THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WILDLIFE TRAVEL IN 2016 From the makers of
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GORILLAS
PLUS
JELLYFISH BLUEFIN TUNA SEA TURTLES BATS
IN THE MIST EXPLORING THE LUSH TROPICAL AFRICAN RAINFOREST AND ITS WILD INHABITANTS
FLYING WITHOUT WINGS ANIMALS THAT GLIDE THROUGH THE AIR
HARP SEALS
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FACTS ABOUT GOATS
DON’T BE AFRAID DISCOVER THEIR INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
THE JUMPING SPIDER AND 10 OTHER AMAZING ARTHROPODS
THE ROBIN INTERVIEW WITH BIRDER BILL ODDIE
THE SHARPEST EAR
The creatures with phenomenal hearing
CHIMPANZEES
Conserving one of our closest living relatives
MEET THE CRANES
RAIN OR SHINE
Get acquainted with six Photography tips of these bird species for all weather
ISSUE 28
Become A Wildlife Volunteer In Borneo
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Welcome Have you ever been misunderstood? Spiders and other creepy crawlies are some of the least popular creatures on the planet. It could be the number of legs they have, or their unfamiliar behaviour, but if we take the time to learn about them, they are truly fascinating. If you’re willing to take a chance on bugs, turn to page 22 to meet the jumping spider and ten other amazing arthropods. It’s not only invertebrates that have a misleading reputation. The robin is instantly recognisable as one of our favourite, cheerful garden birds, but have you seen its dark side? We explore this songbird’s aggressive personality and whether it deserves its beloved title on page 56. Whether they are admired or feared, we have to bow down to some animals for their incredible abilities. In this issue, we reveal animals that can fly without wings (page 40), glow in the dark (page 72) and climb up vertical surfaces (page 64). If you want to see some of these extraordinary animals, read about the best wildlife trips to take in 2016 (page 46). From egg-laying turtles in Costa Rica to polar bears in Norway, the world is full of awe-inspiring, animal-filled destinations just waiting to be explored. Enjoy the issue!
Zara Gaspar Editor
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@WorldAnimalsMag worldofanimalsmag
Find out what the green violetear uses its ears for on page 66
Discover the mountain gorilla’s incredible forest habitat on page 34… visit www.animalanswers.co.uk for Exclusive competitions Hilarious GIFs Q&As Upload your photos and win prizes!
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Welcome to Issue 28 06 Amazing animals 12 Surviving the ice
Discover the incredible journey of the harp seal
22 Amazing arthropods Meet the most fascinating invertebrates on the planet
30 Interview with a wildlife vet
Read what it’s like to save the lives of wild animals on a daily basis
32 Meet the cranes Get acquainted with this fascinating bird family
34 Wildlife of the tropical African rainforest
Meet the mountain gorilla and other inhabitants of this lush, green habitat
40 Animal gliders
Take a look at the species that fly without wings
46 Explore the Earth
Uncover the best responsible wildlife trips for 2016
54 Lost forever: Christmas Island pipistrelle
Learn about the Australian micro-bat and its tragic decline
THE IUCN RED LIST
Throughout World of Animals you will see symbols like the ones listed below. 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
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56 Robins: heroes or villains? Find out if this friendly garden bird has a dark side
46
64 20 facts about goats Get clued up on these intelligent ruminants
66 All ears
Astonishing animal hearing revealed
71 Bizarre: star-nosed mole
Meet the strange-looking mammal with fleshy tentacles on its nose
72 Living light
Explore the animals that use bioluminescence to glow in the dark
80 Conserving the chimpanzee
Learn about what is being done to protect our closest relatives
86 Endangered
Find out why the Atlantic bluefin tuna is under threat
98 Quiz
Test your animal knowledge
56
80
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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88 Readers’ Q&A
90 Wildlife photography
Capture the best shots, whatever the weather
JUMPING SPIDER
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THIS AMAZING ARTHROPOD 94 Your amazing animal photos
64 40
12 32
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© Marcus Siebert / imageBROKER/Rex Features
The amazing world of animals
A white-tailed eagle enjoys the thrill of the hunt as it catches a pike with its sharp talons This incredible predator is the UK’s largest bird of prey. It hunts by flying low over the water, hovering and then swooping down to surprise its prey and grab hold of it with its talons.
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The amazing world of animals
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© Laura Keene/Solent News/Rex Features
The amazing world of animals
These polar bear cubs appear to wave at the photographer as they stand alert These curious cubs are on the lookout as they have just spotted a male polar bear nearby. Their mother, who is out of the shot, stands guard. Female polar bears are very protective as males oen attack and kill cubs.
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A mischievous lion cub playfully grips on to its mother’s head as it jumps up to climb on her Lion cubs stay with their mums for two years and they are very affectionate with each other during this time, The cubs learn to walk aer ten to 15 days and at around two years, their mother teaches them to hunt.
© Marja Schwartz/Solent News/Rex Features
The amazing world of animals
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The amazing world of animals
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This tiny little tree frog practises his gymnastic skills as he tries to pull himself up on to a branch This amphibian has sticky toe pads that help it cling to surfaces such as thin leaves and tiny twigs. The microscopic texture of tree frog toes may be borrowed by scientists to develop non-slip shoes and tyres.
© Tanto Yensen/Solent News/ Rex Features
The amazing world of animals
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Harp seal
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All about the
Harp seal
Some of Earth’s greatest voyagers, harp seals roam the oceans alone, on a never-ending journey from feeding to breeding and back again Words Naomi Harding
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Harp seal
Going the distance Harp seals migrate with the seasons and steer by the stars The harp seal is one of 19 species of ‘true seal’. This marine mammal belongs to a group of animals known as pinnipeds (meaning fin-footed) and is the most abundant seal species in the Northern Hemisphere. The Latin name for the harp seal, Pagophilus groenlandicus, means ‘ice-lover from Greenland’, a nod to their icy habitat and northerly range. Harp seals are strong swimmers, and although they are mostly depicted on the ice, they actually spend most of their time in the water. Their powerful flippers are able to propel them forwards with graceful, coordinated strokes. When on land, however, these furry mammals are somewhat less agile, using their clawed flippers in a cumbersome manner to drag themselves along the ice. The seals migrate great distances covering between 4,000 to 5,000 kilometres (2,485 to 3,106 miles), one of the largest migrations recorded, in terms of distance. The seals move like ghostly apparitions through the chilly waters in response to their changing environment. Like most animals, their primary concern is finding food. They are excellent navigators and take the same routes each year, following the
receding ice pack. Harp seals’ main territory is the open ocean, with little in the way of landmarks, so how they manage to pick out their routes with such accuracy baffled scientists for a long time. It is now accepted that seals use their large bulging eyes to gaze at the stars for orientation, much like sailors of the past. Harp seals meet in their tens and thousands for the breeding season, which lasts just two months (February and March). This is the only time of year where they congregate with their own kind, on the thick ice of the south. The rest of the year is spent alone, cruising the oceans in search of their next meal. In the relentless, churning slush of the Arctic seas, a harp seal’s diet is anything but regular. They must take advantage when opportunity arises and eat what is available. A plethora of fish – cod, herring, plaice and halibut – and crustaceans are all on the menu. Once the ice packs of the south are behind them, they head north, en route to their summer feeding ground in the Arctic. Once summer is over in around late September, they start their southward journey again, arriving back at the southern pack ice by early winter, ready to start the cycle all over again.
Harp seals are able to stay underwater for several minutes by lowering their heart rate
“Their powerful flippers are able to propel them forwards with graceful, coordinated strokes”
Most of our knowledge of sea turtles comes from egg-laying females and their hatchlings
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Life at sea
Love on the ice
Courtship begins on the ice; thousands of harp seals congregate in the hope of wooing a mate. There’s lots of competition and males have to work hard to grab a female’s attention.
Harp seals are adapted for harsh conditions, enduring subzero temperatures for most of their lives The harps seal’s life cycle starts on the ice and plays out at sea. They have a tough start but if they can survive the first few uncertain weeks, a long life cruising the oceans awaits them.
Yellow jacket
Newborn harp seals have a slight yellow colouration, the result of staining by amniotic fluid while in the womb. They stay this colour for the first two to three days of their life.
Motherly love
For the first 12 days, harp seals make for caring mothers. They will shun food in an effort to focus all their attention on nursing their young.
A new white coat
Once the mothers leave, the pups lose their yellow tinge as it is bleached by the sun and washed off by the rain. The white coat helps them stay hidden in their icy habitat.
Going the distance
Harp seals spend most of their lives solitarily swimming the seas and navigating their way across long distances.
Fish supper
Much of their diet is made up of fish and crustaceans. Harp seals are skilled hunters and will dive to depths of 200m (660ft) to catch their dinner.
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Harp seal
A mother’s bond is not so strong From doting parent to abandonment; harp seal mothers are very quick to give the cold shoulder After migrating for the winter, the large expanse of unforgiving white tundra in the south is where the seals retire. Here, icy gales tear across frozen seas and the sun glares from the snowy ground. However, a habitat so seemingly lifeless holds much significance for harp seals. Crowds of thousands gather here once a year to focus on continuing the species. Female harp seals are almost always pregnant when they arrive here and give birth to a single pup, usually in late February. While young pups are nursing, the mothers do not eat and lose up to three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of fat per day. After 12 days, each female abruptly
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leaves her pups and never returns. The ice is littered with stranded pups, crying for their mothers, alone and vulnerable to predators. Mature males take this as their cue to roam the ice and look for a mate. When females leave their young, it’s not long before they are ready to copulate once again, and they waste no time in the search for a partner. Both males and females breed promiscuously, the rush to find a mate apparent before the pack ice melts and migration must begin. Courtship begins on the ice through a fierce yet flamboyant display of dominance. In order to attract a female, males must fight
one another using their sharp teeth and strong flippers. They will also call out to grab attention, shouting out over one another in a battle of vocal cords. Only the loudest and strongest seals make for potential suitors. What starts on the ice moves to the water, and copulation takes place submerged in the frosty ocean. Once impregnated, females can delay implanting, meaning the fertilised egg becomes an embryo, but does not implant in the uterus wall immediately. This extends the gestation period from 7.5 to 11.5 months, allowing the seal enough time to complete migration and return to the pack ice before giving birth.
Small and vulnerable
Despite their chilly surroundings, pups are born with little to no protection from the cold. They have no blubber and a small body weight of 10kg (22lb). This makes them extremely vulnerable and to compensate, the mother will stay by her pup’s side.
