos. Check it out!

Charis Webster Editor

Follow us at…

© Dreamstime

@WorldAnimalsMag worldofanimalsmag

10% of our profits help fight poaching Learn more and donate at www.animalanswers.co.uk

What makes a dormouse the most unique mouse species on Earth? Find out on page 46… visit www.animalanswers.co.uk for Exclusive competitions Hilarious GIFs Q&As Upload your photos and win prizes!

3

WorldMags.net Welcome to issue18 08 Amazing animals

50 Amazing animal families

14 Fox! Earth’s Find out how much animal parents invest in their young most successful carnivore revealed 58 Wild cats of Step into the lives of the foxes the world around the globe 24 4 deadly frogs

Meet the deadly amphibians that can kill

26 Wildlife of the seashore

Take a trip to visit the animals along the edge of the land

30 Why the giant tortoise got so big Read our favourite things about these slow reptiles

32 Vancouver Island marmot Get acquainted with this endangered island rodent

34 15 anteater facts Amazing things about anteaters you never knew

36 All about owls

Discover the secrets behind these nocturnal hunters

46 Dormouse survival Meet the mouse that lives up in the trees

THE IUCN RED LIST

Throughout World of Animals you will see symbols like the ones you see here. These are from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of animal species in the world. Here’s what they mean:

EXTINCT EXTINCT IN THE WILD CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ENDANGERED VULNERABLE NEAR THREATENED LEAST CONCERN

4

46

Familiarise yourself with the planet’s biggest felines

66 Jewel Wasp

You won’t believe how this wasp treats cockroaches

68 Camouflage gallery

Spot the animals that have evolved to be invisible

74 See wild dolphins

Your foolproof guide to spotting bottlenose dolphins

76 The secret lives of badgers

Discover what badgers get up to in your garden

82 Lost forever: Atlas bear

Read about the only bear that ever lived in Africa

98 Miniature kangaroos

Marvel at the miniature kangaroo that lives in trees

58

36

14

WorldMags.net 84 Readers’ Q & A

FOX KING OF THE CANINES

Enjoyed the issue Subscrib ? to save 25e %

90 Photograph

animals in action

page 56

47 SPECIES OF A BEAUTIFUL CA 50

Your amazing animal photos

32

5

READERS SURVEY WorldMags.net

Join our Reader Panel today!

Take our 3-minute survey at www.animalanswers.com/survey and win a place on our panel

Every issue of World of Animals is a labour of love and it’s with YOU in mind we create each one. So why not have your say? I’d love to know how you think we could make it better. By answering a few simple questions, you could help shape this very magazine. I’m excited to see what you have to say and can’t wait to learn more about you. Head online to get involved. Charis Webster Editor

Join our panel and help us make the magazine even better!

WorldMags.net Complete our survey to join our World of Animals panel and: OSee new ideas and changes before anyone else

Take the survey on any device

OGet invited to attend special events in your area OTest third-party products for review OHave a chance to meet the World of Animals team OShape the future issues of the magazine OEnter into exclusive competitions

Step 1 Complete survey

Step 2 Get involved

Step 3 Earn rewards

Take the chance to get closer to the team than ever before

Only takes 3 mins! Complete our survey and win your place today

www.animalanswers.com/survey

The amazing world of animals

WorldMags.net

This leopard gets a shock while looking for lunch

© Rex Features

Pouncing from a tree toward the prickly porcupine, this cat paws at the long spines designed to keep predators at bay. While attempting to take a bite the cat took a quill to the face, before disappearing back into the trees to recover.

8

The amazing world of animals

WorldMags.net

9

The amazing world of animals

WorldMags.net

© Rex Features

A squirrel jumps a mile when another sneaks up Spying a pinecone, this squirrel runs over to claim the prize. While gnawing at its meal, it gets the fright of its life when a greedy intruder wants the pinecone for itself. Leaping into the air, it manages to keep hold of the cone and make its escape.

10

The amazing world of animals

WorldMags.net

Taking part in a mating display, the eagles free fall from dizzying heights while grasping one another. The pair separate before hitting the ground and continue their display with swoops, cartwheels and a high-speed chase.

© Thinkstock

Two bald eagles free fall with locked talons

11

The amazing world of animals

WorldMags.net

12

The amazing world of animals

WorldMags.net

Appearing from nowhere, this Indonesian frog gives a beetle the shock of its life when it lands cleanly on its shell. While the beetle bucks and tries to shake it off, the frog clings on and even seems to be enjoying the free rodeo ride.

© Rex Features

A rhinoceros beetle gets a surprise passenger

13

Fox

14

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net KING OF THE CANINES!

From forests and frozen landscapes, to front lawns and farmyards – even fairy tales and fables – the fox, has woven the story of a superbly adaptable survivor Words Rick Jones Although their canine cousins, wolves, grab much more attention – especially if you include the subspecies of grey wolf we lovingly refer to as man’s best friend – underestimating foxes is a famously foolish faux pas. Stories of foxes outwitting man, woman and beast alike have been passed down from the Japanese Kitsune, several of the ancient Greek Aesop’s fables

and our own European tales of Reynard the legendary trickster. These may all be fictional, but the fact that they all portray foxes as intelligent, cunning and resourceful creatures is no coincidence. The fox is all of the above and more; a truly considerate carnivore, aware of its surroundings and able to capitalise on every advantage.

15

Fox Fennec fox

WorldMags.net

Desert areas

Downsizing for desert life Fennec foxes are smaller than their counterparts from chillier climates in all but ears. First, there’s less need for insulating fat, so they stay lean. Second, smaller animals burn less calories creating less internal heat through movement.

Bat-like ears beat the heat Large, leaf-shaped ears with excellent blood supply present a big surface for heat transfer from the body and brain. Panting, as seen in dogs and wolves, would dissipate moisture from the fox’s body. Instead, they keep cool by erecting their enormous ears.

The fennec fox is the smallest of all the world’s foxes

Hot-footed foxes With less cover available, foxes prey have evolved rapid running tactics. Foxes counter this with dance-like agility and sudden direction changes using their brush tails for balance. Thick fur on their paws provide grip.

Distinguished desert-dwellers Making a living in an evaporative environment is notoriously tough. Despite this, all of the major hot deserts sustain species of fox Animals adapted to the lack of water and fluctuating extremes of temperature that define desert regions, are collectively known as xerocoles. The zoologist Joel Asaph Allen developed a theory – now widely accepted as a biological rule – as long ago as 1877, that stated the body shape and proportions of mammals and birds vary according to the temperature of the habitat they live in. Several species of true foxes (the genus Vulpes) as well as closely related Zorros or false foxes (genus Lycalopex) show Allen’s rule in action very well. For instance, in the Arabian and Syrian deserts, you can actually

16

find red foxes, but over a relatively short time (100 years) the individuals who pushed into deep-desert have developed the large ears and reduced body-size of more anciently adapted relatives also found in the area; true desert specialists such as Rüppell’s (sand) fox and Blanford’s fox. Across the Arabian peninsula and African continent, including the Sahara you’ll find the worlds smallest species of fox. The tiny fennec fox is a true desert animal; so much so that it is the only Saharan carnivore that can survive in this environment without the need to drink any water at all.

DESERT FOX Vulpes zerda

Class Mammalia

Territory Northern Africa Diet Plants, rodents and eggs Lifespan 10-14 years Adult weight 1-2.5kg (2.2-3.3lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

Foxes have whiskers on their feet to help navigate in the dark

WorldMags.net Western civilisation’s own wild carnivore

As human housing sprawls across what was only (relatively) recently forest and farmland, foxes discover city life, and come in from the cold

Red fox

RED FOX

Vulpes vulpes Class Mammalia

At the last official estimation by the United Nations Population Fund in 2011, the human population was thought to exceed seven billion. Over 50 per cent of humans are urbanite – dwelling in cities or towns built by humans for humans, meaning that a large proportion of our planet is urbanised – transformed to suit our needs, not those of wildlife. Even the wildest-looking parks and gardens found inside human habitats are very different from naturallyoccurring rough grass and woodland that was traditionally the home of the ubiquitous red fox. If anything, the fox’s legendary instinct for outwitting people is becoming far more fact than fiction in the current day and age. While we’ve invited their close cousins, dogs, to share our homes and conveniences, foxes have taken it upon themselves to join us, cunningly making use of our waste, learning

to lurk in the shadows and mapping our sleeping cities as new frontiers to adapt to and occupy. Rarely seen during the day, red foxes and their cousins, the supposedly more primitive grey foxes, generally patrol gardens and alleyways in the dead of night. Their excellent hearing and sharp sense of smell mean that a fleet-footed retreat happens long before any humans arrive on the scene. Most fox activity is noticed via unsecured bin-contents, scattered by marauding scavengers, pungent scent markings and dug-out entry points under garden fences. Posing little to no threat to domestic animals like cats, it’s likely that they keep less welcome urban invaders such as rats and mice well in check. Just another attractive prospect for foxes that are looking to leave the countryside for an inviting life within the concrete jungle.

Territory Europe, Asia and North America Diet Plant matter, rodents and birds Lifespan 2-4 years Adult weight 3-11kg (7-24lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

“Woodland was traditionally the home of the red fox” Foxes in the city

Several species of fox have come to regard human settlement as an invitation to join us. Here’s a run-down:

Red fox Most of the 47 recognised subspecies of this fox make more than the odd trip into town. In London, the estimated population is 10,000 – 75 per cent of them building dens under garden sheds.

Grey fox Although outperformed by red foxes in most areas, these false foxes have one advantage, they can climb like cats! Their forearms rotate, allowing them to climb fences to access food and hide in trees.

San Joaquin kit fox Climate change in California’s San Joaquin Valley has dried out reservoir supply pipelines. This has allowed this tiny, endangered subspecies access to the inner city areas of Bakersfield.

Crab-eating fox Despite their name, crab-eating foxes are very unfussy eaters. Perhaps due to human expansion in South America, these large, doglike canids are increasingly stalking rubbish dumps and preying on rats.

17

Fox

WorldMags.net

Illustrious inhabitants of icy plains Patrolling the high-northern edges of the Taiga snow-forest, braving the Arctic tundra’s frozen soil and chill winds, you’ll find fascinating foxes Bleak and uninviting, the tundras at the top of the world seem an unlikely place to find life of any kind. Whipped by strong winds and coated by a permafrost that freezes the mostly barren earth, down to almost a metre (three foot) below the surface, winter temperatures can drop as low as −50°C (−58°F). Summers are announced by bursts of wildflowers, and the snow melts to reveal patches of moss and hardy heather, growing in sheltered pits and hollows created over centuries by pools of standing water. The small amount of rain that falls can’t penetrate the solidly frozen soil beneath the surface, and tundra landscapes become a patchwork of frigid marshes and bald, hardpacked dirt. It is said that the plants and animals native to the Arctic tundra are merely clinging to life. However, the wily Arctic fox is so superbly adapted that it literally changes with the seasons, in appearance and behaviour. In spring and summer, skinny arctic foxes have a camouflaged brown coat and feast on migratory bird eggs and even ringed seal pups. By Autumn, foxes may be more than 50 per cent heavier, sporting a brilliant white coat. In the dead of winter, they will track polar bears, taking advantage of the bear’s kills. Alternately, they will listen for small animals moving under the snow, leap into the air, and punch down with their paws into the prey’s burrow with deadly accuracy. Almost identical conditions, caused by high altitudes, create Alpine tundra in mountain ranges. In the frozen Himalayan highlands of Nepal, western China and northern Pakistan, the handsome Tibetan fox employs eerily similar strategies, following hunting brown bears to take advantage of their strength and sense of smell. All tundra dwelling foxes create underground larders, utilising the frost to refrigerate their food. Tundra areas

Four arctic adaptations Reduced body size gives a smaller surface area than other foxes, which reduces the amount of heat lost. Monogamous pairs raise their five to nine cubs as a team to ensure each one survives. Opportunistic foxes follow bigger predators to scavenge on their leftovers, and even store up food in the summer. Extremely good hearing helps a fox hunt during the winters when there’s no sunlight.

18

Arctic fox

WorldMags.net

ARCTIC FOX

Vulpes lagopus Class Mammalia

“It is said that the plants and animals native to the Arctic tundra are merely clinging to life”

Territory Northern Europe, northern Canada and the Arctic Circle Diet Rodents, birds and fish Lifespan 3-6 years Adult weight 3-8kg (7-17lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

19

Fox

WorldMags.net Foxes of the world South American grey fox Coastal mountains

This predator lives across the globe in a dozen different forms

Bat-eared fox African Savannah

Corsac fox

Asian deserts

Channel islands fox Californian islands

Bengal fox Himalayan foothills

Arctic fox North Pole Cape fox Desert scrubland

Corsac foxes can sometimes be found right across the Eurasian steppes, from China, Mongolia and Afghanistan to Russia. We say ‘sometimes’, because this fox is known to undergo massive fluctuations in population, sometimes a tenfold drop within the space of year. Often, these declines coincide with a particularly harsh winter, but over the following three to four years, they seem to return in greater numbers. Interestingly, Corsacs seem to rely on the burrows of marmots – large mountain squirrels – and the recent decline of these burrowmates, from over-hunting, could hinder the corsac fox’s recovery. Rüppell’s fox Hot desert

Crab-eating fox Open woodlands

The crab-eating fox gets its name from an annual trip that some of the population make to South American floodplains in rainy season. During this time they will gorge on migrating crabs and other crustaceans, but for most of the year this canid will eat almost anything, plant or animal. Up to ten per cent of this fake fox’s diet is made up of dwarf coconuts. Where it comes into contact with human dwellings, it preys on vermin such as rats and mice.

20

Tibetan fox Asian mountains

WorldMags.net Red fox

Northern hemisphere

The red fox is the most widespread and abundant of all wild carnivores on Earth. Fossil records tell us that red foxes have lived in North Africa for at least 700,000 years, and on the Eurasian continent for 400,000. The red fox has managed to colonise every landmass except for Antarctica, making it the poster species for biological plasticity – the ability to physically adapt quickly to any environment. Red foxes from different parts of the world vary quite drastically.

Sechuran fox Tropical coasts

Swift fox American grasslands

Kit fox North America

Darwin’s fox Island forests

Grey fox Central America

Hoary fox Tall grasses

Small-eared zorro fox Amazon rainforest

Fennec fox

Moroccan desert Fully grown fennec foxes weigh less than one kilogram (two pounds), making this the smallest of all the canids. Unmistakable due to their huge ears and long tails, fennecs are built for life in the North African desert. Their kidneys are so efficient that they can survive without drinking. Their social nature, along with several tell-tale factors (like a lack of musk glands and fewer chromosomes) are leading some zoologists to reconsider whether they are truly foxes.