Binge eating
To increase in weight and put on muchneeded fat to keep warm, the little harp seals will gorge on their mothers’ rich milk – which contains 50 per cent fat – for around 12 days. In this time, they will put on around 2.3kg (5lb) a day.
Crash dieting
The mother leaves after 12 days, when the youngsters are still unable to swim or find food. The mortality rate is high, and pups will lose around 50 per cent of their body weight. They will stay here for around six weeks before they enter the water.
Sitting ducks
When the pups are left alone, there are a number of other animals they must be wary of. Polar bears, foxes, and wolves will all try to take advantage of the pup-buffet on display. Even orcas are able to snatch the unfortunate few sitting by the water’s edge.
Maternal instinct
In February, when the pack ice becomes a nursery, there can be as many as 2,000 seals per square kilometre. This means the mothers need a special skill to determine which of the newborns is theirs! Amazingly, they are able to identify their own pups among the masses by smell alone.
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Harp seal Rounded, streamlined head
Inside the harp seal
Corneas
Living in an environment as bright as the Arctic could lead to snow blindness; however, specially adapted corneas allow harp seals to tolerate the high levels of ultraviolet radiation typical of bright, snowy environments.
Millions of years of evolution have prepared harp seals well for the unfavourable conditions of a life in icy seas HARP SEAL
Sharp canines
Pagophilus groenlandicus Class Mammalia
Territory North Atlantic and Arctic oceans Diet Fish, crustaceans Lifespan 20-30 years Adult weight 130kg (290lb) Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN
Strong throat
To avoid choking when submerged underwater for long periods, muscles in the throat prevent all sea water from entering.
Grey seal vs harp seal
These two relatives look alike and are oen confused in the wild. However, grey seals have a much longer nose and are more grey in colour. Harp seals have a shorter snout, wider eyes, and have a larger gap between the eye and the ear.
Heart
Grey seal Flippers
The front flippers are relatively short when compared to body size, but are powerful nonetheless. They have small, narrow claws and are capable of both propelling the seal through the water and moving across the ice.
Large lungs
Harp seal
JUVENILE
INFANCY Birth 0 days Female harp seals give birth to one pup at a time in the early spring, aer having been pregnant for 11.5 months.
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All alone 12 days The mothers leave and the little seals are le to fend for themselves.
The first molt 18 days The pup’s white fur will begin to molt in patches, gradually creating a silvergrey colour.
Beaters 7-8 weeks At this age, they’re known as ‘beaters’ because of their inability to swim. They mostly just beat at the surface of the water.
Blubber
Blubber is essentially a layer of fat, or adipose tissue, sitting beneath the fur. It provides natural insulation to protect the internal organs from the cold. The blubber also provides some buoyancy and can store energy in times of food scarcity. It is particularly important for harp seals as they feed and breed in different parts of the ocean and need to carry this energy store with them.
MATURITY Adult fur 5 years The face of an adult harp seal is completely black. Adults typically carry these markings with them for the rest of their lives.
Sexual maturity (female) 5-6 years Female harp seals mature faster than the males and are able to bear young aer five or six years. She will give birth every year aer.
Digestive tract
Eyes
When compared to other herbivores, seals have a relatively short digestive system. This is because a carnivorous diet provides such high quality nutrients; it takes less time to digest. This is in contrast to a herbivorous diet, where more digestion is needed to acquire the same amount of nutrients.
Instead of just closing their eyes underwater, harp seals have a special membrane covering their eyes to protect them from the harsh salty waters.
Nose
Insulating fur
While underwater, harp seals will sacrifice their sense of smell and close their nostrils to prevent water entering.
Kidney
Whiskers
Even in the murky depths of the sea, they are able to sense their prey using their sensitive whiskers, which can detect movement and vibrations.
Intestine
Colon
Hind flipper
The hind flippers are corrugated into five digits, each with smaller, narrower claws than the front flippers. They are not able to rotate the hind flipper underneath the body to walk, and instead use their two front flippers to pull themselves.
Bladder
Closest family
Closely related to the harp seal are... Liver
Fat layer
Sexual maturity (male) 6-8 years Males take slightly longer to mature. They will become promiscuous, breeding for the rest of their lives.
Old age 20-30 years Harp seals live for a long time in the wild. The average lifespan is around 20 years, but some have been recorded to live to 35.
Northern fur seal This species was almost driven to extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries due to hunting pressures. They are now protected, but face a new threat through an increase of krill fisheries depleting their food source.
Monk seal In ancient Greece, monk seals were placed under the protection of Poseidon and Apollo because of their great love of the sea and sun. The Mediterranean monk seal is one of the world’s most endangered mammals.
Hooded seal This seal is known and named for the large ‘hood’ of the male. A unique appendage that can be inflated to what resembles a red ball, it hangs from the forehead and grows in size when the male is threatened or excited.
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Harp seal
Threats to their homes Harp seals rarely set foot on land, but when they do come ashore, they board the Arctic ice pack. A thick layer of frozen water sitting atop the ocean, the ice pack undergoes a regular seasonal melt. The ice begins to melt in the spring and summer, with little left by mid-September. As autumn rolls back around, the ice starts to reform and doubles in cover for the winter. Not all ice melts, and some survives the warmer weather of the summers from year to year. Generally sea ice consists of first-year ice, which is thin, and thicker ice that has accumulated in volume over time, called multi-year ice. There has been a trend, in recent decades, for a decline in the thicker multiyear ice, due to a warmer global climate. Harp seals rely heavily on this ice for much of their life cycle and it is a vital feature of
their landscape. Ice that melts too readily puts pups at risk of falling into the sea too early, before they are able to swim. And with no mother around to protect them, the results can be fatal. It is not just the weakest pups, or those with lower genetic diversity that are in danger. During seasons of extremely low ice cover, entire generations may be wiped out due to the harp seals’ reliance on the ice as a platform for giving birth and rearing their young. A reduction in ice could also have an impact on reproductive success through a loss of breeding ground, meaning fewer pups being born. However, much of this is speculation and the long-term effects are unknown. At present, the species is listed as ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN and there are currently an estimated eight million harp seals in the Northern Hemisphere.
“Harp seals rely heavily on the pack ice for much of their life cycle and it is a vital part of their landscape” Environmental factors
All the threats that harp seals face are down to humans
Habitat loss A warming climate has led to rising sea levels and a decrease in the amount of sea ice. Harp seals rely on the pack ice for mating and breeding.
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Collision Seals are oen involved in collisions with the propellers of large boats, as a lot of industrial fishing takes place in their chilly habitat.
Competition for food As humans continue to deplete the oceans of fish stocks, there have been reports of starving and emaciated vagrant seals found in Europe.
Oil spills These are disastrous for not just seals, but all forms of marine life. Oil on the sea surface can coat a seal’s fur, with fatal consequences.
Nearest neighbours
Harping on
A harp seal’s landscape is full of predators, on the hunt both on the ice and beneath the waves
The name ‘harp’ comes from the characteristic harpshaped patch of fur that spans the shoulders, stretching across the back and down toward the abdominal region, where it continues to the posterior flippers. This pattern is most distinctive on adult males.
Polar bear Harp seals are not the polar bear’s first choice of seal. They usually prefer ringed and bearded seals, but have no problem feasting on a harp seal if these aren’t available.
Orca Orcas are one of the harp seals’ main predators; however, it takes cunning to prey upon something as quick and agile as a harp seal. Orcas have been observed ganging up on the seals and working in unison to take them down.
A coveted coat
Arctic fox Hard to spot due to their thick white fur, these foxes have the warmest pelt of any Arctic animal and can endure temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit). They are known to prey on harp seal pups.
Walrus One of the largest pinnipeds, these ocean giants can dive for 30 minutes before needing to surface. They will consume seal carcasses if necessary and there is some evidence that large males will feed on live seals.
© Thinkstock; The Art Agency/Peter Scott; Nature PL; Getty; Alamy
A quick search on the Internet for ‘harp seals and humans’, will tell you everything you need to know about the relationship we have with these intelligent creatures. Sadly, almost every page is awash with stories of hunting and sealing. The main attraction for the hunting industry is the snowy white pelts of the harp seal pups, an attraction that has led to more than one million deaths in the past five years. The number of seals killed each year is usually forecasted and regulated through the use of quotas. However, it’s estimated that many catches go unreported. The fur is generally used for coat making, while the meat is used as an important source of protein for the inhabitants of small coastal communities. The blubber is broken down and used to make seal oil, which is then used as a fish oil supplement. The skin is also used in the fashion industry and tailored to make warm garments for colder climes. The act of harp seal hunting has gathered much debate and attention among conservationists about the appropriate course of action to safeguard the species for the future.
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Amazing arthropods
JUMPING SPIDER Salticidae
Class Arachnida
Territory Worldwide Diet Insects, spiders, nectar Lifespan Up to a year Adult weight 5g (0.2oz) Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
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AMAZING ARTHROPODS Look past their creepy-crawly qualities, and explore the millions upon millions of arthropods that dominate the land, sea and air Words David Crookes Arthropods are some of the most amazing creatures on Earth, with a history that is both long and fascinating. While they may account for a sizeable number of phobias among humans, their extraordinary diversity and cunning adaptations mean that once you get to know them, you can’t help but like them. In many ways, arthropods are the true kings and queens of the Earth, having roamed the planet for more than 500 million years. They outnumber any other group of animals, so while it’s true that some of them sting and others are poisonous, arthropods play a vital role in nature, whether it’s through pollination, pest control or helping to maintain an ecological balance.
And yet people may still flinch. Even those not suffering from arachnophobia may have cringed slightly at the jumping spider on this page. With eight eyes and sharp vision, these spiders can not only see all around them but they can also see more colours than us and can pick up on green and ultraviolet light too. When it comes to actively stalking prey (they prefer this method over capturing victims in a web), the jumping spider’s vision, combined with its ability to make long and agile leaps, creates a formidable opponent. Some species can jump forward more than 50 times their body length. Given this head for heights, it’s no surprise that jumping spiders have even been spotted on Mount Everest!
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Amazing arthropods
Thorn bugs are named after the odd-looking, pointed spine on their back Look at a tree inhabited by thorn bugs and you’ll do well to spot one despite their colourful green, orange and red bodies. That’s because these insects have sharp, hard pronotums that make them look like rose thorns. They can rest on a branch and suck sap while cleverly blending into their surroundings and should a predator see and prey on them, the sharp tip of their pointed spine can easily cause an injury. Thorn bugs don’t seek to hide from each other, though. The males fly from tree to tree and vibrate their abdomens when they land which makes a distinctive noise that they hope females will be able to pick up and respond to. Should there be a match, the female thorn bug will lay her eggs into the bark and spend two weeks protecting them. BELOW A male thorn bug will attract a mate using low vibrations that reverberate through the plant
What is an arthropod? There are more arthropods in the world than any other creature. From spiders to centipedes and crayfish to crabs, they roam the land, fill the air and dominate the seas. Indeed, the phylum makes up three quarters of all biological organisms. Scientists have split arthropods into four subgroups – insects, arachnids, crustaceans and myriapods – but they all share the traits of a stiff exoskeleton, segmented bodies, bilateral symmetry, jointed legs and multiple pairs of limbs. In November 2015, preserved arthropod brains were found that dated back 520 million years. These remains are helping to shed light on the evolution of this enormous phylum.
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The appendages have joints (indeed the word arthropod actually means ‘jointed feet’). Arthropods also have many pairs of limbs.
Their bodies are segmented, with each part containing pairs of appendages, whether they be antennae, legs or wings.
Arthropods have stiff exoskeletons, which are mainly composed of chitin. These offer protection and support, and are shed periodically.
Amazing arthropods
Tiger beetles can run fast but it makes them go blind When a tiger beetle is in pursuit of its prey, it can really pick up some speed. The fastest species can dash at nine kilometres (5.6 miles) per hour, allowing it to cover a huge 2.5 metres (eight feet) every second. Unsurprisingly, this makes it the fastest insect in the world. It is not without consequence, though: the Usain Bolt-like sprinting causes the
tiger beetles to become temporarily blind, with their eyes becoming less receptive to photons. So once a spider or smaller insect has been spotted, the tiger beetle runs, its vision blurs and it has to rely on its antennae to detect if it has bumped into something. During the chase, it will stop a few times to reorientate itself.
“Usain Bolt-like sprinting causes its eyes to become less receptive to photons” ASSASSIN BUG
Acanthaspis petax Class Insecta
Territory Malaysia, east Africa Diet Ants and other insects Lifespan One year Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
This assassin bug stacks its victims’ carcasses on its back Assassin bugs have a gruesome way of killing their prey. After piercing victims with their curved proboscis, they paralyse them with an injection of saliva before using a special enzyme to dissolve their guts – an action that allows them to be sucked dry for a nourishing feed. One species of assassin bug goes even further. Acanthaspis petax takes the dead bodies of the ants it kills and piles them
up on its back using a sticky secretion. With up to 20 ants bound together, this provides the perfect camouflage for the bug while also acting as additional armour. Scientists have observed this to be a highly effective technique. The assassin bug’s natural predator, the jumping spider, is often unable to identify the bugs behind their morbid armour, while naked bugs are devoured ten times more often.
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Amazing arthropods
Giraffe weevils have extended necks to build better nests and fight rivals These highly unusual-looking flying insects, native only to Madagascar, have long legs and short, red bodies but their most notable attribute – thanks to their very long necks – is their resemblance to giraffes. The necks serve a multitude of purposes, from allowing the insects to reach the leaves of the giraffe beetle trees in which they live, to letting them build impressive nests – the females roll leaves into tubes before laying a single egg into them. For males, though, the necks are perfect for aggressive displays. They use them to lash out at male rivals in fierce battles for the right to mate with a female. A male’s neck is up to three times as long as a female’s, making it effective for wrestling and pushing opponents until one admits defeat. GIRAFFE WEEVIL
Trachelophorus giraffa Class Insecta
Territory Madagascar Diet Leaves Lifespan One year Adult weight 2g (0.1oz) Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
Watch out for the nasty sting of the venomous asp caterpillar Asp caterpillars are easy to distinguish, not least because they are covered in a mass of ‘hair’ that gives them the appearance of a furry animal or a tiny toupee. Don’t be fooled by their cute appearance, though, as those hairs are actually sharp, venomous spines that break off and stick in the skin of curious humans or predatory animals. During this process, venom is released, causing acute pain in the victim. In some cases, it induces fever or a drop in blood pressure, making for a very effective defence mechanism. It is one of the most poisonous caterpillars in the US, where people are warned to be careful around its natural home in trees and shrubbery.
“A mass of ‘hair’ gives them the appearance of a tiny toupee” 26
BELOW The asp caterpillar’s spines connect to venom glands, each acting like a miniature hypodermic needle
Amazing arthropods
Golden tortoise beetles are able to change their colour The golden tortoise beetle is able to control its own colour by altering the reflectivity of its surface whenever it is agitated or looking for a mate. It can change from shiny gold to reddish brown in as little as two minutes in an amazing process that involves tiny grooves running beneath the insect’s transparent shell. These channels are usually filled with a liquid red pigment, which fully reflect light to give an illusion of gold but when the pigment is drained, the reflective properties diminish and the red colouring can be seen. Researchers say this not only aids sexual signalling, but it helps to protect the beetle from danger.
Cyanide millipedes secrete toxic cyanide from tiny pores to defend against predators
CYANIDE MILLIPEDE Harpaphe haydeniana Class Diplopoda
Territory North America Diet Dead leaves and decayed wood Lifespan 2-3 years Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
Cyanide millipedes are striking insects with flashes of yellow running down the sides of their black bodies. But as with a lot of luridly coloured animals, these vivid markings are as a warning for predators to keep away. If they get too close, predators may get a whiff of an almondscented gas – otherwise known as cyanide. When they feel endangered, the millipedes curl up, squeeze their muscles and shoot cyanide through their glands. This usually kills predators by preventing cells in their bodies from taking in oxygen but even if the victim survives, the foul taste and terrible pain will ensure it leaves well alone next time. This tactic is not unique (other millipedes use this kind of chemical weaponry too) but it has proved to be so effective for this particular species, that only one predator – the ground beetle, which can emit a smelly liquid of its own – has adapted well enough to eat it.
Arthropods are bilaterally symmetrical which means that their left and right sides are mirror images, and they can be divided with a straight line. They undergo either simple or complete metamorphosis. In the complete process, the juvenile will look different from its parent until it undergoes its transformation. Their circulatory system is open, unlike in humans and vertebrates. The blood flows freely in cavities and directly touches organs and internal tissue. Arthropods are cold-blooded and scientists have found they grow larger when on warm land but smaller in warm water. Most arthropods lay eggs. Thousands of eggs can be laid at one time in order to ensure enough young survive to keep the species going.
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Amazing arthropods
Giant water bugs attack moving prey bigger than themselves Giant water bugs have evolved an amazing attack ability that involves them patiently awaiting a victim and seizing it with enormous pincers. They will then inject poisonous digestive juices via its piercing rostrum. Once the enzymes have broken down the insides of its prey, the giant water bug is able to suck out the liquified remains. Researchers have observed this in action many times over. The aquatic insect has been observed eating pond turtles, snakes, fish and frogs but it doesn’t only spend its time near water. It is attracted to electric lights and often appears around streetlights and houses. However, one of the giant water bug’s party tricks is an ability to survive underwater for relatively long periods. It does this either by storing air within a dedicated space beneath its wings or by poking its lengthy respiratory tube out of the water to draw in fresh air, like a built-in snorkel.
GIANT WATER BUG Belostomatidae Class Insecta
“The aquatic insect has been observed eating pond turtles, snakes, fish and frogs”
Territory Worldwide Diet Invertebrates, fish, amphibians Lifespan One year Adult weight Unknown Conservation status ABOVE Giant water bugs are usually found in ponds and freshwater streams
NOT EVALUATED
Male scorpionflies give gifts to females to avoid being gobbled up Love is a life-or-death endeavour when you’re a male scorpionfly. These insects are able to attract females with a pleasant courtship display using their scorpion-like tails, but if they don’t do enough to distract their chosen lady then they tend to become her next meal. As gruesome as it sounds, the females like to eat their partner after mating, which is why the male offers up a nuptial gift, typically involving secretions of his own saliva. A measly quantity may not save him, since the more he offers, the more attractive he becomes. The size of the gift correlates with the nutritional condition of the male and is an indicator of how strong his genetics are, and his suitability as a father. Those unable to produce enough may offer a gift in the form of a dead insect instead. ABOVE Males of the species can be distinguished by their enlarged, scorpion-like tails
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“The male offers up a nuptial gift, typically involving his own saliva”
Amazing arthropods
The tongue-eating louse lives in the mouths of fish – and becomes their new tongue This arthropod could be the only critter to assume the role of an animal’s body part, but in doing so the tongue-eating louse proves itself to be a gruesome little parasite. Relying entirely on its host for food, it enters the mouth of a fish via the gills and attaches itself to the host’s tongue. By severing the blood vessels, it causes the tongue to fall out, at which point it makes itself the replacement.
It then simply lays in wait to feed on whatever the fish decides to gobble up, although it can also feed on the fish’s blood. Remarkably, this does not harm the fish even when, as is common, more than one louse is living inside its mouth; the fish will continue to feed as normal. When the host dies, the louse leaves the mouth and attaches itself to the dead body instead.
TONGUE-EATING LOUSE Cymothoa exigua
Class Malacostraca
Territory Eastern Pacific, Madagascar, Red Sea Diet Blood, diet of fish host Lifespan Unknown Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
© Alamy; Ardea; FLPA; Getty; Nature PL; Thinkstock
RIGHT The parasites are all born as males, but as they enter a fish, they become female and increase in size
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Interview with a…
Wildlife vet
Emma Lloret from Wildlife Aid lifts the lid on life as a wildlife vet, from treating British wildlife to taking part in vital conservation projects
What’s the best part of your role as a wildlife vet? The best part of this job is being face to face with these amazing animals and knowing that you are there to help them, to be their voice, and to give them a second chance to be out there in the wild. Also, in this job you learn something new every single day, and it is very exciting to be growing professionally as a vet and as a human being. And what’s the worst part? Working in such a role can be pretty overwhelming sometimes, especially if you want to give your patients the best possible care. The worst part of my job is the quick decisions that you have to take every day about the life of another living being that is literally in your hands. In every case you have to think what is best for that particular animal, uninfluenced by your own personal feelings. Could you tell us about some of the biggest challenges you have faced in the job so far? Each day is a new challenge, and completely different from the one before. You never know what is going to be coming in through the reception door. The most peaceful day can turn into a crazy day in a matter of minutes and vice versa. The range of species that we treat is enormous; from a frog or a slow-worm to a deer or a badger, the list goes on and on. You have all of this plus managing a hospital and dealing with the amazing
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volunteers that make the centre run. All of this makes my job very exciting and I enjoy it every day, without fail.