21

WorldMags.net Masters of the middle ground

Corsac fox

Occupying the middle-ground between desert and forest, foxes thrive in grassland environments. About one quarter of Earth’s surface is covered in grasslands. Whether they are warmer tropical savannas that experience dry and rainy seasons, or temperate plains with steadier rainfall and cold dormant’ seasons, all are characterised by a covering of vegetation with blade-like leaves that grow from the base. Humans rely on grassland for farming – they often contain deep, rich fertile soil beds and grazing cattle. Many species of fox have settled in this habitat, and the common red fox is found thriving from the Northern Australian grasslands (where it is considered an invasive species) to the West Siberian Plains and British fields and meadows. The corsac fox ranges the steppes and dry plains of Mongolia and China to Central Asia, leading a nomadic lifestyle and sometimes forming migrating packs. Along with its close relative the Tibetan fox, this species can survive in conditions from the Alpine tundra to the arid desert, but is mostly found in the middle ground between the two – the fertile, black-soiled and wildflower strewn Eurasian grasslands. In southern Africa’s diverse Bushveld ecoregion, the insect-eating and aptly-named bat-eared fox is an example of a truly adapted grass-dweller. On the American continent, the Northern Great Plains and prairies play home to the adorable swift fox, a catsized species that digs elaborate dens in the soft soil. South America’s pampas lowlands even have a falsefox, so prevalent that it is named the pampas fox. Across the entire Indian subcontinent, the common Bengal fox is found wherever there is flat, open, grassy terrain. Although prey animals ranging from insects to amphibians along with small birds and rodents are abundant, many grassland foxes are much more omnivorous than their desert or tundra-dwelling relatives, even including grasses in their diets.

CORSAC FOX Vulpes corsac

Class Mammalia

Territory Central Asia Diet Rodents and birds Lifespan Up to 13 years Adult weight 1.5-3kg (3.5-7lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

Grassland areas

Built to survive Foxes have some unique adaptations that help them survive

When facing the North Magnetic Pole, over 70 per cent of a fox’s pounces are successful. When facing other directions, they only have an 18 per cent chance of success.

22

Strong stomach

With a similar digestive system to humans, foxes eat a varied diet. Their strong bite and powerful digestive enzymes give them an advantage, by breaking down what they swallow.

© Alamy; Corbis; FLPA; Getty; NPL; Thinkstock

Sensing magnetic fields

WorldMags.net

D

WorldMags.net olours warn that e deadly poison arry some of the xins in the anim

Golden poison frog

As its scientific name (Phyllobates terribilis) suggests, this frog is truly terrible! It’s one of the world’s most poisonous animals. The poison it secretes, called batrachotoxin, is so deadly that it is unsafe to even let the frog sit on your hand. If any of the toxin penetrates

Venom used in hunting

Giant leaf frog Native Indians in the rainforests between Peru and Brazil use the waxy secretions on the skin of the giant leaf frog in their “hunting magic”. They mix the secretion with saliva and smear it into small burns they make on their arms or chest. Within minutes, their pulses race, they begin vomiting, sweat prodigiously and become almost delirious. As they recover, they become euphoric. One European who tried the poison said he felt “almost godlike” in his improved stamina and keener senses and the Indians believe this makes them better hunters. Also known as… The giant leaf frog is sometimes known as the monkey frog and the waxy frog.

24

through a cut and into your blood, it could kill you. It works by stopping the nerves transmitting impulses, so muscles stop contracting and eventually the heart fails. It has been calculated that a single golden poison frog contains enough toxin to kill up to 20 humans.

“A single golden poison frog

Deadly frogs

WorldMags.net

Diet is important In captivity, the blue poison arrow frogs lose their toxicity as a result of their altered diet.

rrow frog This frog is one of around 180 brightly coloured species in the genera dendrobates and phyllobates living in rainforests from Nicaragua to Peru and Brazil that produce extremely poisonous skin secretions. The indigenous Amerindians knew this. They rubbed the tip of their blow-pipe darts – not arrows, as the name suggests – across

the back of a living frog. This makes the dart so poisonous that it can kill a deer, or even another human. The poison may originally come from the beetles and ants that the frogs eat. Captive animals fed on fruit flies or crickets soon lose their toxicity.

© Corbis, Alamy, Thinkstock

ge ave a tongue that can be ee arc. This means they s without actually moving

25

Wildlife of the seashore

WorldMags.net

26

WorldMags.net

The wildlife of the seashore Words Amy Grisdale

Living under the beating sun while being pounded by towering waves can be tough, but animals that live along shores have evolved to survive the hazardous conditions Where the ocean meets the land can be a dangerous place to live, but hundreds of creatures call it their home. This area is constantly lashed by the sea’s crashing waves. The animals that live on the shore follow the tide, and many of them are under constant threat from predators. Shores are full of animals from burrowing worms to wading birds. Algae, the simplest form of life support for the entire shoreline food chain is the ocean’s equivalent of grass, and grazing sea slugs are just one of the animals that rely on it as a food source.

Most seashore animals are heavily armoured with shells, like mussels and limpets. Even crabs are encased in a protective carapace to protect them from volatile waves and aerial attack from birds. Some animals spend their entire lives embedded in the surface of rocks. This makes them extremely difficult to remove, and even the largest gulls have difficulty getting them off. Long-legged birds with beaks designed to penetrate sand are the most dominant seashore predators. Slicing through the substrate with a pointed bill, they feast on the tiny algae-eating animals buried in the sand.

27

Wildlife of the seashore

WorldMags.net

Chasing the tide

Waves dictate where animals settle, but those that live on the edge of the surf are always on the move. Keeping up with the ever-changing tide is a fulltime job and many animals centre their day around following the edge of the ocean. Buried worms hide deep underground until the water recedes while predatory birds swarm to grab them and snails descend the shore to eat tiny plankton deposited by the tide. Meanwhile, opportunistic mammals like otters scamper to the edge of the sea to grab crabs and fish.

Oyster catcher

This predatory bird specialises in breaking open shells. Despite the name, these birds don’t eat oysters. They rake the sand for worms, mussels and small crabs throughout the winter, and return inland to breed during summer.

Lichen

Goby Scorpion fish

Sea lettuce

Sea urchin

Sea star

European Otters are known as the most territorial otter species and their home ranges can stretch up to 40km (25mi) wide

Anemone

Edible crab

Easy to identify from the edges of its shell that closely resemble a pie crust, this crab is a cannibal. It feasts on smaller crabs, even younger members of its own species. It either stalks its prey or lies in wait for a passing meal.

28

WorldMags.net

“Harbour seals eat up to ten per cent of their body weight a day”

Scallop

The scallop filter-feeds on plankton, which is a general term for small organisms that float in the sea. It’s a bivalve (two-shelled crustacean) and takes in water and traps the tiny plant matter and animals inside its shell.

RIGHT Avocets si the shoreline with their upturned beaks for invertebrates to feed on

Plaice

The flat fish can change its colour according to its surroundings. Though it begins life with eyes on either side of its head, one eye migrates next to the other eye. This allows the fish to see well when lying flat on the seabed.

Moon jellyfish

Free-floating jellyfish catch tiny plankton on their oral arms and waft them toward their mouth. They repel predators with their stinging cells that are dotted along their tentacles.

Hermit crab

Acorn barnacle

When exposed to air, these crustaceans are inactive. When covered with water, their shell opens up and the animal feeds on passing plankton. When they reproduce, microscopic spawn are released into the ocean. They return to shore after two years of offshore growth.

Cuttlefish

A close relative of squid, cuttlefish can change the colour of their skin and produce ink. They control their buoyancy with a unique bone that they can fill with air, and these white bones often wash up on beaches once the animal has died. Rag worm

Oyster

Star animals of the seashore

Horseshoe crab Almost identical to species that lived 400 million years ago, this living fossil is not a true crab. Closely related to arachnids, they live on the Atlantic coast of the USA and oen turn up in European waters.

Spiny seahorse One of two seahorses native to the UK, this seahorse is one of the slowest fish on the planet with a maximum speed of 0.002km/h (0.001mph). It clings to rocks to stop being swept away.

© Alamy; FLPA; Sol90

Harbour seal Some of the only mammals to live in seashore areas, harbour seals eat up to ten percent of their body weight per day. They regularly haul themselves out of the water to bask and dry off.

29

Bluffer’s guide to…

TORTOISES WorldMags.net

The extended tortoise family spans across the planet and these slow-moving reptiles have made their way on to every continent except the North and South Poles Giant tortoises: why they get so big Galápagos giant tortoises are the largest tortoises on Earth, growing to average lengths of 1.2m (3.9ft). These giant reptiles are products of island gigantism, where species evolve to be large to outcompete other species.

1.2m (3.9ft)

Self-righting shells In 2007, Professor Gábor Domokos of Budapest University created a mathematical shape that will always return to the same position no matter how it is placed. After more than a decade of hard work he discovered that nature had beat him to it by a few million years. Professor Domokos said: “Some turtle shells have shapes that self-right spontaneously. The shape we made, the Gömböc, has a remarkable similarity to the Indian star tortoise and thus explains their self-righting ability.” The Gömböc compared to a tortoise shell

30

Tail A tortoise’s tail is controlled by a welldeveloped muscle. In some species, males and females have differently shaped tails. Male Russian tortoises have long, thin tails whereas females have short wedge-shaped tails.

WorldMags.net Shell This is basically an extension of the rib cage. Interconnecting bones make up the dome shape and plates of strong protein stretch over the frame. The top shell is fused to the underside by the bridge along the animal’s side.

“Giant reptiles are products of island gigantism, where species evolve to be large to out-compete other species”

Beak The upper jaw is full of sensory cells to help control jaw movement. It’s packed with nerve endings that make it extremely sensitive and is surrounded by powerful muscles that snap the jaws shut.

Tortoises Terrapin foot

Tortoise foot

Turtle flipper

300 species

Tortoises and turtles are split into 14 families. From the 7cm (2.7in) speckled padloper tortoise to the massive 2m (6.5)-long leatherback turtle, they’re all surprisingly different and unique.

Family freaks

Feet Their clawed feet are used for gripping and digging. Although slow, tortoises are very agile and good climbers. Their feet contain toe bones similar to human feet.

There are 25 species of soft-shelled turtle. Unlike other members of the family, the shells of these turtles are covered with leathery skin. They spend most of their time buried in soft sediment, foraging and hiding from predators.

31

WorldMags.net 15 Fantastic facts Anteaters As solitary animals, anteaters keep their distance from each other. A single anteater has a territory of 90 square kilometres (35 square miles). Females are tolerant of strangers and fights rarely break out. They hiss and roar at each other

Anteaters are solitary, and they only need to communicate when in mother-baby pairs where mothers make snuffling sounds to assure their young. Another time two anteaters might need to interact is when fighting. The fighting animals hiss and roar at one another.

They are good swimmers, and often take shortcuts to patches full of ants through rivers or lakes.

g nding other’s n nd her. y is he n’t e age o find

The nose of an anteater is 40 times better than a human nose, and smell is their dominant sense. Male and female anteaters look identical, and can only be identified when females are pregnant. Anteaters can stand on two legs to fight or threaten predators. By leaning back on their tail they can use their extra sharp front claws to bat away attackers.

WorldMags.net

Anteaters

Their long tongue flicks more than 160 times per minute

These silky anteaters never touch the ground

A giant anteater’s tongue can reach an impressive 60 centimetres (24 inches), and can dart in and out of the mouth almost three times every second. The insects stick to the saliva-covered tongue and are deposited into the mouth, ready to be swallowed.

Though the giant anteater lives on the ground, other species live in the treetops. The silky anteater lives an arboreal life and never leaves the tree canopy. They are camouflaged by the fluffy beige seedpods in ceiba trees. If threatened, these animals grip the branch above with their feet and prehensile tail with their front claws extended. If all else fails, silky anteaters produce a foul smelling cloud from their rear end to repel predators.

Giant anteaters usually choose flight over fight

Anteaters live alone, and don’t enjoy the company of others. If anteaters meet they usually choose to run away rather than fight. When approached by a predator, anteaters generally opt to flee rather than try their chances. Although their usual walking speed is less than one kilometre (0.5 miles) per hour, they are able to sprint short distances.

Anteaters walk on the sides of their pointy feet

The muscular stomach grinds up food Without teeth, the task of chewing food is le to the anteater’s stomach. The lining of the stomach is packed with muscle and is even slightly textured to help digest the insects it eats. Their stomach acid is also extremely strong to break down the insects tough exoskeletons.

The forelegs look like a panda Rather bizarrely, a giant anteater’s front legs look like they are separate animals. This colouration was once thought to help camouflage the anteater, but that is not the case. The white bands on an anteater’s front feet actually draw attention to its claws. Most predators think twice about attacking an anteater aer seeing the 15 centimetre (six inch) claws.

A gian anteat can eat up to 35,000 ants in a single day Anteaters don’t only eat ants Although ants make up a significant portion of what these animals eat, termites and beetles are among an anteater’s favourite foods. They also like to wolf down insect eggs and squirming grubs that they find. If they sniff out some ripe fruit on the ground, they are most likely to eat it.

© Corbis; Dreamstime; Rex Features; Thinkstock

The long, curved claws on each of the front feet are perfect for ripping open ant nests and termite mounds. The problem with having such sharp claws is the risk that their delicate paw pads could get punctured. Because of this, anteaters walk on the sides of their feet. This means that the claws remain sharp and are facing sideways rather than digging into the foot.

33

Endangered

WorldMags.net Vancouver Island marmot VANCOUVER ISLAND MARMOT

Marmota vancouverensis Class Mammalia

Territory Vancouver Island, Canada Diet Grasses and wild flowers Lifespan 10 years Adult weight 3.5-5.5kg (7.712.1lb) Conservation Status

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

These unique animals are one of the most endangered mammal species on the planet. Native to Vancouver Island in Canada, they were cut off from the mainland almost 10,000 years ago and have developed their own behaviour and ecology. The population suffered a decline in the 1990s and by 2003 there were less than 35 left in the wild. Thanks to captive breeding programs the wild population has been boosted to between 215 and 275, but their existence remains precarious.

The causes of extinction Predators

The only confirmed cause of marmot decline is predation. Marmots are not a primary food source for any specific predator, but just a few attacks by cougars or wolves can seriously damage the tiny population that remains. These predators have increased in numbers over the last few decades.

Logging

Though many animals are negatively affected by logging, it actually seems to have been beneficial to the marmots living on Vancouver Island, providing them with more open habitat during the summer and temporarily boosting the population. However, logging routes and clearings can make it easier for predators to gain access.

Habitat fragmentation

The landscape on Vancouver Island has changed as a result of human activity and the combination of holiday ski resorts and logging enterprise has broken up the remaining marmot habitat. Marmots are adapted to move through unsuitable areas to find new colonies, but as they travel from place to place they can fall victim to predators.

Decreasing habitat Vancouver Island marmots live in alpine meadows, but by the 1990s they had almost disappeared from the northern regions of their range. Programs aim to Vancouver return them to their habitat. Island

What you can do

777-!2-/43/2'(/7˶9/5˶#!.˶(%,0 !$/04˶!˶-!2-/4

The Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation relies on the support of the public in its efforts to save these unique animals. You can adopt a marmot on their website.

34

Range today Historic range 1896

Canada

Vancouver Island marmot

WorldMags.net

Decreasing numbers

The marmot population crashed in the 1990s and they all but disappeared from their native alpine meadows. Over 80 per cent of marmot deaths between 1995 and 2005 were due to predators. Captive breeding efforts have seen the population rise.