Any kind of wildlife – both domestic and foreign – could arrive for veterinary attention, including vulnerable babies that need caring for
Have you been involved in any conservation work? How does it differ from your other experiences as a vet? Last summer, before I came to the UK, I spent one month living in the Amazon rainforest (Yasuni National Park) in Ecuador. This was part of an expedition, in which a group of biologists and vets were working together to study the biodiversity of this area of the Amazon rainforest. We spent one month ringing birds, marking bats and looking for mammal footprints (including jaguars), to collect as much data as possible.
“You are there to help them, to be their voice, and to give them a second chance to be out there in the wild”
Want to learn more about the great work Emma and the rest of the team are doing at Wildlife Aid? Head over to www.wildlifeaid.org.uk to get involved.
So you want to be a wildlife vet? As Emma mentions, the road to becoming a vet of any kind is a long one. If you’re looking to follow the academic route, you’ll probably need ten or more GCSEs grades A and above and three or more A-Levels of a similar standard. You’ll then need to take a veterinary science degree at university, which includes placements and lasts for five years. “The best advice I could give to any colleague is keep following your dreams,” adds Emma. “Keep working very hard, and keep learning, you can always learn something new. Sometimes it’s easy to give up but stick in there as there is nothing better than the satisfaction of seeing those animals going back in the wild and being free again.”
Veterinary surgeons operate across the world, performing procedures in animal centres and out in the field
© Alamy; Dreamstime; Wildlife Aid
What made you want to become a vet – and specifically one that works with wildlife? Since I was a little girl I have always been passionate about animals and caring for the ones I came across. Since then I knew I wanted to become a vet. It is a really long path (five years of studies, lots of practical work, exams, etc), but when you have this passion for something it’s definitely worth it. When I went to university it really opened my eyes to the wildlife aspect of being a vet surgeon, from that point I have never looked back and have been working with wildlife ever since.
durrell wildlife
camp
Not far away... we’re world apart! We’re
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“From the moment I entered Durrell Wildlife Camp I knew this was going to be something special” AA Inspector Colin Church
2016 Early booking offer Book three nights or more between March and 30th June 2016 and receive a 10% discount on our best available rate, based on 2015 rates* Please quote ‘WOA CAMP’ when booking
Call +44 (0)1534 860097 or book online durrell.org/camp
each pod has its own wood-burning stove, WC, cooking and shower facilities.
...but we like it wild...
You’ll be staying at the heart of the Durrell Wildlife Park, surrounded by over 130 species that include some of the rarest animals found on earth.
*
All offers subject to availability. Please note offers do not include public/bank holidays. Each offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other.
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Meet the family
Cranes
There are only 15 species of crane worldwide. These large, charismatic birds mate for life, dance for joy, and sing in unison
Black-crowned crane
The purpose of the blackcrowned crane’s headgear is unknown. It may be used in courtship displays, or help shade the bird from the hot African sun.
BLACK-CROWNED CRANE Balearica pavonina
The king of the cranes
The black-crowned crane may be one of the smaller cranes but it is certainly the most regal, adorned with a large, yellow crown and smooth, black, velvety feathers on its head. This bird is unusual in the way it roosts; while most cranes are ground-dwelling creatures, the black-crowned crane is the only one known to take to the trees and build nests amongst the branches. The cranes will search their surrounding area, looking for wetland edges where the best grasses and sedges grow, and use these to construct their nest. They hold an important place in Kenyan pastoralist (farming) culture, where they are highly regarded as messengers of peace.
Class Aves Territory West Africa, Sudan and South Sudan Diet Grains, plants, insects Lifespan 20-30 years Adult weight 3-4kg (7-9lb) Conservation status
VULNERABLE
Black-necked crane
The world’s only alpine crane is the master of predator avoidance
BLACK-NECKED CRANE Grus nigricollis Class Aves
The sky is the limit for the black-necked crane; soaring high over the Himalayas, it is the only member of the family to spend its summers in alpine areas of extremely high elevations. It is a particularly cautious species and employs a number of stealthy defence tactics. Always foraging in groups with one standing sentinel, and nesting in large open areas of water, ensures they stay ahead of predators. They even settle down to roost at night while standing on one leg in shallow water, so if predators do try and sneak up on them, they will be heard. They love to forage and spend around 75 per cent of their time searching for food and eating, and sometimes will travel several kilometres in a day.
Territory China, India, Bhutan Diet Roots, insects, snails Lifespan 20-30 years Adult weight 5-7kg (11-15lb) Conservation status
VULNERABLE
Easily confused with the common crane, there is one key difference to help distinguish between the two: the blacknecked crane has a black tail, whereas the common crane has a grey tail. The large wattles hanging from the bill are covered in white feathers and small, round, wart-like bumps. These appendages increase in size if the bird becomes aggressive.
Wattled crane
WATTLED CRANE
Bugeranus carunculatus
The nomadic member of the family
Most species coordinate their movements with the changing seasons, but this fussy drinker roams the wetlands looking for the best quality water. They typically prefer saturated areas and it’s not uncommon to find them congregating at flood sites. They are less house-proud than other species and their nests can be found at wetland edges more closely resembling a mass of crushed grass than a nest. Despite this, they are very territorial and nesting sites will always be kept a minimum of 500 metres (1,640 feet) apart. When compared to other crane species, the wattled crane makes for a dedicated parent. This species spends up to 36 days on average incubating their eggs, which is longer than any other crane.
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Class Aves Territory Sub-Saharan Africa Diet Grasses, insects, fish Lifespan 20-30 years Adult weight 6–9kg (14–20lb) Conservation status
VULNERABLE
Cranes
Sandhill crane
The sandhill crane’s feathers are naturally grey, and their heads are crimson-capped. However they can look brown in colour as they transfer mud from their beaks, accumulated through foraging, onto their feathers during preening.
This chatty crane has stood the test of time
One of the more communicative species, the sandhill crane has a distinctive rolling cry that reverberates through the wetlands. They are able to convey meaning to one another through the length, strength, and volume SANDHILL CRANE Grus canadensis of the calls they make, with different sounds being used for specific messages. Sandhill cranes are one of the most ancient species in the family; fossils found Class Aves from ten million years ago show that their Territory North America Diet Grains, small mammals, physiology has changed very little in that insects, reptiles time. Today, they are the most numerous Lifespan 20 years and wide-ranging cranes in the world. Adult weight 3–6kg (7-13lb) Conservation status While many other cranes share nesting responsibilities, it is the male of this species that defends the nest. He will stand on LEAST CONCERN guard looking out for any potential danger, ready to fight any unwanted visitors and protect his offspring.
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1. Tallest Sarus crane Standing at a towering 1.8m (5.9ft), the sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world, but is suffering from a loss of habitat.
2. Smallest Demoiselle crane
Blue crane
Elegant but no less resilient
Historically, this species was only found in areas of low disturbance, but that is no longer the case. Adapting to the changing environment it finds itself in, this hardy crane is now thriving in areas of highly transformed agricultural land. It is the national bird of South Africa, and holds particular cultural significance for the Xhosa people. Traditionally, when a man had proved himself in acts of valour, a chief decorated him with feathers from a blue crane. It was also believed that if you killed a blue crane, a member of your family would die. The birds are migratory, but only within southern Africa, and generally BLUE CRANE migrate between varying altitudes Anthropoides paradiseus rather than areas of changing climate. Class Aves While many cranes have a clear preference for wetlands, the blue crane spends its time patrolling the dry, grassy uplands. The blue crane’s wingtip plumage trails to the ground, giving the illusion of extra long tail feathers. The flight feathers are all black or dark grey, in contrast to its uniform blue body.
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Territory South Africa, Namibia Diet Plants, insects, worms Lifespan 15 years Adult weight 3.5kg (7.7lb) Conservation status
The dance of the demoiselle crane has been likened to ballet. These pirouetting birds are clever too, and sometimes fake injury to distract predators from nests.
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3. Longest migration Siberian crane This species migrates from northern Siberia to China, India or Iran, travelling up to 6,000km (3,730mi).
4. Rarest Whooping crane Pushed to the brink of extinction in 1941, there were only 16 birds remaining. A strong effort has led to a limited recovery of 200 birds now living in the wild.
Not a crane
Herons are oen mistaken for cranes and it’s easy to see why. Both are tall wading birds of a similar build, with spindly legs and long necks. Despite their similarities they are genetically different, with herons being part of the Ardeidae family. They can be differentiated in flight. Herons have a heavier head and curve their necks backwards onto their bodies during flight giving an ‘s’ shape, whereas cranes fly with their necks outstretched.
VULNERABLE
BROLGA CRANE Grus rubicundus
Brolga crane
Class Aves Territory Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea Diet Tubers, insects, molluscs Lifespan 20-25 years Adult weight 6kg (13lb) Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN
Australia’s native crane is a tall bird standing at 130 centimetres (4.3 feet), with greenish-grey skin and a body plumage that is light blue in colour. Amazingly, they have evolved to possess a special skill they do not share with any other crane. A specialised salt gland located near the eye allows the bird to excrete a concentrated salt solution from the salt water they drink. Almost like a built-in filter, it means they do not have to be too concerned with the quality of the water they drink. Once they have paired up with a mate, they usually bond for life, taking part in a display of affection where they will sing to each other, usually initiated by the female. When dancing, they will line up opposite each other, bowing and throwing their heads back while trumpeting wildly.
Similar in appearance to the sarus crane, the two can be told apart by the red colouration on the face. The brolga crane’s red markings are only on the head, whereas the colour on the sarus crane creeps down and extends to the neck.
© Thinkstock; Dreamstime
The dancing crane from down under
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Wildlife of the African tropical rainforest A humid landscape of creeping vines, lush vegetation and towering trees, Africa’s tropical rainforest is an incredible place to explore Words Ella Carter
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Wildlife of the African tropical rainforest
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Wildlife of the African tropical rainforest
Life in the jungle Encompassing landscapes from the colossal Congo Basin to the volcanic mountains of the east and spanning six countries, this habitat is the second largest rainforest on Earth
Hagenia forest This African tree with so leaves and flower sprays provides the lush and leafy habitat preferred by mountain gorillas. These trees can grow at high altitudes and up to 20 metres (65 feet) in height, and their flowers are known to have medicinal properties for treating intestinal parasites.
Okapi The okapi sports black and white stripes on its hindquarters like a zebra, but it’s actually the only living relative of the giraffe! The stripes help these shy animals hide in their rainforest home, and they use their long tongues to strip leaves and shoots from lush greenery. Strange-nosed chameleon Found hidden away, tucked inside the many fronds of the plentiful treetop canopy, this chameleon bides its time in wait for the perfect insect dinner. Using its green colouring to blend into the leafy backdrop, and strong feet to cling to branches, it is safe from any wouldbe predators.
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Wildlife of the African tropical rainforest Forest ground-thrush Also known as Oberlaender’s thrush, this little bird is only found in this part of the world. It tends to stay close to its home range, and feeds during the rainy season on slugs and other tasty invertebrates that can be easily snaffled from the leaf litter.
Gallium vines This family of creeping, sticky vines can grow very quickly and cover a large area. In the rainforest they can smother other trees, growing towards the ground as well as upwards from the undergrowth, and are known to be a favourite snack for mountain gorillas. Nahan’s francolin With a mottled pattern of black, brown and grey, this partridge has excellent camouflage. Picking its way through the rainforest floor, it feasts on small insects plucked from the leaf litter. It also makes its nest in the undergrowth, sheltered by the buttresses of large trees.
Mountain gorilla The undisputed king of the rainforest, the mountain gorilla lives on the volcanic slopes bordering Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These endangered primates can be found on the forest floor, in communities presided over by a dominant silverback male.
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Wildlife of the African tropical rainforest
A forest under threat This rich and diverse habitat is being eroded by human activity, posing a threat to its many wild residents
The Congo Basin is one of the most important wildernesses left on the planet. Second only in size to the Amazon rainforest, this habitat spans a huge area of over 340 million hectares (830 million acres) through the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The lifeblood of the ecosystem is the Congo River, which flows through the basin to meet the Indian Ocean. Throughout this habitat, dense rainforest is interspersed with green savannahs, rivers and marshy swamps, providing a huge range of niches for an incredible number of species. This African rainforest is thought to be home to over 400 species of mammal and 1,000 species of bird. As well as having rich biodiversity, the area is also abundant in natural resources, such as timber, petroleum and even diamonds. These are in high demand, and extraction techniques pose a threat to wildlife – habitat loss due to mining and logging, as well as building of roads and dams are the biggest threats to wildlife. The illegal bushmeat trade is also a real threat to many rainforest animals. Monkeys and antelope are the animals most at risk, and it’s estimated that in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, over a million tonnes of bushmeat are eaten each year.
“Dense rainforest is interspersed with green savannahs, rivers and marshy swamps”
Rainforest natives Introducing just a few of the jungle inhabitants that can be found in this vast and varied ecosystem
African forest elephant
An elusive relation of the African elephant, forest elephants have more rounded ears and their tusks point downward. They are important to the rainforest ecosystem, as they clear paths that other creatures rely on, and they help to disperse plants when seeds are deposited in their dung.
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African grey parrot
Africa’s largest parrot sports grey plumage with a shock of red at the tail. Daytimes are spent foraging for food on foot, using their strong, curved beak to collect seeds, berries and fruit. During the evenings, huge numbers of grey parrots come together in the treetops to roost.
Mandrill
The largest of the monkeys, mandrills are only found in African tropical rainforests. Their colourful red and blue facial markings are unmissable, as are their large cheek pouches that they use to store food. They live in groups known as ‘troops’, led by a dominant male.
The tropical equatorial rainforest receives around 160200 centimetres (6379 inches) of rainfall per year, much of which falls during the rainy season.
The importance of ecotourism Justin Wateridge is managing director of Steppes Travel, a luxury travel provider that can take you to explore the Congo in all its glory without leaving a bad mark on the ecosystem. He talks to us about how being an ecotourist can make all the difference. What is ecotourism? Ecotourism is simply described as sustainable travel to natural areas that works to conserve the environment, sustain the wellbeing of the local people living and working there and involves emphasis upon interpretation and education for the travellers and visitors. How does this benefit the rainforest ecosystem? The rainforest benefits because the practice of ecotourism places a high value on the forest as opposed to logging and other such extractive (and very destructive) industries. Another benefit is that the encouragement of conscientious travellers can bring revenue and employment to local and indigenous peoples. Ecotourism can also bring much-needed revenue to conservation agencies and researchers who do essential work in managing and preserving the forest ecosystem. What kind of things can ecotourists do when visiting? When you take a trip to the rainforest of the Congo River Basin (and beyond), as an ecotourist you can see the wildlife in its natural habitat and visit some of the incredible local communities that live in the rainforest. In a forest such as in the Congo, the amazing wildlife that lives there would include forest elephants, lowland gorillas and sitatunga (a swamp-dwelling antelope) – fantastic creatures to witness in the wild.
Red river hog
This wild pig has bright red, coarse fur, with a contrasting black and white face. The tough tusks are used to dig around in the dirt for food. These hogs aren’t fussy and will eat anything they can find, from shoots and leaves to sheep and reptiles!
Gaboon viper
What can World Of Animals readers do to get involved? Anyone can get involved by joining a tour. Travelling to the region and exploring it makes a difference and monies go to local communities.
Known as the heaviest venomous snake in Africa, the gaboon viper lives in the rainforest and savannah areas of the region. With a triangular head and thick body, the viper uses its excellent camouflage to hunt with an ambush technique, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey to pass by.
Colobus monkey
These black and white monkeys have a surprising adaptation: they lack thumbs. The word ‘colobus’ is derived from the Greek word for ‘mutilated’, as these monkeys have evolved to have stubs where thumbs ought to be. This allows them to run expertly along branches on all fours.
© Corbis; Sol90; Thinkstock; Dreamstime
ABOVE The armoured longtailed pangolin is a critically endangered rainforest mammal. When threatened, it rolls into a ball to expose sharp scales
Is there an ecotourism code of conduct? There is no one particular code. However, there are various bodies that advocate best practice for tour operators and tourists alike, such as respecting local communities and customs, not interfering with wildlife, keeping to paths to protect the environment, eating and drinking locally and protecting local resources.
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FLYING WITHOUT WINGS Birds may be the true flyers of the animal kingdom, but these creatures have found their own ingenious ways of soaring through the air Words Lauren Scott
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Flying without wings
The propelling body of the flying fish With a torso that’s streamlined to perfection and four wing-like fins, flying fish have evolved a remarkable ability to break the water’s surface, gliding through the air to escape predators. They build up speed underwater, angle themselves upwards then rapidly beat their tail until they reach the surface. This initial jump can carry them up to 200 metres (655 feet) and they can flap their tail off the surface to continue for 400 metres (1,312 feet) in total, leaving their predator far behind.
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Flying without wings The semi-graceful, soaring mobula ray Mobula rays bamboozle scientists with their acrobatic displays, but it is still not understood why they leap out of the sea. These animals are related to sharks but have longer, flatter bodies that are ideal for swooping through the air as high as two metres (6.6 feet) above the waves. Landings are less graceful though, ending in a loud belly-flop.
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Flying without wings
The frog that chooses air travel to avoid predators Found in the dense, tropical jungles of Malaysia, the Wallace’s tree frog lives almost exclusively in the trees, and getting around quickly without being eaten is no easy task. This ten-centimetre (four-inch) long amphibian leaps from one tree to another by splaying four webbed feet, and its funky oversized toe pads helps it to make a soft landing and stick to tree trunks.
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Flying without wings The southern flying squirrel is a natural glider The flying squirrel is an elusive creature, but is instantly recognisable from its gliding membrane, the flap of loose and stretchy skin extending from its wrist to its ankle. This little mammal soars through the trees to avoid predators, and has its flight paths perfected, using slight movements of its legs to steer, and its tail as a brake.
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Flying without wings
The Draco lizard needs to avoid the forest floors of its Southeast Asia habitat, where predators lie in wait for tiny reptile snacks. Instead, the Draco has evolved to take to the air, using a set of extended ribs covered in a generous layer of skin. They can unfold these appendages to form ‘wings’ and glide up to nine metres (29.5 feet) through the air, steering themselves with their long tails.
© Alamy; Corbis; FLPA; Nature PL
The flying dragon is not just a mythical monster
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Explore the Earth
WILDLIFE TRAVEL IN 2016 By swapping sunbathing for a wildlife adventure, you can help to protect the world’s most vulnerable animals, with a responsible and unforgettable getaway Words Naomi Harding
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Wildlife travel in 2016 Travel expert Dan Free is an operations manager at wildlife tour provider, Naturetrek Wildlife holidays are becoming ever more popular, as people are becoming more keen to see wildlife and visit wild places. Increased media coverage of the natural world is one reason; programmes such as BBC One’s Springwatch and Big Blue Live entice people to go and watch wildlife both in the UK and abroad. Running in tandem with this is an opening up of viewing opportunities in the wild, such as a floating hotel in the Pantanal to see jaguars, and fantastic birdwatching from eco-lodges in Honduras and the Gambia, for example. And with photographic equipment becoming more and more affordable, people want to see and record these life-changing experiences for themselves! These holidays are what dreams are made of… and people are waking up to the idea that they beat a fortnight spent sweating on a crowded beach!
Belize
Manatees prefer shallow waters and can be found in rivers, lagoons, and along the coasts. As the waters are warm enough in Belize, they don’t need to migrate, so they can be seen all year round. Hop on a boat to Caye Caulker, where there are plenty of companies offering manatee tours.
Map key 1 Sea Turtle Conservancy, Tortuguero, Costa Rica 2 Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard, Norway 3 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda 4 Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, Sabah, Borneo 5 Eastern Cape, South Africa 6 Caye Caulker, Belize 7 Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar
Svalbard, Norway
It’s thought there are as many as 3,000 polar bears in Svalbard, meaning you are likely to get a glimpse of one. Polar bear season is relatively short and the best time to see them is in July and August.
Borneo
Malaysian Borneo is a great place to see orangutans as the area has some of the largest sanctuaries in the world.
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Costa Rica
The six species of sea turtle found in Costa Rica have been around since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Females return to these shores year after year to lay their eggs.
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Sardines may not sound exciting at first but the sheer number that gathers in South Africa is staggering. The hub of activity attracts so many sharks and birds it’s been dubbed ‘the greatest shoal on Earth’.
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Madagascar
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Uganda
There are no mountain gorillas in captivity anywhere in the world. So your only chance to see one is in the wild, in the forests of Uganda.