1985

Estimated total animal population 30 years ago

300

1995

Estimated total animal population 20 years ago

70

2005

Estimated total animal population ten years ago

35

2015

Estimated total animal population today

215

“The Marmot Recovery Foundation is working toward increasing the population” Saving Canada’s most endangered animal

“The Vancouver Island marmot is one of only five species of Canadian land mammals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It acts as an ecosystem engineer that modifies its environment through activities like excavation and grazing. Captive breeding has played a critical role in the recovery of the species to date. The Vancouver Island marmot is a social animal that lives in colonies. Captive-bred and translocated wild-born marmots are reintroduced in groups that are selected to balance social cohesion and maximise future reproductive potential. In captivity, marmots do not have access to true burrows; instead they hide, hibernate and raise litters inside plywood nest boxes that are provided within their enclosures. Before we release them into the wild, we install nest boxes as an extension to a real burrow or underground refuge. A few weeks prior to their release, captive-bred marmots are surgically implanted with radiotelemetry transmitters, which allow us to monitor the survival and location of individuals. The transmitters are temperature-dependent and each transmitter emits a signal on a unique frequency that we can detect using special equipment. The strength of the signal helps us track the marmot to a certain location, even to a specific burrow. Released captive-bred marmots reproduced successfully in the wild, both with other captivebred marmots and also with wild-born marmots. However, we have not yet reached our recovery goals and the species is still at significant risk of decline and wild extinction. It is critical we continue our recovery efforts to reach the goals for population size and distribution, so that the species will have the best possible chance to persist in the long term.”

© FLPA; Hobbs Photo Images co.

Cheyney Jackson has been a crew coordinator and researcher for the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Project since 2011. Here she explains how they release captive-bred marmots.

35

WorldMags.net

36

Great grey owls

WorldMags.net All About

at grey owls

Piercing the night with hoots and shrieks, this bird is built to hunt and can drive off predators the size of a black bear just by beating its enormous wings Words Laura Mears

37

All about great grey owls

WorldMags.net Roles of the roost Male and female great grey owls share the duties of parenthood and can stay together for several years

Great grey owls begin to prepare for breeding in the depths of winter and it is up to the male to make the first move. Their courtship rituals revolve around hunting and nesting and the male often begins by demonstrating his ability to provide for the family by approaching the female with a gift of freshly caught meat. The most important part of the courtship bargain is the nest site and it’s up to the male to find the perfect spot. Ideally, she is looking for a location near to an open area for hunting and high enough to be protected from predators, but she will sometimes agree to nest on the ground. The male searches for abandoned nests, looking for homes already constructed by hawks, crows, or other large birds. He also looks for natural hollows, overhangs and broken trees. Once they have found a suitable site, they make some minor adjustments to the nest, deepening the cup to ensure that the eggs are secure and adding extra leaves or fur as padding to keep them safe. The female lays an average of three eggs each year. She incubates her clutch for almost a month and during that time, her mate ensures she is well fed, leaving the nest to hunt and returning to share his food. The female is slightly larger than the male, allowing her to survive the incubation period on her additional reserves of energy. When the eggs hatch, the chicks are covered in white fluffy down, relying entirely on their parents for food and care for the first three to four weeks. During the incubation period, the male is responsible for hunting and the female stays behind to care for the brood. Within a month, the chicks grow larger and start to acquire proper feathers. They still cannot fly, but can now move out of the nest and start to practise flapping their wings. Their talons are well developed by now and they start to clamber up and down the nearby trees using their beaks and talons for grip. After a couple of weeks, the chicks are ready to fledge and begin taking their very first tentative flights.

GREAT GREY OWL Strix nebulosa Class Aves

Territory North America, northern Europe and Asia Diet Carnivore Lifespan 13 years wild (30 in captivity) Adult weight 790-1,450g (1.7-3.2lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

38

“The most important part of the courtship bargain is the nest site. It’s up to the male to find the perfect spot”

Great grey owls

WorldMags.net The owl’s nest

The first few weeks of life

As adults, great grey owls have little to fear from predators, but when they are young the danger in their environment can be significant. They hatch from their eggs under the watchful eye of their mother and from the first day, they are well cared for by both parents. When their father returns to the nest with a fresh kill, the young owlets stretch up their necks and open their mouths wide, begging to be fed. They are unsteady on their feet to begin with, but the chicks grow rapidly and within just a few weeks they are ready to begin exploring the forest around the nest.

Great grey owls do not build their own nests and instead borrow abandoned homes from other large birds of prey

Devoted father

Male great grey owls are devoted parents and put a great deal of effort into raising their young. They take time to find the perfect nest site and hunt daily to provide food for the family as the chicks grow larger. They will keep bringing meat back to the nest even after their chicks have fledged, ensuring they have the best start in their independent lives.

Protective mother

The female great grey owl remains with her offspring throughout their infancy. She lays around three eggs over the course of several days and takes sole responsibility for incubating the clutch, relying on her mate to bring her food as she waits for her eggs to hatch. She protects the nest aggressively, defending her young against a variety of threats, from hungry birds to black bears.

Chicks

Before the chicks are ready to leave the nest, they first build up their strength. They learn to climb quickly and use their beaks and talons to move around while they practise flapping their wings.

Someone else’s nest

Great grey owls never build their own nests and prefer to lay their eggs in readymade homes. The male chooses the site, which can be anything from an abandoned hawk nest, to a hollow in a fallen tree.

Fresh food

The male chooses a nest site close to a meadow, ensuring the hungry chicks are given a diet of freshly caught meat, including mice, voles, shrews and gophers.

39

All about great grey owls

WorldMags.net Diet and feeding

Secrets of a silent hunter These silent hunters stalk their unseen prey through the snow

Great grey owls are nocturnal and are most active between dusk and dawn, but they often hunt during daylight hours. Some species of owl hunt other birds, but great grey owls prefer to eat rodents, so they are much more interested in what’s on the ground. They live in coniferous forests and their hunting tactic involves the ‘perch and wait’ method; they find a good vantage point in the branches overlooking a meadow or on top of a signpost and sit motionless, watching and listening for any signs of life on the ground below. Great grey owls have keen eyesight, but the floor is blanketed in snow for much of the year, they often rely solely on hearing to seek out their prey. Their ears are so sensitive that they can accurately determine the position of a vole beneath half a metre (one and a half feet) of snow. They move using soft, slow wing beats, or simply glide from their perch and as they near the ground. They use their wings to backpedal in the air, taking aim over the exact position, stretching their legs forward and extending their talons ready for impact. When most birds fly, their wings make noise as the turbulent air rushes through the gaps between their feathers, but the front edges of owl feathers are serrated, breaking

up the flow. Their thick layer of insulating down helps to muffle the noise and as a result, great grey owls are almost silent as they close in on their unsuspecting prey. Though they weigh little more than one kilogram (2.2 pounds), great grey owls are able to crash through a crust of snow thick enough to support the weight of an adult human. They grab their prey between their claws, bring it up to their beak and swallow it whole. This method of eating means that the owls also ingest bone, hair and claws, none of which they can actually digest. The first part of their digestive system, the proventriculus, uses digestive enzymes to start to separate the good from the bad. The gizzard then crushes and mashes the contents to remove all of the nutritious parts, leaving behind a solid pellet of indigestible material. The owls cannot process the pellets, so the only option is to send it back the way it came. The pellet passes back up into the proventriculus and can remain there for up to ten hours until the owl finds a place to get rid of it. While there is a pellet waiting to be expelled, the owl cannot eat again, so it must find a safe place to perch after eating. It hunches forward, extends its neck and then coughs up the pellet.

Despite their large size, great grey owls eat mainly small mammals

An average male great grey owl eats

180g/0.4lbs

of food per day

That’s

15-20%

of its body weight

90% of their diet consists of small rodents

Occasionally they supplement their diet with birds, snakes and insects

Hunting on snow

Great grey owls are masters of a hunting technique known as ‘snow plunging’ In the depths of winter, small rodents tunnel beneath the blanket of snow, but great grey owls have incredible hearing. They can identify the position of a vole beneath more than 50cm (20in) of snow and in one fluid movement come crashing into their hidden tunnels.

40

Great grey owls

WorldMags.net

“Their ears are so sensitive that they can accurately determine the position of a vole beneath half a metre of snow”

41

All about great grey owls

WorldMags.net Inside a great grey owl

The great grey owl has the anatomy of a hunter. These birds have keen vision, incredible hearing and are capable of silent flight. Under the skin, their digestive systems can tackle their meals whole, bones and all

Ventriculus

Also known as the gizzard, the second part of the digestive system grinds the soft parts of each meal and holds on to all of the indigestible components.

14 neck vertebrae

Owls have twice as many vertebrae in their necks as humans, allowing them to turn their heads three quarters of a circle.

Sound capture

The ears are asymmetrically placed on either side of the head, allowing the owl to pinpoint the exact location of incoming sounds.

Small intestine

Heart

Binocular vision

Owls are adapted for lowlight vision and their front facing eyes allow them to accurately judge distance in three-dimensions.

Lung

Small body

Great grey owls are the longest species of owl in the world, but they are not the heaviest. Beneath their feathers, they have surprisingly small bodies, weighing around one kg (2.2lb).

Contour feathers

Bristles on the face

Proventriculus

The first part of the digestive system produces enzymes, acid and mucus, helping to separate the edible meat from the inedible bones and feathers. Kidney

Down for warmth

Large intestine

Pellet formation

Filoplumes for sensitivity

Once the meat has left the gizzard, the indigestible parts of the food are compressed into a pellet and passed back into the proventriculus, then regurgitated.

42

Short, powerful talons

JUVENILE

INFANCY Hatching 0 months Great grey owlets hatch in the late spring under the careful watch of their mother.

Cloaca

The digestive system, kidneys and reproductive system share a single common opening called the cloaca.

Rapid growth 0-4 weeks For the first month, they are covered with white down, but with food provided by their father, they grow rapidly.

Climbing around 4-8 weeks Before they are ready to fly, the chicks practice their agility by using their beaks and claws to climb the trees near the nest.

Ready to fly 2 months By the time they are two months old, the chicks are ready to take their first flight.

Near the nest 2-5 months For the first few months, the fledgeling owls stay near the nest, relying on food provided by their father.

Living alone 5 months – 3 years When they are strong enough to survive on their own, they disperse in search of territory.

Facial disc

Silencing wing feathers

WorldMags.net The feathers on the face of a great grey owl form a near perfect disc, which funnels sound waves toward the ears. Theirs is the largest of any bird in the animal kingdom.

Black bow tie

The feathers on its body feature dark and light grey stripes and they have a black spot on their chin, surrounded by a white feather collar.

X-shaped moustache

How the great grey owl spots its prey Great grey owls find a vantage point and adopt the ‘sit and wait’ method to stalk prey. They use their bowl-shaped facial feathers to channel the noise of scurrying rodents on the ground, they have a 70-degree field of binocular night-vision, allowing them to pick out the tiniest movements in the dark.

Great grey owls have concentric rings of light and dark grey on their faces, with an x-shaped arrangement of white feathers extending between their eyes.

No bladder

Most birds do not have a bladder and instead excrete white acidic liquid droppings alongside the darker remnants of their digested food.

Marginal coverts

Primary feathers

Closest family Closely related to the great grey owl are…

Scapulars Secondary coverts

MATURITY Sexual maturity 3 years Great grey owls reach maturity at the age of three and start to search for their own nest and mate.

Raising young 3-12 years If food is abundant, a pair of great grey owls can raise around three chicks every year.

Cheating death 12 years Great grey owls can live for up to 40 years in captivity, but in the wild their lives are oen cut short.

African wood owl These medium-sized brown owls are native to Africa and can be found across much of the southern side of the continent. They are nocturnal and roost in trees during the day, coming out in the night to hunt small mammals, birds, reptiles and spiders.

Ural owl These pale owls have a dirty white facial disk surrounded by a ring of spots and are found in the deciduous and mixed forests of northern Europe and Asia. They mate for life and bonded male and female pairs sing duets together during the mating season.

Barred owl Barred owls are found in North America and can be identified by their brown and white feathers and distinctive call. If you listen closely in the deciduous and evergreen forests of the east coast, you can hear them say “who cooks for you?”

43

All about great grey owls

WorldMags.net Ruling the taiga Great grey owls are native to the northern hemisphere and can be found in northern Europe, across Russia, Asia and in North America. They live in a habitat known as the taiga; a belt of coniferous forests that circles the top part of the globe, sitting just beneath the snowy wastes of the Arctic tundra. The trees provide refuge, allowing the birds to breed, perch and roost, but the open land is the best place for these magnificent carnivores to stretch their wings and hunt. Great grey owls nest in needleleaf trees and have a preference for pines and firs, they tend to make their homes on the edges of the forest, overlooking meadows and boglands. Winter in the taiga is long and temperatures can remain below freezing for over half of the

year, at times dropping to -50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit). Great grey owls are shy and reclusive and rarely come into contact with humans, but they make their presence known by the marks they leave behind in the snow as they plunge in feet-first after their prey. Despite being skilled hunters, starvation can be a serious problem for the owls and is the number one cause of death. Great grey owls are the longest species of owl in the world, but beneath their insulating feathers they are relatively small and they are not capable of taking on large prey; instead they focus on small mammals, like voles and gophers and occasionally target birds, snakes and insects. Unfortunately, despite their hunting prowess, the winters in the taiga are unpredictable and

“Trees provide a refuge […] but open land allows these magnificent carnivores to stretch their wings and hunt” Environmental factors Although not an endangered species, the great grey owl still faces environmental threats

44

Starvation Winters in the taiga can be harsh and great grey owls can struggle to find enough to eat. When times are harsh, some move south in search of food, while others succumb to starvation.

Forest clearing It is not just healthy forests that the owls use, they nest in fallen trees and benefit from forest fires, feasting on the homeless rodents displaced by the flames.

Logging Great grey owls depend on evergreen trees for their survival. They use the branches for nesting, roosting and hunting. Logging disrupts their natural home, forcing them to move.

Accidental death In areas where great grey owls are close to humans, accidental deaths are more frequent. They are not used to civilisation and can get tangled in electrical wires, or hit by cars.

areas previously well stocked with prey animals can quickly become barren. For the most part, great grey owls stick to their home ranges year round, but if prey becomes scarce, the birds will travel south in search of better hunting. Great grey owls do not meet the criteria for endangerment set out by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but they do face some human threats in their remote environment and their future is far from secure. Logging and forest clearance disrupts their roosting and nesting sites and pest control measures designed to cut the numbers of small rodents directly impacts their ability to find enough food to eat. This compounds a problem that already threatens their long term survival in the wild.

Great grey owls

WorldMags.net

Nearest neighbours

Great grey owls share their homes with a variety of wildlife

Great horned owl This common species of owl lives across both North and South America and can be recognised by the feathers on their heads. They are smaller than great grey owls and do not attack grown adults, but they will hunt young owlets and are skilled predators.

Wolverine Wolverines are tough, adapted for a life in the cold. They have short legs and move close to the ground, running on the surface of deep snow with their wide feet. They have strong jaws and a good sense of smell.

Great grey owls and humans

Great grey owls are shy and reclusive and they rarely come into contact with humans. They are known as the ‘phantoms of the north’ and often the only indication of their presence are the marks that they leave in the snow as they hunt for food. Despite remaining hidden, the owls are very sensitive to human activity. They are dependent upon their forest homes for survival, as making their nests in damaged tree stumps and hollows can be incredibly disruptive, particularly during nesting season. In areas where the owls live close to human civilisation, the trapping or poisoning of small animals can affect their ability to hunt and the owls face fatal difficulties from human technology. In areas close to roads and power lines, electrocution and car accidents are common and can damage the owl population. Great grey owls are found across the taiga, from North America to Asia and although population numbers vary locally, the species as a whole is not in any immediate danger. In the United States, great grey owls are protected and there are initiatives in place to conserve and expand forest areas.