There may be no lemurs left in the wild in 25 years’ time, according to experts. So now is the best time to go and contribute to lemur-saving charities.
Responsible travel Travel is one of life’s greatest pleasures and nothing is more exciting than venturing out into the unknown and seeing animals in the wild that you’ve only previously seen on television. The idea that we have a greater duty of care to protect the places we explore is gaining momentum and thankfully it’s becoming much easier to travel responsibly – there are numerous ways to make your wildlife holiday as eco- and animal-friendly as can be. Have a read of our top tips on how to reduce your impact and if you’re searching for inspiration, we’ve looked ahead to some of the most exciting wildlife experiences you could have in 2016.
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Explore the Earth
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Nepal: Admire the rainbow colours of the monal pheasant Take advantage of guided walks through wildlife reserves and daily game drives in search of tigers and leopards in Nepal. Get in touch with nature by staying in tents and eat outside with binoculars in hand. A mixture of marshland and grassland habitats attracts as many as 500 avian species to the country, including the stunning Himalayan monal, the national bird of Nepal. A great place to spot feathered friends is Koshi Tappu National Park, a birdwatcher’s paradise. But if birds aren’t your thing, there’s plenty of other wildlife to get excited about, such as sloth bears, crocodiles, elephants and swamp deer.
Madagascar: Witness lemur behaviour The biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar is where many wildlife enthusiasts make their pilgrimage. The island is teeming with endemic species and new animals are being discovered all the time. Perhaps that’s what makes Madagascar so exciting; the guidebooks are constantly being rewritten. One of the most recognisable animals is of course the lemur. There are 101 species of lemur living on the island, all of which are found nowhere else in the world. It’s possible to get guided lemur tours and witness their natural behaviour, or you can go on safari and experience all the wildlife Madagascar has to offer.
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Explore the Earth
Costa Rica: Watch turtles laying eggs Costa Rica is a haven for sea turtles. It’s a great place to go and experience firsthand the life cycle of one of Earth’s most ancient creatures. During nesting season, turtles line the coasts, laying dozens of eggs to bury beneath the sand for safety. The six species have different nesting seasons at different sites. There are always turtles laying eggs somewhere in Costa Rica, which means there are almost always hatchlings emerging. The coasts of Costa Rica are strongholds for these turtles, particularly the leatherback sea turtle that has declined by 90 per cent since 1980, and much conservation work goes on here. Its possible to stand back and take in the sight of hundreds of small turtles making their frantic dash to the sea, or you can volunteer for one of the many organisations working to protect the turtle’s future.
Norway: See polar bears on safari Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago and one of the best places to see polar bears and other iconic Arctic wildlife. Race across the snowy tundra in the company of an experienced guide and take in the astonishing beauty of the icy landscape and secluded fjords. Many companies offer snowmobile safaris, giving you the opportunity to witness wild polar bears roaming the ice in their natural habitat. You’re not guaranteed to see a bear but to increase your chances, it’s best to visit in the summer, before the ice freezes over and the dark days draw in. Zig-zagging across the ice sheets on a snowmobile means you won’t have to rely on husky-drawn sleds, giving the dogs a break. If you’re lucky, you may even fit in seeing the Northern Lights.
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Conservation breaks
Malaysia: Volunteer with orangutans Few places will capture the imagination quite like the jungles of Malaysia. With dozens of places offering eco-friendly accommodation, you can immerse yourself in the wilderness. Sanctuaries such as the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre teach rescued orangutans how to live in the wild. Simply pay them a visit or sign up for a volunteer placement.
Snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan
Learn how snow leopard populations are monitored through tracking their trails, kills, and scat while staying in an expedition-style base camp.
British wildlife
Get your hands dirty and get involved in a National Trust working holiday. Take part in practical conservation from planting trees to butterfly surveys and learn about the problems British wildlife faces.
South Africa: Dive with sardines On the coasts of southern Africa between May and July, you can witness one of the world’s greatest natural phenomena. Making their way to warmer waters, billions of sardines surround the shoreline
and colour the waters shimmering silver as they gather in shoals large enough to be seen from the sky. Watch the sardine run from the shore or scuba dive to get a closer view.
Whales in Tenerife ABOVE Whale sharks are filter feeders, roaming the ocean in search of plankton
India: Track wild tigers In central India, nestled deep in the hills of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, lies the Tiger Trails Jungle Lodge, a colonial-style paradise and a conservation success story. Around 30 years ago there were barely any tigers seen here, but after years of hard work and restoring the environment to a dry, deciduous forest, there are now more than 20 tiger sightings a day. Tigers aren’t completely solitary, and play an important role in their environment. Here, you can track tigers on foot while learning all about their ecosystem as a whole. If you’re unsure about walking through the jungle, spotting tigers from the comfort of a Jeep is also possible.
Keeping tabs on whale populations is an important part of checking marine health. Volunteer on a whale survey boat and really make a difference while seeing whales in the wild.
Sand foxes in Dubai
These creatures are not yet endangered, but as Dubai is associated with such rapid developments there are projects underway to safeguard populations for the future, which you can get involved in.
Lynx in Slovakia
Trek up high into the Carpathian Mountains in search of lynxes, wolves, and bears. Join local scientists and learn how to radio collar and set camera traps.
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Explore the Earth
Uganda: Trek with mountain gorillas Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda is the place to go if you want to trek with mountain gorillas, as it is home to more than half of the total population. In order to protect them and limit the exposure they have to humans, it’s necessary to buy a gorilla trekking permit. This system allows some degree of control over how many people are entering the park at any given time. There are ways of making your trip as ecofriendly as can be, such as travelling in fuelefficient and well-maintained vehicles. It’s also possible to organise your trip with a company that donates money to local communities to have a positive impact on projects such as building schools and hospitals in neighbouring villages.
Belize: Take a boat ride with manatees Manatees are some of the most docile creatures in the world. With no natural predators, they are able to take their time, slowly cruising the oceans looking for tasty aquatic plants. Belize has three protected manatee areas where it’s possible to go on tours and see the gentle giants in the wild. Most eco-friendly operators won’t allow you to touch the manatees as it can cause damage to their skin. It’s also better to opt for smaller, low-powered boats, as incidences of collisions with manatees have increased as tour guides switch to high-powered motor vessels.
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Top tips for responsible trips Planning
‘Green’ hotels are a good way to go. They often employ staff from local villages, donate money to the nearest nature reserve, or have an environmentally friendly approach (such as recycling or not washing towels every day).
Travel
Choosing direct flights will reduce your carbon footprint, as most emissions are made during takeoff and landing. Also getting to grips with the local transport once you’re there can be an adventurous way of reducing your impact.
During your trip
Small gestures like eating in local restaurants are a great way of supporting local communities. Try to tour with companies known to have a positive impact on the local wildlife and that are contributing to long-term conservation.
Volunteering
Sadly, not all organisations offer what they say they do, so it’s worth doing some homework about which ones to support. For instance, breeding lions in captivity has limited benefit, as they can never be released into the wild.
Who to travel with Budget Naturetrek
WWW.NATURETREK.CO.UK Koshi Tappu Wildlife Camp, Nepal £570 per person for seven nights, including meals and airport transfers, excluding flights
Back at home
It’s possible to offset the carbon from your trip, using a number of websites that can calculate how much you’ve used. Your small donation often goes towards planting trees, which will improve habitats for wildlife.
Mid-range The Great Projects
Luxury Steppes Travel
WWW.THEGREATPROJECTS.COM
WWW.STEPPESTRAVEL.CO.UK
Samboja Lestari Orangutan Volunteer Project From £1,195 per person for 12 nights, including meals, excluding flights
Luxury Cruise with Chris Packham £10,895 per person for 17 days, including flights from Cairns to Papua New Guinea
© freevectormaps.com; Thinkstock; Nature PL; Getty; Corbis; Alamy
Wildlife travel in 2016
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L Christmas Island pipistrelle OST FOREV ER
Once abundant on its island home, numbers of this neglected bat plummeted in the 1990s
Thumbnail-sized This micro-bat was truly tiny, weighing in at just 3-4g (0.110.14oz), with a forearm length of around 3cm (1.2in).
Blind as a... Like most bats, it relied completely on extremely sensitive hearing and its supersonic vocalisations, which it used to pinpoint prey like a submarine sonar.
Christmas Island
Big appetite It might have been small, but a fast metabolism meant the Christmas Island pipistrelle could eat up to its entire body weight in insects in a single night.
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this insectivore would have found no shortage of its favourite foods, moths and beetles. The occasional cyclone would have posed some threat to the Christmas Island pipistrelle, but having survived these storms for hundreds of thousands of years, it’s unlikely that its sudden decline in numbers can be attributed to one or even several extreme weather events. In the early 90s, scientists began using bat detectors that recorded the Christmas Island pipistrelle’s supersonic calls. Over successive years, they reported a 33 per cent decline in the bat’s activity that continued to a critical level by 2009. The reason why the Christmas Island pipistrelle’s population took a sudden nosedive is still not clear – it could have been down to pesticides or attacks from an invasive species, such as the yellow crazy ant. It was the first Australian mammal to go extinct in 60 years.
Last seen…
Date: 26 August 2009 Location: Western Christmas Island By January 2009, at least 80 per cent of the Christmas Island pipistrelle’s population had disappeared and they were now isolated to just a single, small colony on the west side of the island. Surveys showed that the species would be extinct before the year was out, unless the Australian government intervened with suitable funding. But despite a meeting with the environment minister where the Australian Mammal Society emphasised the urgency of the situation, the cogs of bureaucracy were too slow to turn. By late August that year, just a single, plaintive echolocation was recorded above the canopy of a known roosting site, and it has been silent ever since that night.
© freevectormaps.com; Alan Batley
Like its common British cousin, the Christmas Island pipistrelle was a small, nocturnal bat that could easily have fit into the palm of your hand. It was native to the Australian territory of Christmas Island, which is located in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of the Indonesian island of Java. Up until around 30 years ago, the population of this tiny bat was relatively healthy. Females of the species would gather in huge colonies that numbered in the dozens, while males preferred a more solitary existence. Their favourite roosting sites would be in trees, in the cavity formed by exfoliating bark or underneath the withering fronds of dead palm trees, which should give you an idea of just how small these creatures were. Their habitat was tropical, with dense rainforest along the plateau of the island, high humidity and temperatures that varied little from season to season. Along the edge of the canopy,
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Robins: heroes or villains?