Pocket gopher These rodents are adapted for tunnelling, using their teeth and claws for digging. Their name comes from their fur-lined cheek pockets, which they use to carry food. They are a part of the diet for the great grey owl.

Snowshoe hare With huge hind feet and fur that changes from brown to white in the winter, these hares are perfectly adapted for life in cold climates. They can be found in Canada and the northern parts of the United States.

© Alamy; FLPA;Thinkstock; Dreamstime; The Art Agency; Peter Scott; Zrywka Drewna

Despite remaining hidden, these owls are very sensitive to human activity

45

WorldMags.net

Meet the only mouse that spends most of its active life among the branches of trees as it searches for a tasty feed Words David Crookes Spotting the hazel dormouse isn't an easy task. These rodents are nocturnal, spending their waking hours scurrying, almost invisibly, within thick, overgrown hedgerows, coppice, dense scrubs and the canopy of deciduous woodland. As such, they are the only mice that spend the vast majority of their active lifetime off the ground and they have adapted well. To help them to navigate the uneven tree branches of their home, they rely heavily on their whiskers, which vibrate up to 25 times a second. They use them to feel oncoming surfaces, which allows them to decide where to put their feet, while giving them advanced notice of oncoming gaps in the terrain.

46

In working out the right time to switch to another branch, they are able to protect themselves from potential falls and this also proves particularly useful when they are moving around in the dark, even though they have good eyesight and an acute sense of hearing. Indeed, these tiny, golden-brown coloured creatures do not necessarily have to use their eyes when searching for their favourite foods of hazel, insects, pollen, honeysuckle flowers and fruits such as blackberries. The whisker follicles of dormice contain sensory nodes, which act as locators and allow the rodents to work out the quality, size and shape of each item before they reach it.

WorldMags.net

Dormouse

HAZEL DORMOUSE

Muscardinus avellanarius Class Mammalia

Territory Britain, Northern Europe, Asia Diet Hazel, insects, fruit Lifespan 5 years Adult weight 20g / 0.71oz Conservation Status

LEAST CONCERN

47

Warriors of the woodland

WorldMags.net

Why dormice spend most of their life asleep Their sleep patterns are also dependent on weather It is no accident that the word “dormouse” derives from the French “dormir”, whichmeans “to sleep”. For dormice spend three-quarters of their time dozing, either when hibernating for six months from October, or when getting their head down during the day. The amount of time they sleep is determined by the weather. When dormice begin to feel cold they go into torpor, which means their

48

body temperature and metabolic rate reduces. They roll into a tight ball in their nest and conserve their energy. But this can pose problems. Since dormice prefer marked seasonal differences, a cooler summer or a warmer winter can confuse their bodies. It has been known for British dormice to sleep through much of the breeding season by awaking too soon in winter.

DID YOU KNOW?

When a new road bypass was built by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council in South Wales, it also created three wire walkways at a cost of £190,000 to allow dormice to safely cross it.

WorldMags.net

Dormouse

Nature’s great architects Nests are vital for summer refuge, breeding and hibernation

What you never knew about dormice

BELOW Hazel dormice have very large eyes to enable them to see better in the dark

© FLPA, Alamy

A dormouse's nest is its castle – a warm home, which provides protection during sleep and an ideal, secure place for females to give birth to up to seven young during breeding season. Dormice take great care when constructing their nests and they choose their locations very carefully. In the summer, they build large spherical nests within hollow tree branches and dense shrubs. In the winter, dormice create smaller nests at or below ground level and at the base of trees, taking advantage of the higher humidity and cooler wintery temperatures. To build them, dormice strip the bark of honeysuckle branches and shred them into long, soft threads. These are intricately woven into a ball, which is then surrounded by an outer shell of leaves and grasses. In recent decades, dormice have struggled as hedgerows and trees have been chopped back. T h l d tb h b t d

One of Britain's only hibernators Dormice are one of only three British mammals to hibernate. The others are bats and hedgehogs. Dormice hibernate from October and November to April and May. Their heart and breathing rate drops by 90 per cent. They pollinate flowers like bees Dormice are important pollinators. As they move around their woodland habitat, their whiskers and fur pick up pollen, which is then carried from flower to flower, aiding pollination. Pollen is also one of the dormice’s favourite foods. The only British mouse with long furry tails One of the most distinctive ways of identifying a hazel dormouse is by looking at its thick, furry tail. Although it is non-prehensile and unable to grip, it makes the dormouse look larger – almost matching its entire body length.

49

WorldMags.net

AMAZING

ANIMAL FAMILIES Raising the next generation is one of the toughest challenges in the animal kingdom Words Laura Mears

All animals share one major goal in life; to pass their genetic information on to the next generation. It is biology’s answer to immortality, but raising babies is a huge drain on resources. The more energy an animal puts into raising its offspring, the more likely the next generation are to survive, but the less energy it has to invest in its own survival. Finding the right balance is key and different animals have developed very different parenting strategies. The oldest strategy of all is to leave the offspring to fend for themselves. Many fish and invertebrates lay hundreds of eggs at a time, maximising the number of potential offspring in the hope that a few will make it to adulthood. This technique works best if the eggs can be safely hidden from danger. In more dangerous environments, where the risk of starvation, predation, or exposure to the elements makes leaving youngsters to fend for themselves too risky, animals often stay behind to protect their young. Many amphibians and reptiles safely guard their eggs from predators until they hatch and some even carry their unhatched offspring inside their own bodies and give birth to live young. Mammals are generally the most active parents of all and invest vast resources into feeding, protecting and educating their offspring as they grow. This duty most often falls to the female, but in social groups the responsibility is often shared.

50

Amazing animal families

WorldMags.net

Orangutans make the best mums

Orangutan mothers sacrifice their solitary lifestyle to spend eight years raising their young BORNEAN ORANGUTAN

Pongo pygmaeus Class Mammalia

Territory Borneo/Sumatra Diet Fruit, leaves, insects Lifespan 35 – 50 years Adult weight 37-87kg (82192lb) Conservation status

ENDANGERED

Apes are intelligent, sociable animals and youngsters have a lot to learn, so female orangutans invest several years in raising their offspring. At birth, orangutans are incredibly vulnerable and for the first four months, mother and baby remain in constant physical contact, travelling stomach to stomach for safety and warmth. As the baby starts to grow, it gradually begins to find its own feet and by the age of two, mother and child begin to travel together through the trees holding hands. For several years, the young orangutan will sleep in the same nest as its mother and by copying her techniques, it gradually learns to build its own home. This continues as the orangutan grows and by the time it reaches the age of five, it starts to venture further away to play with the other youngsters in the area.

51

Amazing animal families

WorldMags.net

Elephant families bond for life

Elephants live in sophisticated social groups and take a family approach to parenting Elephant mothers give birth once every four or five years and their female relatives act as midwives, helping with the delivery and guiding the newborn calf to its first steps. Elephant calves are born nearly blind and rely on the herd to help them through their first vulnerable days. All of the adult females within the herd are related and the newborn’s aunts will share nursing and baby sitting duties, allowing the calf to suckle and standing guard while its mother sleeps. The herd develop strong social bonds, reinforced by gentle trunk-touching and vocal communication. Male calves leave the herd when they reach their teenage years, but the daughters remain with their mothers for life, benefiting from the decades of experience of the matriarch and relying on close family bonds to navigate the dangerous African savannah. AFRICAN BUSH ELEPHANT

Loxodonta africana Class Mammalia

Territory Sub-Saharan Africa Diet Leaves, roots, fruit Lifespan 70 years Adult weight 2,400-6,300kg (4,400-13,200lb) Conservation status

VULNERABLE

ABOVE Elephants’ calves can rely on the support of their mother, aunts and grandmother as they grow

How animals raise their babies

There are four major styles of animal parenting, ranging from abandonment through to lifelong care

Hands-off parenting

Single parent families

This parenting strategy is oen adopted by more primitive life forms, including fish, invertebrates and some species of amphibians or reptiles. Rather than investing in the upbringing of their offspring, hands-off parents oen lay lots of eggs in the hope that some will reach adulthood.

Only five per cent of mammal species share parenting duties and in most cases female mammals tend to take sole responsibility for the care and protection of their offspring. Some reptiles and amphibians are also known to adopt this onesided approach.

52

Amazing animal families

WorldMags.net Bullfinches raise

chicks as a team These model parents share duties equally and work together to raise their young Bullfinches are small, shy birds and prefer to remain hidden in the cover of thick bushes like hawthorn and bramble. The female is responsible for nest building and she builds the main structure using twigs, before lining it with a woven mesh of soft mosses, lichens and roots. She lays around five pale blue eggs and her partner helps her to incubate them, bringing food to sustain her as she waits for them to hatch. When the chicks arrive, both parents take responsibility for rearing them. They each have a stretchy hamster-like food sack inside their mouths and they fly far from the nest to forage for soft seeds and small insects to take home to their growing chicks. These dedicated parents will often continue to feed their young after they have left the nest, guiding them to the best places to find food.

“Male calves leave the herd when they reach their teenage years”

Two-parent families

Lifelong commitment

Around 90 per cent of bird species form two-parent families, with both sexes working together to build a nest, defend the eggs and feed the growing chicks. Closely bonded mammal pairs, like foxes and African wild dogs also work together as a team in order to raise their offspring.

Some social animals choose to remain together as a permanent group and give a life-long commitment to their offspring. The initial cost of this unusual method of raising young is enormous and pays off in the long-term with the support of a family network.

53

Amazing animal families

WorldMags.net

Harp seals abandon their pups Harp seal mothers take a hands-off approach to parenting and leave their pups on the ice In the harsh wilderness of the Arctic, a female harp seal has little time to raise her young. She is a committed mother for the first twelve days and feeds her newborn on a diet of rich milk, containing a whopping 48 per cent fat, but as soon as her pup hits a weight of around 36 kilograms (79 pounds), she leaves to find a mate. The isolated pup is stranded on the ice and initially cries out for its mother, but it soon becomes quiet to avoid wasting energy. It must wait for six weeks until the pack ice melts and during that time it is unable to feed and loses up to half of its body weight. This harsh start to life forces the pups to rapidly become independent, but around 20 per cent of the abandoned youngsters die, falling victim to predators or drowning in the cold water as they attempt to learn to swim on their own. HARP SEAL

Pagophilus groenlandicus Class Mammalia

Territory Arctic and northern Atlantic Oceans Diet Fish and small invertebrates Lifespan 20-35 years Adult weight 120-135kg (265298lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

Penguin parents don't eat until their chicks hatch Penguins work together to protect their young from the bitter cold and lurking predators. Gentoo penguins build nests in monogamous pairs and defend it fiercely from invaders. Some penguin parents take turns to incubate their eggs, but species that live in the coldest areas have a different strategy. Male emperor

54

penguins incubate the eggs for up to four months without a moving a muscle or eating a single bite of food, relying only on their stored fat. During this time the female goes on a feeding frenzy and when she returns, the male is free to find food and regain strength while the mother looks after the newly born, vulnerable chicks.

© Getty; Thinkstock; FLPA

Putting the safety of their vulnerable eggs ahead of their own is normal for expectant penguins

FEED YOUR MIND WorldMags.net www.howitworksdaily.com

Available from all good newsagents and supermarkets TM

ON SALE NOW > World's weirdest weather > Cryogenics > Finding fossils > Alien planets > Jets SCIENCE UP CLOSE

INSIDE GADGETS

COOLEST TECH

ILLUSTRATIONS

AMAZING FACTS

BUY YOUR ISSUE TODAY

Print edition available at www.imagineshop.co.uk Digital edition available at www.greatdigitalmags.com Available on the following platforms

facebook.com/howitworks

twitter.com/@howitworksmag

Special subscription offer

WorldMags.net Subscribe &

save25% PAY ONLY

£

9

EVERY 3 ISSUES

S

ARTICLES THRILLING

Order hotline Online at 0844 848 8410

www.imaginesubs.co.uk/animals

BY POST

Send your completed form to: World of Animals Subscriptions, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GU

WorldMags.net Every issue packed with... YOUR DETAILS

Title Surname Address

First name

Postcode Telephone number Mobile number Email address

Exclusive competitions Breathtaking photos Amazing illustrations Photography guides In-depth articles Thrilling facts Reader Q&A

Country

DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT Q UK Direct Debit Payment

I will pay just £9 every 3 issues (save 25%) Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the form and send it to: Imagine Publishing Limited, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8GU Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society

To: The Manager

Originator’s Identification Number Bank/Building Society

5

0

1

8

8

4

Address Reference Number

Postcode

Name(s) of account holder(s)

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society Please pay Imagine Publishing Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Imagine Publishing Limited and, if so, details will be passed on electronically to my Bank/Building Society Signature(s)

Branch sort code

Bank/Building Society account number

Why you should subscribe... Save 25% off the cover price – Just £9 every 3 issues on Direct Debit FREE delivery direct to your door Never miss an issue

Date

Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of account

A6 instruction form

PAYMENT DETAILS

YOUR EXCLUSIVE READER PRICE, 1 YEAR (13 ISSUES)

Q UK £41 (Save 20%) Q Europe – £50 Q World – £60 Q USA – £50 Cheque

Q I enclose a cheque for £

(made payable to Imagine Publishing Ltd)

Credit/Debit Card

Q Visa

Q Mastercard

Card number Issue number

Q Amex

Q

Maestro Expiry date

QQ (if Maestro)

Signed Date Please tick if you do not wish to receive any promotional material from Imagine Publishing Ltd by post Q by telephone Q via email Q

Order by 30 April 2015 Use code PQ15 for this offer.

Please tick if you do not wish to receive any promotional material from other companies by post Q by telephone Q Please tick if you DO wish to receive such information via email Q TERMS & CONDITIONS Terms and Conditions: This offer entitles new UK direct debit subscribers to pay only £9 every 3 issues. New subscriptions will start from the next available issue. Offer code PQ15 must be quoted to receive this special subscription price. Details of the Direct Debit Guarantee are available on request. This offer expires 30 April 2015 . Imagine Publishing reserves the right to limit this type of offer to one per household. Subscribers can cancel this subscription at any time.

Wild cats

58

WorldMags.net

WorldMags.net

WILD CATS OF THE WORLD Some of the best predators on Earth are feline – they’re stealthy, strong and fierce. With breathtaking beauty to boot, wild cats from the tiny ocelot to the majestic lion are truly incredible Words Ella Carter Sutton The wild cats are a superior group of animals. They’re intense predators, all carnivorous meat eaters and none of them take any prisoners. Whether that’s a gigantic male Siberian tiger weighing in at 300kg (660lb), or a tiny little black-footed kitten, each cat has a ‘don’t-mess’ attitude about it that has ensured it a cushy spot at the top of the food chain for thousands of years.

Despite their differences in size, weight and appearance, all of these wonderful wild cats have similar characteristics that make them so recognizable. Lithe, muscular bodies, pointy ears, slit-like luminous eyes, razor sharp teeth and the incredible ability to land on their feet are just some of the classic wild cat attributes found in every member of the feline family.

59

WorldMags.net Caracal

The cat that was once tamed Caracals are unique wild cats that occupy similar home ranges to cheetahs and, like cheetahs, they were once conditioned by humans to hunt. Caracals have incredibly fast reflexes and powerful back legs – they can jump up to three metres (ten feet) in the air and snatch a flying bird out of the sky, a skill fully utilised by their human counterparts! Caracals share the same colouring as cougars and lions and are one of few species without markings. Their most distinguishing feature is the jet-black ears topped with little tufts that cut a striking silhouette. It is thought these may be used to communicate with one another.