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ROBINS
HEROES OR VILLAINS? Gardeners’ faithful companions, nature’s winter icon and now officially Britain’s favourite bird. But behind the sweet voice and red feathers, has the iconic songbird been hiding a dark secret all along? Words Adam Millward
EUROPEAN ROBIN Erithacus rubecula Class Aves
Territory Eurasia Diet Insects, worms, berries, seeds Lifespan 13 months Adult weight 16-22g (0.60.8oz) Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN
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Robins: heroes or villains?
The little bird that stole our hearts On the same day as 2015’s UK general election, more than 224,000 Britons took part in a poll to elect the nation’s favourite bird. The shortlist starred many of our country’s avian icons, including the barn owl, the mute swan and the puffin, but it was an everyday garden visitor, the robin, which flew away with the top spot, securing 34 per cent of the votes. What is it about robins that so captures our imagination? With a range spanning from Siberia, throughout Europe, to as far south as northern Africa, it’s not as if they’re exclusively ‘ours’. In fact, virtually every continent has its own ‘robin’, though for the most part, these are not related species – the one thing they have in common is that distinctive reddish chest. To so decisively thrash the other contenders, you can only assume that our love affair with this peppy bird goes beyond the colour of its plumage, though. The truth is, this little songbird has been earning our affections for centuries. As in all politics, it comes down to the best all-round campaign: building trust by getting closer than most garden birds; tirelessly broadcasting from sunrise to sunset with their bright, confident song; and, of course, scoring a huge PR victory by becoming the bird that represents Christmas. But there’s another far less wholesome side to this candidate. When it comes to defending its turf, the robin will go to any lengths to keep out rivals. It will try to out-sing, and then to out-dazzle. But if all else fails, it’s not afraid to resort to violence or even murder. Which leads to the question: do we really know our favourite bird as well as we thought?
“Our love affair with this peppy bird goes beyond the colour of its plumage” Adult robin
Juvenile robin Beak The thin bill is well-adapted for winkling out insects from the ground, catching flying bugs in the air or picking berries and seeds.
Eye Although our understanding of magnetoreception – using Earth’s magnetic fields to navigate – is far from complete, the robin’s built-in compass is thought to be centred around lightsensitive cells in its right eye. Red breast Shared by males and females, the bird’s most famous feature is primarily displayed as a deterrent to other robins.
Legs Relatively long, spindly legs are helpful for hopping through grass or leaf litter when foraging on the ground.
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No red The lack of red/orange feathers reduces the chances of disputes with other robins. These start to appear during the first molt, a few months a er fledging.
ABOVE Following the result of the poll, a campaign is now underway to have the robin officially recognised as Britain’s national bird, akin to France’s rooster or the US’s bald eagle
Feathers The plumage of young robins is brown and speckled to help camouflage them from potential predators, while downy fluff helps to keep them warm.
Robins: heroes or villains? Finding a mate The breeding season generally starts around March, though this can be earlier if it’s been a mild winter. Both male and female robins sing to find one another and to stake their claim to a territory.
Robin behaviour Family splits In the winter, the male will oen drive out the female and offspring from his territory. Some robins stay in the UK all year round, but others migrate for the winter.
Setting up home The female takes responsibility for building the nest, typically in nooks and crannies near the ground, such as tree roots, hedges and walls. The nest is mostly comprised of leaves, moss and hair. Raising the kids Aer roughly 13 days of incubation by the mother, the eggs hatch. Now both parents take turns to gather food and keep the chicks warm. They will fledge aer about two weeks, though the parents – particularly dad – will continue to care for them for several weeks aer that. The female, meanwhile, starts preparing a nest for a second brood.
Breadwinner While the female is homemaking, the male isn’t being idle; he will provide about a third of his mate’s food during this period of courtship.
Laying eggs A normal clutch consists of four to six eggs, one laid each day. They are pale blue in colour, owing to a pigment called biliverdin. Studies suggest that the vibrancy of the blue indicates the health of the female, and brighter eggs will be cared for more tenderly by males.
Staking a claim Both robins will fiercely defend their territory, which covers around half a hectare (1.2 acres). If singing and bearing their fiery feathers are not enough to see off rivals, they will fly at intruders. Sometimes they will even fight to the death!
Molt By the end of the summer, both adults and juveniles will be noticeably quieter and less visible. This is because they are undergoing the annual molt, an energy-draining event where old feathers are replaced with new ones.
Split personality When it comes to behaviour, robins really are the Jekyll and Hyde of British birds. Around humans, they are some of the most sociable and inquisitive birds to visit our gardens, often venturing surprisingly close to pick up bugs from freshly turned earth. They are attentive partners and hard-working parents, rearing as many as four or five clutches of chicks over a season. But when it comes to rival robins, these sweet birds see red. Throughout the year, what we hear as cheerful chirping is, in fact, a curt message telling others, in no uncertain terms, to keep away. If this is ignored, robins will find a prominent perch, lift their head and present their bright plumage as a final warning; usually at this point, one will defer to the other. If singing and posturing doesn’t scare off the competitor, robins revert to violence. Flying at their adversary, they will peck and scratch with their talons until one concedes defeat or, in extreme cases, is killed – often by the severing of the spinal cord. Indeed, an estimated 10 per cent of adult robin deaths are committed by members of their own species.
“The cheerful chirping is in fact a curt message telling others to keep away”
The instinct to protect their territory is so hardwired that robins have been known to attack stuffed toys or even their own reflections
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Robins: heroes or villains?
Singing for their life If there were an X Factor-style contest for songbirds, robins would have a good chance of winning based on endurance alone. Unlike a lot of ‘fair-weather crooners’, robins are among the few species which sing throughout the year. What’s more, they are some of the earliest risers and the latest to retire – especially in urban areas with lots of streetlights. These birds aren’t just chirruping because they like the sound of their own voices. What we might hear as the white noise of nature is, in fact, vital to a robin’s survival. Firstly, it’s a way of enticing a mate to come into their territory, and secondly, it’s a warning to potential trespassers. Interestingly, the tone of the robin’s song differs according to the season. As ornithologist Bill Oddie explains, “It’s not a strong change but it would be if you heard both songs against the other, like adjacent tracks on an album. The winter song is thinner and more wistful. Then when you get to spring, it gets richer and louder, and there are more notes to it. “In autumn, they also have ‘sub-songs’ which are almost inaudible – just tiny little chattering notes. Then there’s also a hard, metallic ticking noise they make. Like most birds, they’ve got several calls.”
What’s in a name? The earliest records refer to this bird as the ‘redbreast’. However, during the 15th century, a trend arose for christening animals with human names, resulting in the emergence of ‘robin redbreast’. Subsequently this was shortened to ‘robin’, though ‘robinet’ and ‘ruddock’ are also documented. From a modern perspective, we’d probably say the robin’s distinctive chest plumage is closer to orange than red, but the word ‘orange’ didn’t enter the English language until the fruit arrived in Britain in the 16th century, and by that time the bird’s association with red had stuck, as it does to this day. For centuries, this strong connection with scarlet has seen the bird appropriated by various groups. As far back as the 18th century, British postal workers donned a red coat or tunic, hence Victorian postmen gaining the nickname ‘robins’. Nowadays, several sports squads have adopted the moniker owing to their kit colour, including football teams Bristol City and Cheltenham Town, and rugby side Hull Kingston Rovers.
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Robins in our culture For such a little bird, the robin has a surprisingly long and complex history entwined with our own culture. In Norse legend, the bird is believed to have been sacred to the god of thunder, Thor. In Christian folklore, the robin is supposed to have gained its red breast from Jesus’s blood while comforting him during the crucifixion, or from venturing too close to the flames of hell where it was carrying water to those in purgatory; this latter explanation is also reflected in the bird’s Welsh name, ‘brou-rhuddyn’, which translates as ‘burnt breast’.
Robins have played starring roles in numerous stories and poems too, from the 16th-century Babes in the Wood, where they use leaves to cover the bodies of two children, to the 18thcentury nursery rhyme, Who Killed Cock Robin? Today, the robin is best known for its association with Christmas, appearing in everything from cards and wrapping paper to movies and advertising. The connection most likely arose from their close ties to British postmen, when the custom of sending Christmas cards became popular in the mid-19th century.
Animals in culture Meet the other animals that feature in our stories, sayings, names and festivities
Santa’s high flyers
Reindeer have been helping Santa deliver presents around the world since they first appeared in the poem A Visit from St Nicholas by Clement Moore in 1823.
Easter ambassador
Beyond chocolate and eggs, nothing says Easter more than the rabbit. Hares and rabbits have long been symbols of fertility, going back to the Ancient Greeks.
Signs of the times
British pubs are oen named aer animals – some real, such as white horses and swans, and others fantastical, such as red lions and unicorns. These names come from the coats of arms worn by wealthy medieval families.
A real howler
Although no longer a native resident of the British Isles, the wolf has played the ‘baddie’ in many a fairy tale, from Little Red Riding Hood to Three Little Pigs.
One for sorrow, two for joy…
The magpie lends its name to anyone easily distracted by sparkly objects, and stars in a superstitious rhyme that predicts your future based on the number you see.
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Robins: heroes or villains?
“In the pecking order, there are not many that will take on robins – even great tits and chaffinches stand back”
Robins: the good, the bad and the ugly Former Goodies star, writer and broadcaster Bill Oddie is one of Britain’s best-loved ornithologists. As well as hosting many wildlife programmes over his career, he is an ambassador for numerous birding and conservation societies.