CARACAL

Caracal caracal Class Mammalia

Territory Africa, Middle East, Asia Diet Birds, rodents, small antelope Lifespan Up to 12 years Adult weight 8-20kg/18-44lb Conservation Status

LEAST CONCERN

Bobcat The cat with the greatest range

Found all over the USA, bobcats live in forested or swampy areas. They are stealthy, yet unfussy hunters, and can deliver a deathly blow to their prey of mice, rabbits, squirrels with a pounce that can cover three metres (ten feet) with the utmost of ease. These cats are so named for their short, ‘bobbed’ tail, and they have super soft, plushy fur that keeps the cat toasty all year round. Although they usually make their home in wilderness areas, these prolific big kitties have also been known to infiltrate the fringes of towns and cities, taking advantage of the dinnertime spoils served up on a garbage-bin platter.

BOBCAT

Lynx rufus Class Mammalia

Territory North America Diet Rabbits, squirrels, mice Lifespan 10-12 years Adult weight 5-14 kg/11-30lb Conservation Status

LEAST CONCERN

60

North America

Bobcat habitat

Distribution Males disperse and travel long distances in search of territory

WorldMags.net Cats by continent Feline domination is a global phenomenon, with wild cats making their homes all across the world Wild cats can be found almost all over the globe, with the exception of the North and South poles and also Australia, which doesn’t have any native wild cat species although there are many big cat sightings. All cats are descended from a common ancestor. Europe is home to wildcats as well as the Eurasion lynx Europe has its fair share of wild cats. The European wildcat makes its home in marshes, forests and coasts across the continent, with the Scottish wildcat subspecies residing in the very north of the UK. Europe’s small Iberian lynx population exists in the Mediterranean forests and scrublands of Spain and Portugal. Another wild cat, the Eurasian lynx, can be found roaming Scandinavia.

Wild cats

Asia is home to tigers, snow leopards and Pallas cats Asia is home to a diverse number of wild cats. Snow leopards are found high up in the rugged mountains of central Asia. Their range spans from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan and Russia in the north to India and China in the east, a range partly shared by the intensely fluffy Pallas’s cat. China is also home to the endangered Chinese mountain cat. India and Sri Lanka host the magnificent tigers in the jungles, and the mysterious clouded leopard can be spotted from the rain forests.

North America is home to the lynx, bobcat and cougar North America’s most prolific wild cat is undoubtedly the bobcat, a species whose range extends across most of the USA. Following closely on this is the puma, also known as mountain lion or cougar, that can be found making its home from south-eastern Alaska all the way south to southern Argentina and Chile. North America’s last wild cat is the Canada lynx – a beautiful creature found in forests throughout the country. South America is home to the jaguar, kodkod, oncilla and more South America is home to many large species such as the jaguar, but also much smaller, and just as beautiful cats such as the kodkod, for example. This small, spotted cat can be found in Chile and Argentina, and shares its range with Geoffroy’s cat. The oncilla lives high up in cloud forests from Venezuela to northern Argentina. Other cats include the tree-dwelling margay, the tiny pampas cat and the beautiful jaguarundi.

Africa is home to the infamous African lion, as well as golden cats and caracals The African continent is home to some of the largest, most powerful and most striking big cats in the world. The African lion roams the expansive plains, woodlands, bushland and semi-desert habitat, and shares these habitats with many majestic big cat species. The cheetah lives on the open plains, hunting for prey such as gazelles. The serval also makes its home in the grasslands, as well as many other smaller species such as the African golden cat and caracal.

61

Wild cats of the world

WorldMags.net Big cats at a glance Check out the fastest, strongest and most powerful felines around All the members of the family felidae, from the one curled up on your lap right now to the most majestic lion king in the Serengeti, share some common characteristics. However the felidae also has members that are incredibly diverse, and ones that can show off some truly awesome talents. Here are some of the cat family’s biggest and best…

Tiger

The majestic tiger is one of the most distinctive big cats, with its thick coat of sumptuous stripes. Unlike many of its cousins, tigers also enjoy a swim. Powerful and muscly, a tiger can easily stalk and ambush large prey.

Clouded leopard

Tropical rainforests of southeast Asia host this rare and elusive big cat that sports both the largest canine teeth and the longest tail (relative to body size) in the cat family. Named for their cloud-like spots, these mysterious creatures are incredibly vocal and communicate with all manner of moans, growls, purrs and roars.

Lion Leopard

Often to be found high up in the treetops, leopards are nimble predators who like to eat their kills on high ground. Their beautiful spotted pelt offers up a perfect camouflage for treetop living, although leopards are also comfortable stalking prey on the ground, or even taking to water to snack on fish and crustaceans.

62

Undisputed and undefeated rulers of the African plains, lions are one of the only cat species to live in social groups. Known as a pride, a male lion guards his harem of lionesses that are almost always related. The females go out to hunt, while males protect the cubs.

WorldMags.net Eurasian lynx

Cheetah

Found across Africa’s plains and grasslands, cheetahs are the fastest thing on four legs, or in the animal kingdom for that matter. These speedy, spotted cats can go from 0-60mph (0-96kph) in just three seconds. They are agile and nimble at speed, able to make quick turns in order to snare their prey.

As one of the most distinctive big cat species, the Eurasian lynx sports a thick fluffy coat with attractive ear tufts. Found in the forests of western Europe, Russia and central Asia, the lynx is a super stealthy hunter and can use its effortless agility to track down large prey.

Wild cats

Star Cat Species STRONGEST BITE

Asian fishing cat The Asian fishing cat has the most powerful jaws of any other cat in relation to its size. It has evolved to bite hard to catch fastswimming fish from moving rivers in a single strike. It can even crush crab and snail shells with ease to get to the animal inside.

MOST ADAPTED

Canada lynx This cat is highly suited to its mountainous home, as it sports some thick fur for warmth, tuy ears for hearing prey, supersharp claws for climbing and pinning down dinners and incredibly strong hind legs to aid jumping and pouncing.

SMALLEST

Black-footed cat A tiny little South African wild cat, this species is as close to your regular house cat as you’re going to get. It measures 35-40cm (14-16 inches) long, and is only found in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia living in grass plains and scrub desert, and, despite their size, are known to be particularly tenacious and feisty hunters.

MOST ELUSIVE

Snow leopard

Found far away from their warm-weather cousins, snow leopards live high up in the mountains of Central Asia. Their fur is a greyish-white to camouflage them against the chilly backdrop and their wide, fluffy paws function as excellent snowshoes. A long, agile tail also helps the leopard to keep balance as it leaps from icy cliff top to rocky crag.

Black jaguar

Found across South America, the black jaguar plays a large part in ancient culture. The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word yaguar, which means ‘he who kills with one leap’. These big cats will sometimes climb trees and lie in wait to ambush their unsuspecting prey. Although many of these cats appear to be pure black, you’ll see that they actually have spots.

Scottish wildcat Britain’s very own wild cat species can be found (if you’re very, very lucky) roaming the Scottish West Highlands. Looking very much like a rather beefy house cat, these felines are a dwindling species with only around 35 purebred cats le in the wild.

63

Wild cats of the world

WorldMags.net

European wildcat

25 years later…

How species’ numbers have changed over 25 years

The cat that looks the most familiar You would be forgiven for thinking that these cats are just an exceptionally large version of your friendly tabby living in scrubland, forests, marshes and along coasts. Their dark, striped markings, cute-as-a-button faces and extra fluffy tails make them look almost identical to those that lovingly share our sofas. Although they’re known to be the ancestor of our pets, they can be rather vicious and are ice-cold hunters. The biggest threat to European wildcats is interbreeding with domestic cats, and it’s not known how many genetically pure populations are remaining.

Iberian lynx = 100

1990

EUROPEAN WILDCAT

2015

Lion

Felis silvestris

Class Mammalia

= 40000

Territory Europe Diet Rats, squirrels, birds Lifespan Up to 15 years Adult weight 2.3-7.2kg/5-16lb Conservation Status

1940

LEAST CONCERN

2015

Tiger

Serval

The cat with the largest ears

= 100

xxxfigures based on India Huge ears The spots on the back of their ears is known as oceli.

The slightly gangly-looking serval is one of the most endearing-looking wild cats out there. It has the longest legs and largest ears of any cat species, relative to body size. These lanky legs are excellent for leaping, jumping, sometimes swimming, and almost always good for reaching into holes to pull out some juicy rodent prey. Similarly, the oversized ears perched atop its head are used for expert hunting – acting as great big satellite dishes sensitive enough to even pick out prey burrowing underground. The serval’s long neck sometimes earns these wild felines the nickname ‘giraffe cat’, and enables them to peek over the tall Savannah grass on the lookout for predators and prey-stealers alike, such as leopards and hyenas.

2006

2015

Cheetah = 100000

1900

2015

Amur leopard = 100 Long neck Their long neck allows them see over the tall grass. 1990

64

2015

WorldMags.net

Wild cats

AMUR LEOPARD

Panthera pardus orientalis Class Mammalia

Territory Far east coast of Russia Diet Deer, badgers and hares Lifespan 10-15 years Adult weight 30-45kg / 65-100lb Conservation Status

Amur leopard The cat that could be coming back from the brink

With only around 50 left in the wild, the Amur leopard is one of the rarest cats on Earth. They battle harsh winters and are exceptional hunters, able to take down large prey such as deer completely unassisted. Though these cats once roamed Korea, China and Russia, by the 1990s they were restricted to a small area on the eastern coast of Russia. Conservation efforts began to take hold, and numbers reportedly rose by 50 per-cent between 2007 and 2013. Amur leopards were sighted in China in 2010, suggesting that they are beginning to branch out into larger territory. Captive breeding programmes are in motion to begin releasing Amur leopards back into the wild to help their population grow once more.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

How to save a species Peter Sampson, founder of Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Kent “Someone said 15 or 20 years ago out there. What makes it even harder is, because they there were 35 Amur leopards le in the are so rare, they make a better target for poachers. If a wild; the truth is, no one really knows… poacher can find one, can kill one, can get its skin, it’s There are more Amur leopards in so much more valuable than if there were thousands captivity than in the wild almost to the of them. That makes it even more difficult. We can't extent now that those that are involved slow down and we still have to raise money. I believe with Amur leopards have to be really careful about [the Amur leopard population] will recover. I think how many we breed. We have to make sure that what there's enough people that want we do [breeding cats] is really controlled, to keep the to make it work, certainly in To find out bloodlines as best we can… It's reasonably easy to the animal world. They are more about the move cats between licensed holders... The hardest passionate about getting work of the Widlife part is creating a stepping-stone. Our cats aren't them out there. What you Heritage Foundation domesticated but if we let them go they'd go looking don't want to do is lose and get involved in their for people. You've got to get them into that ‘back confidence thinking that fight to save endangered to the wild’ situation. That could take three or four they might recover on species like the Amur generations, you've just got to get your first generation their own.” leopard, visit www. whf.org.uk.

65

You wouldn’t belie

WorldMags.net How jewel was raise their youn Discover how these colourful insects turn their prey into zombies, before their baby eats them alive JEWEL WASP/EMERALD COCKROACH WASP Ampulex compressa Class Insecta

Territory South Asia, Africa, Pacific islands Diet Cockroaches, nectar Lifespan Up to 2-3 months Adult weight 0.3-0.4g (010.014oz) Conservation Status

NOT EVALUATED

It may not be very often you feel sympathy for a cockroach, but wait until you hear the horrific ordeal that jewel wasps put them through. With its metallic turquoise body and orange legs, the emerald cockroach wasp may look beautiful, but don’t be fooled: it’s a ruthless hunter, using its hapless victim as a living larder for its offspring. Despite its prey being up to six-times its size, the wasp has evolved to perfect the art of biochemical warfare. With a brain-altering cocktail of venom and a precision sting, the victim is stupefied enough to be led into the burrow, which will become its tomb. In a toxin-induced state of lethargy, the cockroach makes no attempt to escape, even as the wasp’s larva devours it from the inside out!

01 Sting in the tail

The first line of attack is to sting the cockroach’s thorax, paralysing the front legs; this means it can’t defend the second sting aimed directly into the brain. After much study, it’s thought that the injected venom deactivates the survival instinct by blocking certain nerve receptors. The wasp then flies off to locate a burrow.

© Alamy, The Art Agency; Sandra Doyle

03 Food for thought

After about 48 hours, the egg hatches and the larva starts to feast, making a small hole in the abdomen and gradually wriggling inside. For the next week or so, it dines on the cockroach’s internal organs, making sure to leave the nervous system until last to ensure its host remains alive as long as possibl They secrete antimicrobial compounds to keep harmful bacteria at bay.

66

“It dines on the cockroach’s internal organs, making sure to leave the nervous system until last”

02 Buried alive

About 15-30 minutes later, the wasp returns. For a pick-meup, it bites off the cockroach’s antennae for a lunch of some haemolymph – insect blood. Using an antenna, it leads its ey to the burrow. Underground, e wasp glues a single egg onto its victim’s underbelly before parting. The last job is to block up the chamber’s entrance with small stones.

04 Wasp breaks out

By the time the larva is ready to pupate, the cockroach has been put out of its misery. Having eaten its fill, the grub spins itself a cocoon in the now-hollow exoskeleton. Around five weeks later, the wasp emerges from its cocoon as an adult. Now it clears the entrance of the burrow before heading off in search of a mate – and the next unlucky cockroach.

WorldMags.net One of the Sumatran tiger’s final strongholds is under threat from a massive increase in poaching. Action is needed now.

This Critically Endangered tiger has been pushed to the edge of extinction – maybe 500 remain. Give to stop the poachers at www.FFIsumatrantiger.org A 600% increase in snares laid since 2011 has put FFI’s anti poaching team on red alert. Habitat loss has already pushed the Sumatran tiger to the brink of extinction but now poachers have stepped up their efforts to snare these magnificent cats. Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has put out an urgent call to the global community to save the last Sumatran tigers currently existing in the wild – and specifically to employ more rangers. There are now only around 500 Sumatran tigers left. FFI is urgently seeking funds to step up their crucial conservation programme in Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia. In order to safeguard the future existence of these magnificent creatures, it is vital that more rangers are employed Right now, the Sumatran tiger faces a number of very serious threats, which are putting their very survival in jeopardy. And, sadly, they are all man-made threats. Poaching is a constant danger for the elusive Sumatran tiger – and now poachers have substantially stepped up their efforts. Hunters make good money from the tiger’s beautiful skin and demand is constantly growing. Also, its bones are illegally exported to use as ingredients in traditional Asian medicines. What is really worrying now is that poachers have increased the number of tiger snares laid by 600% since 2011 and this year snares found have been at almost record levels. This is against a backdrop of a very serious loss of habitat. In the last ten to 15 years, natural forest cover in Sumatra has been slashed by almost a staggering 40%. Now there is a newly emerging threat in 2014, discovered by tiger patrols - the growth of illegal coffee plantations in Kerinci Seblat National Park. These majestic forest dwellers have been designated as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, making the Sumatran tiger one of the most endangered tiger subspecies on the planet. This is a rating reserved for animals that face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Latest surveys have indicated that there may now be as few as 500 existing in the wild. Kerinci Seblat National Park is one of the last places on Earth where they can still be found. Today, 170 tigers live in and around Kerinci Seblat National Park – the largest known population of tigers anywhere in Sumatra. Since 2007 the number of tigers in the park has stabilised and begun to slowly grow – largely thanks to the vital work of FFI’s Tiger Protection and Conservation Programme. However, now the upsurge in poaching puts these gains under threat. Debbie Martyr, FFI Team Leader of the Kerinci Tiger Project in Sumatra, says: “So far this year our ranger teams walked almost 1100 miles on forest patrols in and bordering the national park and destroyed more than 60 active tiger snares - an increase of 600% since 2011. That is why we need to step up

@
£83,131 is needed to help us fund more rangers and step up action against the poachers in Kerinci Seblat National Park. @
This is one of the final strongholds of the incredibly rare Sumatran tiger, a place where the battle to save the Sumatran tiger will be won or lost. @
FFI’s work here could be all that stands between the Sumatran tiger and extinction. patrol regimes”. Tiger populations are dreadfully fragile. If FFI cannot recruit more rangers to protect the tigers against the increased efforts of the poachers all our good work could be undone. For all of these reasons, it’s now absolutely vital that we increase our patrols to protect tigers from poachers – and work towards greater protection for their delicate habitat. If we’re going to save the Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger from complete extinction, it’s vital that we have the means to take action now. FFI must raise £83,131. To do that, the charity is calling on World of Animals readers to make an urgent contribution today.

Dear World of Animals readers: Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has launched an emergency appeal, to raise £83,131 to save the Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger. These items are vital to help save the remaining Sumatran tigers from extinction. £5,212 could help fund two new rangers posts and buy essential equipment – rucksacks, uniforms, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, field radios and compasses. £2,500 could buy a pick-up van to help a patrol move around quickly to prevent poaching. £400 could buy camping equipment and boots. Photo: Gill Shaw

Photo: Euan Bowen-Jones/FFI

Red alert for the Sumatran tiger. Fauna & Flora International launches emergency appeal in response to 600% increase in poaching threat. 19 April deadline.

£72 could buy first aid kits to treat injured rangers whilst out on patrol. £32 could help buy a field radio, essential to getting extra help if poachers are spotted. Donations large or small will help us save the Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger from the 600% upsurge in the poaching threat.

“If you value the natural world – if you think it should be protected for it’s own sake as well as humanity’s – then please support Fauna & Flora International.” Sir David Attenborough, OM FRS Fauna & Flora International vice-president Please send a gift, by no later than 19 April, to help safeguard the future survival of the last few remaining wild Sumatran tigers. Together, we can save the Sumatran tiger from extinction – but only if we take action immediately. To take action for the Sumatran tiger please go to www. FFIsumatrantiger.org or cut the coupon. If the coupon to the bottom right is missing, please send your cheque (payable to FFI) to: FREEPOST RRHGGBGG-CAGG, Fauna & Flora International, Sumatran Tiger Appeal, Jupiter House, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2JD by 19 April. Stop press - Poachers kill Tiger in Kerinci “We knew this tiger, a large male. To see it reduced from a beautiful wild animal to a pile of meat and guts made us all very angry”. Yoan Dinata, Tiger Protection Team, Kerinci Seblat Fauna & Flora International, founded in 1903, was the world’s first international conservation organisation. Today its work spans the globe, with over 140 projects in more than 40 countries. It has a strong history of finding creative solutions to conservation problems and of working with local communities. FFI is supported by the most eminent scientists and members of the conservation movement.

Cut the coupon below and return it to FFI, together with your gift, to help save the Critically Endangered Sumatran tiger. Alternatively, go to www.FFIsumatrantiger.org. Thank you.

I want to help save the remaining 500 Sumatran tigers today, with a donation of £________ Title

Forename

Surname Address

Postcode Email Phone No I enclose a cheque payable to Fauna & Flora International OR I wish to pay by credit/debit card Type of card: Visa/Amex/Mastercard/Maestro/CAF Card No: Start Date:

Expiry Date:

Issue Number (Maestro only): 3 digit security code:

(Last three digits next to the signature)

Please note: If Fauna & Flora International succeeds in raising more than £83,131 from this appeal, funds will be used wherever they are most needed.

Please return to: Sumatran Tiger Appeal, FREEPOST RRHG-GBGG-CAGG, Fauna & Flora International, Jupiter House, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2JD. You can call 01223 431991 to donate now. Or go to: www.FFIsumatrantiger.org to donate online. Registered Charity No.1011102. Registered Company No. 2677068.

PR-STWA15

WorldMags.net WONDERS OF

Insects have evolved to disappear into the background to confuse predators and prey Words Amy Grisdale

68

Wonders of camouflage

WorldMags.net

Afro-tropical moths With 27,000 species, this group of moths is incredibly diverse. They are native to central and South Africa and their camouflaged colouring holds the key to survival. Moths are an important food for birds, bats and reptiles. Blending in with the background allows them to survive long enough to mate and lay eggs.

69

Wonders of camouflage

WorldMags.net

Orchid mantises

Also known as walking flowers, these insects have a startling similarity to orchids. They rely on the element of surprise to snatch their prey while posing on a plant. When a smaller insect wanders past, the mantis takes its opportunity to strike. These insects even sway so they look like flowers fluttering in the wind.

Flower spiders

Feasting on bees and wasps, they position themselves on flowers. Some, like the goldenrod crab spider, can even alter their colour to match their perch. If insects are sparce, flower spiders can even eat pollen to survive.

70

Wonders of camouflage

WorldMags.net Monkey moths

Beginning life as a caterpillar, these moths are found in the rainforests of south-east Asia. As hairy larvae, they feed intensively on plant matter at a height of two metres (six feet) above the forest floor. They wrap themselves in leaves and bind the cocoon with silk to begin their transition. After two months, the adult moth emerges disguised as a brown leaf and goes in search of a mate.

71

Wonders of camouflage

WorldMags.net

Huntsman spiders Though most huntsman spiders are generally dull brown, the green huntsman is vividly coloured. Hiding in green vegetation, this predator ambushes unsuspecting prey. It doesn’t build a web, but sits and waits for passing insects to cross its path. These cleverly concealed spiders can be found throughout Europe, northern Africa and stretch across to far-east Asia.

72

Wonders of camouflage

WorldMags.net

Mormon butterflies

© Corbis, FLPA, NPL

These butterflies aren’t coloured according to their environment, but mimic other species to avoid predators. Male and female mormon butterflies have different colouration and each species can even vary in wing pattern, making them incredibly well camouflaged.

73

Spotters’ guide

WorldMags.net

Bottlenose dolphins See nature’s greatest acrobats in their natural habitat in almost any ocean around the world

Bottlenose dolphins are some of the most intelligent creatures on Earth and they can be found in almost every ocean. They generally live in coastal waters and can even be spotted from beaches. Bottlenose dolphins can be seen at all times of the year, but tend to be most abundant in the warmer months when they give birth to their calves. From Scotland’s Moray Firth to the tip of South Africa, these animals are distributed worldwide. They can be seen from land regularly, but spotters may want to take a specific tour to see them up close. Those taking a dolphin-watching cruise should wrap up warm because it gets extremely cold out on the water. Taking a camera is always a good idea to capture playful dolphins in mid-air.

Dolphins are also known for riding in the waves a boat creates. This is called bow-riding and leaping through the freshly churned water is a dolphin’s equivalent of surfing. Taking a boat trip through a well-known dolphin area is likely to attract some animals, although it’s often best to leave the boat operation to the experts. Notoriously playful and curious, bottlenose dolphins are known to approach swimmers. Those looking for an up-close experience can swim, snorkel or even SCUBA dive in dolphin territory. It’s always best to do a trip like this with an experienced company to make sure swimmers are safe at all times. Wild dolphins should not be approached or pursued, but are quite likely to inspect people in the water.

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN Tursiops truncatus Class Mammalia

Territory Tropical and temperate waters Diet Fish Lifespan Up to 50 years Adult weight 500kg (1100lb) Conservation Status

LEAST CONCERN

5 places around the world to see dolphins AK Wildlife Cruises, UK

www.akwildlifecruises.co.uk Operating all year round, this company spots dolphins, whales and seals on a regular basis. Newport Landing Whale Watching, USA

www.newportwhales.com

Operating from Long Beach California, spotters can take tours by boat or by plane. Dolphin Watch Cruises, Australia

www.dolphinwatch.com.au

Leaving from Jervis Bay in southern Australia, these 90 minute trips provide cover from the sun. Dolphin Swims, Egypt

www.dolphinswims.co.uk This company take snorkellers out to dolphin areas for the chance to swim with the wild animals. Advantage Tours, South Africa

www.advantagetours.co.za

See dolphins and humpback whales off the western coast of South Africa, or even take a hippo tour. Bottlenose dolphin range

©Alamy

“Notoriously playful and curious, bottlenose dolphins are known to approach swimmers” 74

Bottlenose dolphins

WorldMags.net

Expert advice, the best chance to see a bottlenose Cornwall-based AK Wildlife Cruises Captain Keith Leeves takes spotters out to see dolphins all year round. Are there any telltale signs that dolphins are in the water? We always look for birds, they are a great indicator of dolphin presence. Fast travelling dolphins will make a lot of white water and splash around, so look out for disturbances in the water. On a calm sunny day, look out for a glint of light bouncing off an animal’s smooth wet skin. How much can spotters interact with dolphins? Quite a lot, depending on the animals. They are playful and inquisitive and if they come toward your boat then that’s the animals choosing to interact with you. There have been studies indicating that high pitched voices excite dolphins and may even attract them. Should spotters feed wild dolphins? No. There is always a risk that dolphins could become dependent on being fed by humans. It’s not like putting a bird feeder out in your garden, big marine mammals shouldn’t be fed. It would be lovely to be able to feed these animals, but we really can’t condone it. What advice can you give to readers who want to see dolphins where they live? If you can find a dedicated operator, go out with them. Not only for their

knowledge of the animal but also the vast experience behind the operators can really help. One can never guarantee a wildlife sighting. What should dolphin spotters wear? Even in hot places and during the summer it can be much cooler offshore. Always take plenty of layers, waterproofs, hats and gloves. Take good pair of binoculars or a camera and in the summer take plenty of sun cream. In the sun you do get a lot of glare and polarised sunglasses will help you see animals through the water. Can you describe what an average bottlenose dolphin sighting is like? They love nothing more than showing off and playing and oen do incredibly high jumps. They might keep their distance and we never infringe on that. There are occasions when they will come rushing over to say hello and bottlenose dolphins in particular are extremely playful. What are the best dolphin-spotting weather conditions? Flat, calm sea is just perfect so you can see their fins. If there’s anything going on you can’t miss it. Sunshine isn’t always the best because of glare. An overcast day is an excellent day to go out, oen providing the best sighting conditions.

WIN

a dolphin-watching trip for two worth £100 Get out and see some bottlenose dolphins for yourself with AK Wildlife cruises in Cornwall. We're giving away two tickets for a fourhour wildlife cruise where the winners can spot dolphins, whales and seals along the picturesque Cornish coastline. Visit www.animalanswers.co.uk to enter.

Bottlenose dolphins generally swim in groups of ten to 25

75

Badger behaviour

WorldMags.net

EUROPEAN BADGER Meles meles

Class Mammalia

Territory Europe and Asia as far as the western bank of Russia’s Volga River Diet Earthworms, smaller animals, plant bulbs Lifespan Up to 15 years Adult weight Summer: 7–13kg (15–29lb). Autumn: 15–17kg (33–37lb) Conservation status

LEAST CONCERN

76

WorldMags.net

Words Rick Jones

© Richard Costin/FLPA

The European badger is arguably among the most distinctive of woodland creatures – in both appearance and habit – that the average wildlife watcher is likely to encounter. Instantly recognisable thanks to their blackand-white striped heads and grizzled, stocky bodies, badgers have featured in legends, where they were often portrayed as shape-shifters, as well as in children’s stories – such as Wind In The Willows – cartoons and countless wildlife programmes. Despite this appearance-derived infamy, a surprising number of people don’t realise how complex and fascinating a badger’s life truly is. Nor do they realise how near they might be to a family of these remarkable creatures going about their daily – or more often nightly – business. Just as they have for centuries, badgers often literally follow in the footsteps of their ancestors. The average suburban dweller is mostly unaware of families of badgers living just outside, highlighting these creatures’ secretive nature. However, by providing you with a little knowledge of what to look out for, we hope you’ll join us in admiring and celebrating the twilight world of the humble European badger.

77

Badger behaviour

WorldMags.net A hunter at heart

Close to the earth

Badgers’ lives are inextricably linked to soil

Badgers belong to the family Mustelidae, which also contains weasels, otters and the infamous wolverine. Mustelidae is the largest and most varied group in terms of appearance and behaviour and is part of the Carnivora order – literally meaning meat-eaters. Badgers are generally thought to be less predatory than their relatives, and examinations of their latrines – or toilet pits – show that they will happily eat bulbs, nuts and fallen fruit. At least one recorded example exists of badgers becoming drunk from the alcohol in rotting fruit. Compared with other mustelids, badgers intestines are considerably longer – a recognisable adaptation to consuming plant matter. However, badgers’ haven’t lost their predatory ability or taste for meat. As well as earthworms and insects, badgers will happily consume frogs, injured or fledging birds and even rats. Badgers commonly prey upon hedgehogs in the UK, to the extent that hedgehog numbers markedly drop when badger numbers are up in shared regions. Some farmers view badgers as significant threats to livestock and there are many records of badgers using their formidable strength to repeatedly break into henhouses, killing and eating chickens until none remain. Badgers even hunt lambs, biting, clawing and driving off ewes that try to defend their offspring.

Digger by name and nature It’s widely believed that the name ‘badger’ comes from the French ‘bêcheur’, meaning ‘digger’. Wedge-shaped bodies, powerful forelimbs and stout, straightened claws are near perfect tools for this animal excavator.

Riding low Typical of mustelids, badgers’ bodies are elongated, but unlike related stoats and weasels, badgers can’t curve their backbones, raise their heads or ‘sit up’. This trade-off creates a bulldozerlike body, ideal for powering through the undergrowth.

Thick-skinned and tough A badger’s skin is thick, tough and loose enough for a badger to spin on attackers like dogs, even when seized by the scruff. Badgers easily excavate and consume entire wasp nests, completely ignoring the stings.

“Recorded examples exist of badgers becoming drunk from the alcohol in rotting fruit”

Creatures of habit

From sparring and grooming to changing landscapes, badgers are shy animals with fascinating behaviours

Breaking through barriers A combination of poor eyesight, determination to follow their territorial path and sheer physical robustness allows badgers to show little regard for any newly erected fences they may encounter. Tough guard hairs and hide oen defeat barbed wire, wooden fences are clawed or simply smashed through and the average wire-mesh is no match for their strong teeth and jaws.

Sparring and grooming Badgers are generally very tolerant of others, even from outside their own clan. However, at breeding time, males fight for dominance and territory – chasing and biting at their opponents’ rumps and necks. When the clan is calm, they oen spend time removing fleas and ticks from one another, using those strong teeth and claws gently, to strengthen group bonds.

78

Badger behaviour

Excellent hearing Active at night, badgers listen out for predators rather than rely on their eyes.

WorldMags.net

Group life Badgers form groups if there is a lot of food available, but strike out alone to find food if they are going hungry.

FAMILY MUSTELIDAE

Taxidiinae

Rubbery nose Living in darkness means that badgers literally have to follow their nose. Smell is their dominant sense, and helps them find their way around.

Genus Taxidea American badger

Melinae Includes American badger Ferret-badger European badger

Lutrinae Includes river otter, sea otter

Genus Martes (KAIRBCPăȯăPFCO and marten

Mustelinae

Genus Mustela Includes weasel, mink, ermine, ferret

Mellivorinae Honey badger

Genus Gulo Wolverine

Bumping rumps and keeping order For European badgers, the backside is a crucial leadership tool. A large supracaudal or violet gland on the tail secretes a scented fluid uncommonly high in fat content. As well as marking out latrine pits, a dominant male – or sometimes a lactating female – will reverse into other members of the clan, marking them as one of the gang.

Following in their ancestors’ footsteps At dusk, badgers begin to wander from their sett. Using their incredible noses, many follow the same routes that their parents – or even grandparents – used, to reach good foraging areas. Over generations, visible badger paths are worn into the countryside, bearing the unique scents of the family members that use them. Special interdigital glands between their toes leave invisible road markings.

79

Badger behaviour

WorldMags.net Strength in numbers

Underground world Sett tunnels are usually around two metres (six ) beneath the ground.

Badgers are extremely social animals, and an extended family features in all aspects of life from foraging behaviours to sleeping arrangements. A badger sett can accommodate up to 35 animals, and moving the estimated 25 tons of soil to create such a complex underground home requires teamwork. Likewise, badgers fall victim to a host of ectoparasites, such as fleas, ticks and mites. Regular grooming by family members not only keeps these infestations under control, but also strengthens the bonds between members of clans (or cetes). Females are much more likely to allow a male to mount her if he’s spent sufficient time combing her fur with his teeth and claws. Badgers have chores to do too, often taking turns in removing nesting material from the sett, and collecting fresh bedding – perhaps to limit the amount of nasty parasites that could otherwise plague their bedchambers.

“Badgers possess relatively poor eyesight. Instead a badger [...] ‘sees’ the world through super-sensitive hearing”

Life after lights-out

Badgers are most often observed emerging from their multichambered setts at night. However, they will display crepuscular tendencies – emerging at dawn and dusk in areas where there is less disturbance from humans. Although they possess a tapetum lucidum – the reflective membrane most commonly seen in cats and dogs – badgers possess relatively poor eyesight. Instead a badger, active in complete darkness, either underground or in the dead of night, ‘sees’ the world through super-sensitive hearing and a sense of smell comparable with a bloodhound or a bear – 1,000 times greater than a human’s. This explains why most people will see the signs of badger inhabitancy around their homes, but rarely the animals themselves. Observing them means smelling like the woods (or getting downwind), wearing silent, dark clothing and perhaps even using infrared or night-vision. The badger needs no such extras; making it the master of the shadows.

Cautious creatures On emerging from their sett, badgers will carefully test the air, if they smell danger they will retreat until safe.

80

Long-term excavators Elaborate setts can sometimes take many years to complete.

5

Badger behaviour

WorldMags.net things 2

you need to know about badgers

1

Family members mark each other with the same scent to help identify friends

Their black and white faces warn predators

Badgers evolved among large predators like wolves and developed their startling striped colouration to discourage attackers. The contrasting colours send predators the message that the badger will bite back if threatened.

3

Females can conceive when already pregnant

If the badger population is low, females can get pregnant while they are already with child, producing litters with mixed paternity. This results in more badgers with varied DNA. If there are a lot of badgers around, females can delay the implantation of fertilised eggs to avoid overpopulating certain areas.

4

5

There are 11 species

Nine of these are Eurasian and the others are made up of the American badger and honey badger.

© Alamy; Getty; FLPA; Thinkstock; Hendrik Gheerardyn

Badger setts can often last for hundreds of years

81

WorldMags.net

ear

The African bear that was hunted to extinction at the end of the 19th century was a tree-climbing herbivore specialising in eating fruit

Morocco

V

ns tai un o M as Atl

“They were taken from the wild and used in executions” Size Despite evolving on different continents, the Atlas bear was a similar size to the American black bear.

Fur The Atlas bear’s outer fur was dark brown, but the under fur and belly were a creamy orange.

Claws Fossil evidence shows that the Atlas bear had short claws, suggesting it was able to climb trees.

82

climber and scaled trees to pluck down fruit. It was roughly the same size as a modern bear, behaving similar to the sweet-toothed spectacled bear of South America. The rise of the Roman Empire was the turning point for the bear’s fortunes, the ancient Romans took great pleasure in hunting. Roman art depicts these bears, and highlights their hunting as a noble sport. They were also taken from the wild and used in executions of criminals. No confirmed Atlas bear sightings occurred after the 1870s, when the last of the species was hunted and killed. There are occasional reports of bears being spotted from people near the Atlas Mountains, though the scientists in the community are quite confident that the Atlas bear is actually fully extinct.

Last seen… Date: 1870 Location: Tetuan Mountains Hunters killed the last Atlas bear in the 1870s, but the exact date is unknown. The last bears were living in the mountains at the far north tip of Morocco, close to the coast. It’s likely that as more bears were hunted, only those living far from human settlements would have survived.

© Alan Batley Illustration; freevectormaps.com

The only bear native to Africa, the Atlas bear gets its name from the Atlas Mountains that surround Morocco, Algeria and Libya. This was the bear’s home, although there are several theories surrounding how it got there. Some scientists think the Atlas bear was a subspecies of the European brown bear and swam the short distance between Gibraltar and Morocco. Others speculate that the Atlas bear evolved independently and was a separate species, but as no skeletal remains or pelts were preserved scientists only have fossil evidence to go on. This bear ate a vegetarian diet, but like all the bear species remaining on Earth, it would supplement its diet with carcasses abandoned by other animals. It has been determined from fossilised remains that the Atlas bear was a good

THE STORIES, STRATEGIES, HEROES & MACHINES www.historyanswers.co.uk WorldMags.net

Available from all good newsagents and supermarkets

ON SALE NOW

> Rorke's Drift > Vietnam 50 > The Real Dambuster > The Rajputs – India's Samurai GREAT BATTLES

MILITARY MACHINES

HEROES OF WAR

SECRETS & INSIGHT

INCREDIBLE PHOTOS

BUY YOUR ISSUE TODAY

Print edition available at www.imagineshop.co.uk Digital edition available at www.greatdigitalmags.com Available on the following platforms

facebook.com/HistoryofWarMag

twitter.com/@HistoryofWarMag

Animal answers

WorldMags.net

Send your animal questions to us at:

[email protected]

How smart is the average bear? Tom Grey Bears are extremely intelligent and solve problems well, with some experts claiming they are as intelligent as a three-year-old child. There are eight species, each with their own adaptations for specific environments. Studies have shown that bears have the ability to count and even use tools. Brown bears have been seen using barnacle-covered rocks to scratch different parts of their bodies. Singling out these rough stones to use as a back-scratcher illustrates that bears choose their tools carefully depending on their needs. Spectacled bears native to the Peruvian Andes build their own platforms to reach high-up fruit and black bears can also tackle abstract problems. These animals have large brains, but their intelligence is yet to be

Are elephants scared of m

Elephants have poor eyesight with a range of only 7m (25)

Yasmin Langston This rumour has been flying around since 77 CE when it w philosopher and astonishingly, it’s partly true. Elephants a movements and even run away from mice, but the eleme scares them. Elephant eyesight is fairly poor and behaviourists say t any animal making a sudden movement is enough to sca an elephant. Elephants are grazers and first began to emerge 60 million years ago. The first elephants were small herbivores the size of a pig. During this evolution, the elephant’s ancestors were hunted by carnivores such as e wolves and big cats. Over the millennia the flight instinct w instilled into their DNA. This is what causes an elephant to fearful response to a scurrying mouse.

Follow us at... 84

@WorldAnimalsMag

worldofanimalsmag

Animal answers

WorldMags.net Why are whales so big? Steve Tutton Whales evolved to their enormous size because they were not constrained by living on land. A large volume of food was available during their evolution and the bigger animals were more likely to survive predator attacks. It is impossible for animals to reach whale-like proportions on land. Even the smallest whales are much bigger than the largest land mammals and they are bigger than any dinosaur in history. High body mass puts stress on land animals’ muscles and organs, but this stress is reduced if the animal is aquatic. Water supports a whale’s body and allows it to function at a colossal size without having to battle gravity. Large whales are not vulnerable to predator attacks due to their sheer size and this is one factor that influenced their development. The larger whales would have been more likely to survive an attack and therefore would have passed on their genes to the next generation. Another element determining their size was the amount of available food. When whales were evolving, the amount of krill would have been enough to support their rapid growth.

BELOW A blue whale’s enormous body is propelled by a six metre (20 foot) tail made of pure cartilage

Do animals sweat? Ben Giller Horses, hippos and primates sweat in a similar way to human beings. Other mammals, like dogs and cats, can only sweat through their four paws. Horse sweat contains a natural soap-like substance called latherin. This protein was first part of a horse’s saliva, but eventually was used to cool the animal down. The latherin spreads the frothy sweat all over the horse’s oily skin. Monkeys and apes sweat all over their bodies and like humans, the underarm region is a

hotbed of body odour. Dominant apes use these sweaty smells to communicate and silverback gorillas can create extreme smell signals to warn other males to back off, as well as milder scents to let the others know where they are. Other mammals such as dogs can’t sweat through their fur, but can lose heat through their exposed skin. Their paws are the only place the dog can sweat and they can even control their bloodflow through them to help speed up this process. Dogs can also pant to control their body temperature.

A frightened cat or dog may leave a trail of wet footprints on the ground

I found this nest in my garden. What bird laid these eggs? Dorothy Rushton These spotty eggs belong to a Eurasian linnet, which is a sparrowsized finch. They are widespread throughout Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa. They are seed-eaters and feed on nearly 50 different types of seeds. They tend to build their nests in dense hedges or thorny trees. A typical clutch consists of four to six eggs and linnets can have up to three sets of eggs between April and Aug Most Eurasian linnets are resident, meaning they will stay in the same place for the whole year.

Q. How do deer use their antlers? Find out at…

animalanswers.co.uk

Animal answers WorldMags.net [email protected] Are gannets actually greedy? Becky Wilson Although they are famous for guzzling food, gannets don’t deserve their greedy reputation. This idea has grown from how gannets behave when they first leave the nest. These birds nest on cliffs overlooking the sea. Young gannets feed for 13 solid weeks aer hatching and once they are big enough to fly they dive off the cliff top into the water below. Initially, The beefy youngsters are too heavy to take off, as they have fed continuously to gain enough body mass to survive. Newly fledged gannets have to float on the ocean surface until their

excess fat has burned off. Adult gannets can dive into the wate a height of 30 metres (98 feet) and hit surface at 100 kilometres (62 miles) pe They are incredibly adapted for extrem and dislocate their wings to prevent th breaking upon impact. A gannet’s face chest are even cushioned with built-in to avoid injuries.

Great white sharks eat 11 tons of food a year

Why do sharks nibble before they bite? Amelia Shurmer Taste is a shark’s least developed sense and these ferocious fish need to give their food a good chew before deciding whether or not to swallow. This phenomenon was confirmed when the floating carcasses of sea otters were found punctured with teeth marks. These rotting cadavers had been nibbled by a passing shark, but discarded aer it got a taste of the putrefied meat.

Can I see donkeys in the wild? Vera Uva The African wild donkey is critically endangered, with an estimated 200 le in the wild. There are eight subspecies of Asiatic wild donkeys, five of which are endangered. The African wild donkey can be seen along the north coast of Ethiopia. Asiatic donkeys roam through Mongolia and northern China, as well as patches of India and Iran. The domestic donkey’s ancestor is the African wild donkey and the domestication process started around 10,000 years ago. This species was classed as endangered in 1986 and was found to be critically endangered only ten years later. These wild donkeys are extremely hardy and can survive a loss of 30 per cent of their body water. Onagers and kiangs are both types of Asian donkeys. They tend to live in flat areas and stay close to water. Like all horse species, these wild donkeys are fully herbivorous and fast runners. They are monogamous, with the male staying close to the female and foal throughout the year. Males defend females aggressively, but they are rare in the wild due to competition with livestock.

African wild donkeys can reach speeds of 48km/h (29mph)

Ethiopia

Follow us at... 86

@WorldAnimalsMag

worldofanimalsmag

Animal answers

WorldMags.net What animals live in temperate rivers? Judith Marshall

Reed warbler These visitors to Europe spend their summers in sub-Saharan Africa. As they sing from deep within reed beds they are usually heard rather than seen. They eat insects and berries.

Southern hawker dragonfly

European otter These solitary mammals sleep on land but forage in water. They have fixed locations at which to enter and exit the water called ‘otter stairways’. They mark these with scents from a pair of glands at the base of their tail.

Dipper

Greater crested grebe Grebes attract mates by performing elaborate courtship displays. Pairs li themselves out of the water and shake their heads in unison before mating. Young grebes ride on their mother’s back until they are large enough to swim by themselves.

Water boatman While the long back legs are used to paddle, the insect’s front legs scoop algae and plant debris into the mouth. It rubs its front legs along a ridge on its head to serenade females.

Kingfisher Caddisfly

Water vole Common frog

Caddisfly larva Adult caddisflies lay their eggs in water and the first stage of their lives is spent underwater. Larvae build a case in which to hide and forage the riverbed for tiny scraps of food.

Perch

Stickleback

Great pond snail

The Formosan clouded leopard was declared extinct in 2013

How many animal species are extinct? James Robbins Up to 99.9 per cent of all animals that have lived on Earth are extinct. There are currently between ten and 14 million species alive today, but this makes up only 0.1 per cent of all the total species that have ever existed on Earth. This is due to the ‘big five’ extinction events that have occurred throughout history, wiping out thousands of species. Ice ages, periods of global

warming and even asteroids hitting the Earth have changed the shape of the planet’s ecosystem. The first extinction event happened 2.4 billion years ago and has been nicknamed the ‘oxygen catastrophe’. Bacteria releasing oxygen caused most of the planet’s anaerobic life to die out. An asteroid that was ten kilometres (six miles) in diameter is said to have been responsible for the extinction of the dinosaur population.

Q. How do rats us ultrasound?

Find out at…

animalansw

Animal answers WorldMags.net [email protected] Which came first, the chicken or the egg? James Flint This popular paradox actually does have an answer: it’s the egg. Reptiles and amphibians evolved before birds, so the egg came millions of years before the chicken walked the Earth. The earliest dinosaurs laid eggs, beginning 250 million years ago. Birds only began to take flight around 66 million years ago, a whopping 185 million years aer the first dinosaurs emerged. There were flying reptiles, but these are not considered true dinosaurs. Although they were able to fly and even looked similar to modern birds, enormous pterodactyls were not the ancestors of birds.

Many small terrestrial dinosaurs had feathers; in fact some scientists think most dinosaurs were feathered rather than scaly. Aer most of the dinosaurs died out, the small surviving reptile species eventually evolved into birds like chickens.

What’s the strongest animal? Nick Vaos Ants are the strongest animals and can li objects that weigh an incredible 5,000 times their own weight. That’s the equivalent of a human carrying two blue whales on their back. The ant’s small size and strong neck are the secret to this heavy-liing ability. A large animal that needs to li a heavy object also has to support its own body weight. A tiny ant isn’t constrained by this and can li extremely heavy objects in proportion to its own mass. An ant’s neck joint is also extremely strong and these miniscule insects are even known to transport dead birds back to their colony. The surface of the neck has bumps and folds, helping them to balance large objects.

“Birds only began to take flight around 66 million years ago” Do all jellyfish sting? Ann Louise Only jellyfish that have tentacles can deliver stings and there are 85 species without them. Stinging cells cover the tentacles that are attached to the edge of the bell, but are absent on the oral arms. These are the ribbon-like limbs that sprout from the underside of the bell and surround the mouth. A jellyfish uses these to feed by waing its prey towards its mouth. An entire order of jellyfish lacks tentacles and each species only has oral arms. Any jellyfish with tentacles fixed to the perimeter of the bell has the capability to sting. Some stings are too slight for a human to feel and generally, clear jellies have very weak stings. These animals, like moon jellyfish, feed on tiny plankton. Colourful jellyfish like the lion’s mane jellyfish can grow extremely large and feed on fish or even other jellyfish. These species tend to have extremely powerful stings and are even known to be fatal to humans. However, there are some exceptions. Small, clear box jellies possess some of the deadliest venom on the planet. Their stings are extremely painful and can cause a quick death.

88

Bell The bell is the dome at the top of the body. This is where the jellyfish’s mouth, stomach and reproductive organs are stored.

A group of jellyfish is called a bloom, swarm or smack

Trigger

Tentacles These strands have a film of cnidoblast cells that fire out stinging threads when the jellyfish comes into contact with prey.

Undischarged stinging capsule

Discharged stinging thread

Discharged stinging capsule

Stinging cells A cell erupts when it comes into contact with a foreign object, releasing a powerful stinging thread.

Oral arms The spiral appendages extending from the centre of the body are not capable of stinging. These arms are what the animal uses to transport food to the mouth.

W I WorldMags.net N!

An overnight family safari experience

PRIZE WORTH £613

Woburn Safari Park are offering a family of four the chance to stay after hours and experience a VIP adventure One lucky family will win the chance to stay overnight at Woburn Safari Park and wake up to a VIP safari adventure the next day. An experienced ranger will provide the winners with details about the personalities and habits of the animals, while they enjoy an up close and personal experience in an off-road safari vehicle. The winning family will even get a peek behind the scenes in one of the park’s animal houses. So what are you waiting for? Head over to our site www.animalanswers.co.uk now to enter. Terms and conditions apply.

How to enter

Visit www.animalanswers.co.uk and answer this question: What are rhino horns made out of? - Keratin - Ivory - Bone

Participants must be aged 18 or over to enter the contest. The prize is for two adults and two children aged between three and 15. Guardians must provide car seats for children under four. Park rules and individual terms and conditions apply.

89

Wildlife photography WorldMags.net

Photograph animals in action

You don’t have to settle for blurry shots of moving creatures; follow our tips to get dynamic captures that portray a sense of movement

WorldMags.net

Blur is a common issue in wildlife photography because animals aren’t going to sit still for you. With the wrong techniques, their movement will appear as out-of-focus areas or streaks across the shot. To get pin-sharp images of animals on the move you need to employ a few tricks. First of all, make sure you have the right kit. You’ll need to be using a longer lens to get close-ups from a distance, so get support by using a tripod or monopod, or rest your camera on a wall. This will help you to avoid blur caused by camera

shake, which is exaggerated at longer focal lengths. Image stabilisation can help, so don’t forget to turn it on if you have it. For your settings, use a fast shutter speed to freeze action, around 1/400sec is a good starting point and set your camera to burst mode and continuous focusing. Keep these tips in mind as you take your next wildlife photos and you’ll see that nasty blur banished for good!

Essential kit

Nikon Monarch 5 10x42 binoculars £430/$480, www.nikon.co.uk Track your moving animal using this pair of lightweight binoculars – they are particularly useful for bird spotting. Waterproof and fog-free, this bit of kit has a decent 10x magnification to help you spot your subjects.

Canon Extender EF 2x III £550/$450 Extend the reach of Canon L series lenses by a factor of 2x with this teleconverter. The built-in microcomputer means it communicates between the camera body and your lens and it’s dust and water-resistant too. Manfrotto Off Road monopod £79.95/$99.99 These lightweight walking sticks feature a rotating camera attachment on top that can take up to 2.5kg (5.5lb) in weight. Great for outdoor photographers who want to give their camera some support while staying mobile to track wildlife quickly.

91

Wildlife photography

WorldMags.net

Birds in flight

Capture even the fastest animals in mid-air Keeping an animal in frame and in focus can be challenging, especially if the subject is moving fast. Capturing a fast-moving bird like a northern gannet plunging into the water at 95 kilometres (60 miles) per hour takes practice, so don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get it right first time. The trick is to watch your subject and learn to predict their behaviour. Take note of the animals’ pattern of movement and look for tell tale signs that the animal might change

direction or alter its behaviour. Birds are some of the most challenging wildlife to capture in focus and the secret of success is practising your technique. Try to follow the moving animal with your lens, keeping it in frame while you pan your camera. If your shots are out of focus, try using a faster shutter speed to take an even briefer shot, giving the animal less time to move and blur the image. The image should be sharp and the animal should be frozen in time in your image.

5 top tips for perfect shot

Observe habits Try to predict the movements of the animal and be aware of their habits so you can make sure you’ve got your lens pointing in the right direction at the right time. Be patient and spend some time observing them before you put your finger to the shutter.

92

Avoid camera shake When using large focal lengths, you need to keep steady with a tripod (keep the legs as short as possible) and when shooting handheld use a shutter speed faster than your focal length. Press your eye firm against the eyepiece and use your hand to brace the top of the lens.

Take a burst Set your camera to its fastest shooting speed, so that when you press down the shutter in burst mode, it will fire off a rapid succession of shots. This drastically increases your chance of capturing that perfect moment with your camera.

Focus accurately Use continuous focusing to help track the animal across the frame as it moves. Using back-button focusing can also be a useful tool in certain situations – set the AF to activate using the back AF button so that you don’t accidently refocus when you go to take the shot.

Frame with active space When composing animals in action, leave some space in front of them – this adds to the sense of movement as the viewer can then picture them moving across the frame. Be careful not to crop part of them out of the frame, such as a wing tip or tops of ears.

Wildlife photography

WorldMags.net

“Birds are some of the most challenging wildlife to capture in focus and the secret of success is practising your technique”

Keep it quick

A Canon capture

Your shutter speed needs to be fast, but how fast depends on your subject. Start off with Shutter Priority mode and experiment to see how quick it needs to be in order to get sharp results. You’ll need around 1/400sec minimum for birds in flight, for instance. You may need to increase the ISO in dim light.

For this shot we used a Canon EOS 7D Mark II Good for… pÐ$PCCXGLEÐRFCÐ?ARGMLÐMDÐ@GPBQÐGLÐ̀ÐGEFR pÐ$MASQGLEÐMLÐKMTGLEÐ?LGK?JQÐ pÐ!?NRSPGLEÐBCR?GJÐMDÐDSPÐ?LBÐQIGLÐUGRFÐGRQÐ +.ÐQCLQMP

93

Y

UR

WorldMags.net d your photos @animalanswers.co.uk

WINNER! Reluctant muse

Lance McMillan

“Trying to get a good shot of this wary land iguana on North Seymour Island in the Galápagos proved more than difficult.”

ou o a you could win a FREE 12-month subscription to World of Animals magazine

The black beauty

Pedro Vaz de Carvalho “While walking through the natural park of Furnas on the island of São Miguel Azores, I found this beautiful Black Swan. It was not at all shy.”

Green parrot snake

Jim Cumming “This picture was taken in central Costa Rica at a reptile centre. The snakes are wild and very unpredictable. I was fortunate that this one wanted to bite me. I took many photos hoping to capture this one.”

94

Your animals

WorldMags.net

Serenity

Emma Cox “This photograph was taken at Bristol Zoo. The busy nature of the zoo was not shown amongst the calm, pure, beauty of the flamingo enclosure.”

Parson’s chameleon Michaela Herber

“This Parson’s chameleon was in a garden in Suarez, Madagascar. Even though I was behind it, it was able to look me in the eye.”

Cooper’s hawk Johnny Walker

“This is a juvenile Cooper’s hawk of whom I’ve taken many photos. These photos were taken when I spotted it on the edge of a farm field. Undaunted by my presence, it allowed me to stand only a couple of feet away.”

Singing indri

Michaela Herber “We saw this indri in the Mantadia National Park in Madagascar. We heard the Indri calling and it continued singing for several minutes. That was a very special experience.”

95

WorldMags.net www.wildlifeworld.co.uk tel: 0044 1666 505333 fax: email:

0044 1666 505320 [email protected]

Read anything good lately?

NESTBOXES

Shop for quality magazines, books and DVDs from Imagine Publishing

To advertise here please contact us on 01202 586442

MAGAZINES

BOOKS

DVDS

DOWNLOADS

GIFTS

WILDLIFE FOOD

WILDLIFE HABITATS

FRIENDLY ADVICE & WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS: YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR OPTICAL GOODS Telescopes & telescope mounts for beginners, experienced amateurs & professionals CCD & DSLR cameras, astrophoto accessories & mobile tracking mounts for enthusiasts and scientists Binoculars, spotting scopes & tripods for nature observers Microscopes for students, science labs & amateur naturalists Astronomik, Astrotrac, Baader, Barr & Stroud, Celestron, Farpoint, Fornax, Minox, Moravian Instruments, Lacerta, Lunt, SkyWatcher, Teleskop-Service, Vixen, Yukon, ZWO and many more!

Call 020 33 845 187 between 9am – 8pm 7 days a week.

www.365astronomy.com

WorldMags.net NEXT ISSUE Explore even more amazing animals in World of Animals issue 19

ON SALE 16 APRIL

Imagine Publishing Ltd Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ  +44 (0) 1202 586200 Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk www.greatdigitalmags.com www.animalanswers.co.uk

Magazine team Editor Charis Webster [email protected]  01202 586220

Editor in Chief Dave Harfield Staff Writer Amy Grisdale Designer Megan Davis Senior Art Editor Helen Harris Production Editor Emilio Crespi Assistant Designer Jo Smolaga Photographer James Sheppard Publishing Director Aaron Asadi Head of Design Ross Andrews Contributors David Crookes, Erlingur Einarsson, Rick Jones, Laura Mears, Phillip Morris, Jennifer Neal, Amy Squibb

Cover image Alamy, Getty

Images Alamy, Ardea, Corbis, Dreamstime, FLPA, Getty, Nature PL, Rex Features, Sol90, Thinkstock, The Art Agency; Peter Scott, Sandra Doyle, Hendrik Gheerardyn, Alan Batley

Advertising Digital or printed media packs are available on request. Head of Sales Hang Deretz  01202 586442 [email protected] Account Manager Jennifer Galvin  01202 586436 [email protected]

International World of Animals is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities. Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman  +44 (0) 1202 586401 [email protected]

Subscriptions

PLUS KOALA BEARS JAPANESE MACAQUES RIVER OTTERS ASIAN ELEPHANTS SLOW LORIS

Wildlife’s hustler

CHIPMUNK

 0844 848 8410 Overseas +44 (0)1795 414 611 Email: [email protected] 13 issue subscription (UK) – £41 13 issue subscription (Europe) – £50 13 issue subscription (USA) – £50 13 issue subscription (ROW) – £60 Circulation Head of Circulation Darren Pearce  01202 586200

Production

Production Director Jane Hawkins  01202 586200

Founder

Group Managing Director Damian Butt

Printing & Distribution Wyndeham, Peterborough, Storey’s Bar Rd, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5YS Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by: Marketforce, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU  0203 148 3300 www.marketforce.co.uk Distributed in Australia by: Network Services (a division of Bauer Media Group), Level 21 Civic Tower, 66-68 Goulburn Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia  +61 2 8667 5288

Disclaimer The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to Imagine Publishing via post, email, social network or any other means, you grant Imagine Publishing an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free licence to use the material across its entire portfolio, in print, online and digital, and to deliver the material to existing and future clients, including but not limited to international licensees for reproduction in international, licensed editions of Imagine products. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Imagine Publishing nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for the loss or damage.

© Thinkstock

© Imagine Publishing Ltd 2015

ALL ABOUT KOMODO DRAGONS

CAMELS: DESERT SURVIVORS

ISSN 2053-7727

WONDERS OF THE CORAL REEF 97

Bizarre! The kangar the size of that lives in and impres its mates b slapping th

WorldMags.net

HUON TREE KANGAROO

Dendrolagus matschiei Class Mammalia

erritory Eastern Papua New Guinea Diet Leaves, fruit and carrion ifespan 8 years Adult weight 6-13kg/14-28lb Conservation Status

ENDANGERED

Able to leap nine metres (30 from standing, these acroba marsupials are the masters o navigating the treetops. The 14 different tree kangaroo sp and they are found in southAsia and Australia

They don’t choos fight or flight Tree kangaroos are solitary and don’t lik company. Rather than fight or make a h these mammals simply ignore one anot meet. Mating season is the only time tre seek out other members of their specie

They’re vegetaria with a taste for m Although these peaceful animals eat mo leaves, they can’t resist a juicy animal ca a carnivore. They rarely hunt for themse gobble fresh meat whenever they come even snatch live birds from the air.

Females hiss to attract males

Females lick their pouch clean

Immediately after giving birth, a female cleans her pouch. She inserts her entire head into her pouch to lick it clean for her baby. Newborn joeys are hairless and helpless and need a safe environment in which to grow.

98

They have natural earmuffs

They never learned to be afraid

The inside of a tree kangaroo’s ear is packed with dense fur. Rather than keeping the ears warm, this thick lining repels parasites. Despite living in extremely hot climates, they have thick fur to protect their skin from insects.

Rather than being active at the same time of every day, tree kangaroos get up any time they feel like it. Evolving on small islands without predators has given tree kangaroos the security to be out in broad daylight without fear.

© Picture credit

When a female is ready to breed, she descends to the ground and clicks her tongue, making hissing noises and even swatting neighbouring males to get the attention. Usually mating takes place wi minutes of the onset of this display.

WorldMags.net EXPERIENCE A GREAT DAY OUT AT....

Spend the night in one of three themed luxury apartments and wake up to the Lion’s roar here at Paradise!

Threatened Species

als Over 400 Anim

Your stay will include a sumptuous continental style breakfast in Tiger Treetops, a special tour of the zoo, animal feed bags, a round of Safari Golf on our superb 18 hole course, a ride on the Woodland Railway, VIP wristbands and two whole fun packed days for you to enjoy and experience everything that Paradise Wildlife Park has to offer! #fabzoolus ZEBRA SUITE

Tumble Jungle

Woodland R ailway

Tiger Treetops

For further information and to book your stay & receive 25% off please contact Carly Taylor ([email protected]) on 01992 470490 ext. 236 and quote Ref. WOASNOOZE25 Valid until 30th June 2015. Terms and conditions apply.

HIS CODE WOA10 SIMPLY ENTER T TO SAVE! AT PWPARK.COM M 9:30AM Y FRO r offer. Minimum online spend £40. OPEN EVERDAunc tion with any othe

*Valid until 30th June

in conj 2015. Cannot be used cash value. For admission only. No

Paradise Wildlife Park, White Stubbs Lane, Broxbourne, Herts EN10 7QA

Personal Close Up &

WorldMags.net