© Dreamstime; Corbis; Alamy; Thinkstock
Why do you think the robin was voted Britain’s favourite bird? It shows how egocentric we humans are really: we only like things that like us! The robin is the garden bird that comes to you – quite literally. Plus many people think they’ve got the same robin for years on end; I hate to disillusion you, but I don’t think you have! It’s a curious fact about the biology of robins that females and males are virtually indistinguishable. Not only do they look the same, but unlike most songbirds, the female also sings. So I can understand why people might think they’ve got the same robin coming back. Something I don’t think everyone realises is that some robins aren’t even faithful to one country. We get a fair number from Scandinavia and the continent. So though it’s been voted Britain’s favourite bird, your garden robin may not actually be British! How much interaction do you have with robins? I’m fortunate to have robins permanently in my garden, so I get to see their lifestyle close up. I’ve got a whole series of plaques around my garden, saying ‘Robins 2006’ and ‘Robins 2007’ because they never nest in the same place twice. Once, I found a very young robin in my shed that could barely fly – it just managed to flutter up to one of the beams and stayed there for two days. It was such a beautiful little thing. Apart from being all plump and speckled, they’ve also got those little tus of fluff which make them so endearing. I’m always excited to see when robins have had a reasonable year, because the mortality
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Bill’s top three tips for encouraging robins into your garden: • Mealworms (also great for feeding them by hand) • Open nest boxes, with a slot rather than a hole • A patch of climbing ivy left to grow wild
of youngsters is very high. It’s lovely seeing the juveniles growing up, learning to fly and their red breast appearing before your eyes. The other side of robins, of course, is that they don’t like one another! Tell us more about their darker side… Well, they don’t like anybody except the person feeding them. Presumably they like their partner for a couple of weeks but they don’t exactly hang around. And they don’t like their kids for long either. So, most of the time – and I think people who voted for them need to understand this – they don’t set a good example. They are crazy possessives! As soon as you’ve gone past that breeding stage, they’ll be chasing one another. Particularly come autumn, they will not sit and share food. In the pecking order, there are not many that will take on robins – even great tits and chaffinches stand back. So they’re intolerant of other birds too? They’re intolerant of everything. Even when it comes to their own kids. Once you’ve got past the stage of “Okay, you can fly now”, they seem determined to boot them out. I don’t think they have a magnanimous bone in their little bodies! The other day, I was watching telly and suddenly there was a great scuffling outside. It was two robins locked in mortal combat. One had pinned another on its back and was pecking away at its face and scratching with its talons. There were feathers all over the place. I think it was only because I got up that they stopped and flew off – probably to carry on elsewhere. Do you think robins deserve to be our national bird? I personally put a plea in for the red grouse which is actually indigenous to Britain. I thought it would be a very good idea if the red grouse were our official national bird, because then it wouldn’t be so easy for people to hunt them. But they didn’t go for that.
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20 Fantastic facts
Goats
Some goats faint when they’re scared When fainting goats feel threatened, they will collapse to the ground with stiffened legs. This amusing reaction is caused by myotonia congenita, a hereditary condition also found in humans and other mammals, which causes the chemical message to get ready for danger to fire over and over again, meaning their body tenses up for too long. Some goats are bred to have myotonia congenita, as the fainting makes them easier to control.
We’ve all come across goats, whether domestic or wild, but these familiar friends have hidden depths...
Mountain goats cling to the sides of cliffs with their cloven hooves, made of keratin. They also have a special traction pad extending beyond the hoof for extra grip. Goats are social animals and live in herds of around 20. For most of the year, one female is dominant in the herd, until mating season, when a male takes over. According to reports from National Geographic, mountain goats have been known to leap up to 3.5 metres (12 feet) in the air. Nigerian dwarf goats are one of the smallest breeds in the world. They grow to be 50 centimetres (1.6 feet) tall and weigh around 34 kilograms (75 pounds).
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Goats gave us coffee Goats could be responsible for discovering the effects of one of humanity’s favourite substances – coffee. The legend of Kaldi, a goat herder in ancient Ethiopia, tells that his herd of goats would get so excited aer eating the beans from the coffee plants growing throughout the Ethiopian highlands that they couldn’t sleep. Kaldi took the beans to the local monastery, where an abbot made a drink with them, creating what we now know as coffee.
There are legendary goats Goats have appeared in mythology throughout history. Perhaps the most famous is the Capricorn goat of the zodiac, whose sure-footed nature and agility are defining traits. Pan, the Greek god of nature, had goat horns and feet, as did satyrs, characters that appeared throughout Greek art and theatre.
Goats eat quickly Goats are ruminants, meaning they have four-chambered stomachs and two-toed feet. Ruminants eat quickly, store food in the first chamber of their stomach, then regurgitate it and chew it again as cud. Cattle, sheep and camels are all ruminant mammals too.
Goats, like many other ungulates, have rectangular pupils in their eyes that give them 340-degree vision, up to twice the range of humans
Goats Their wool is historic
The wools of the angora and cashmere breeds of goat are prized for their softness. Angora goats have been bred and their mohair fleece harvested since the 14th century BCE. Any goat can produce a cashmere coat, but those that produce a downy winter fur in high quantities are known as cashmere goats.
One goat is not a goat
The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is not a true goat, and is not part of the Capra genus. Mountain goats fall into a different genus for many reasons; their mountain homes call for an extra woollen layer, and a different type of fur to defend against the cold, and both males and females are crowned with pointy horns.
They are really not-so-silly billies
You can tell their age
Despite their often vacant facial expressions, goats are intelligent creatures. They can be trained to answer to a name and complete an obstacle course, much like dogs.
The rings on the horns of some goat breeds can give away their age, in much the same way as a tree trunk. Horns have one ring fewer than the years of the goat’s life. The rate of feeding can change horn renewal times, so it is less accurate for domestic goats.
Baby goats are called kids
Goats usually breed in the autumn, and the gestation period lasts around five or six months. It is most common for the nanny (female) goat to give birth to one or two baby goats, known as kids. Newborn kids weigh around 3.6 kilograms (eight pounds) and learn to walk within a day or two of birth.
Goats can climb trees Goats in Morocco oen climb the native argan tree to snack on its nuts and leaves. They are popular with argan farmers as they help fertilise the ground underneath.
Goats were one of the first animals to be domesticated. Archaeological evidence shows the first domestic goats were kept 10,000 years ago. Neolithic farmers in ancient Turkey and Iran kept goats not just for milk and meat, but also used their dung as fuel.
Boer is the biggest
Goats dig their homes Goats graze across a ‘home’ area of some 23 square kilometres (14 square miles), and will dig an inch into the ground to make a space for dust baths and rest.
The largest breed of goat is the Boer. This breed, often characterised by its red and white neck, gains weight at an alarming rate to reach its fully-grown size of 135 kilograms (300 pounds) for a male and 90 kilograms (200 pounds) for a female. The Boer is most often bred for its lean meat and is desirable to farmers because of its docility, high fertility rate and fast growth.
Egyptian Pharaoh Cephranes was buried with 2,234 goats, evidence of our ancient relationship with the animals There are over 300 breeds of domestic goat in existence and an estimated 920 million goats on the planet
© Thinkstock; Thinkstock Dreamstime; Alamy
They’re some of our oldest friends
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Amazing animal hearing
66
ALL EARS Did you hear that? Chances are you didn’t – but your dog did. Many creatures in the animal kingdom put us to shame with their highly adapted hearing skills Words Sanne de Boer An animal’s senses are crucial to its way of life, and ultimately, to its survival. A heightened sense of smell means the shark can track down its prey based on a single drop of blood, a hawk’s incredibly sharp eyesight means it can spot a tiny dormouse from high up in the sky, and a rabbit knows it’s time to run when it senses the vibrations of its group stomping the ground with their hind legs. A creature’s hearing is just as vital to its survival, and plays a large part in both hunting prey and escaping predators, but also aids unique ways of communicating with its companions and creates awareness of its environment.
It’s not exactly a hidden talent, considering the size of its ears, but a fennec fox’s sense of hearing is incredible in the way it is put to use. They are the smallest foxes in the world, but have the biggest ears relative to body size. Their extremely sensitive hearing apparatus is used to listen for small prey scurrying in the sand. The ears stand to attention at all times, reaching 15 centimetres (six inches) in length. The auditory bullae, the hollow structure of the middle ear, is enlarged in fennec foxes, allowing them to rely mostly on their bat-like ears for hunting and locating prey, communicating with each other, and evading predation.
67
Amazing animal hearing
The dolphin uses echolocation to find its prey The friendly-looking dolphin is known for its intelligence and approachability. It has long fascinated researchers because of its social behaviour, and its large, highly developed brain. Its auditory cortex, in particular, is highly complex and allows for a hearing range between 30,000 and 160,000 hertz. Dolphins are also quick at processing sounds, and use a technique called echolocation, which works like a biological sonar. Dolphins emit high-pitched noises and interpret the echoes bouncing off nearby objects to understand their environment. They use this skill to locate and identify nearby prey, even detecting creatures buried in sand. Dolphins also have intricate communication techniques, and can produce and discern a wide range of noises and vocalisations.
Dogs are always aware of their environment Dogs aren’t just good at hearing the words ‘walkies’ and ‘treats’ – they have an incredible hearing range of 60 to 45,000 hertz compared to our 20 to 20,000 hertz. This is why dog whistles produce an ultrasonic sound that’s not detectable to humans as it’s too high, exceeding our maximum of 20,000 hertz. It’s not just the range of sounds that sets dogs’ hearing apart; they can hear things from a maximum distance that beats ours by four times. This is why Fido is already at the door when you get home while your partner is still oblivious of your return – he could hear your car coming a block away. In addition, dogs can move their ears to better localise a sound, thanks to the fact that they have 18 muscles in the part of their ears called the pinna, or ear flap. You may have seen Fido flex these muscles when he’s trying to decide whether he’s going to listen to your command, or keep rolling around in the mud.
“Dogs can move their ears to better localise a sound, thanks to 18 muscles in each ear flap” 68
The elephant can hear infrasonic sound waves An elephant’s sense of hearing is incredible. They are capable of hearing infrasonic sound waves, which are too low for us to detect. Their range isn’t all that impressive – roughly between 16 and 12,000 hertz, compared to our 20 to 20,000
hertz. However, they’re capable of recognising calls and voices from other elephants, and use their hearing in a social manner. They can also use their enormous ears to funnel in sound waves, the way you would if you cupped your hand around your ear, but on a much larger scale.
Extraordinarybreaks ears Conservation Five animals with unusual hearing gear
Snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan Galago
The nocturnal Learn how snow galago, leopard commonly populations known areas monitored the bush through baby, hastracking disproportionately their trails, kills, largeand earsscat to track whileinsects staying in the dark, in aninexpedition-style a similar way to base bats.camp.
Bats use their adapted hearing to see in the dark Bats will spend almost their entire lives living in the dark, so like owls, they have adapted their hearing to hunt effectively at night. But instead of the owl’s tactic, they use echolocation like dolphins, and emit high-pitched noises to deduce the location of their prey based on the sound that bounces back. Bats’ prey is much smaller than
dolphins’ as they mainly feed on insects, so their hunting techniques require far more precision. They can deduce the location of an insect from as far as ten metres (33 feet) away. The spotted bat, in particular, has incredible hearing, and its iconic ears are a giveaway of that talent. These translucent ears are vulnerable to tears and cuts so the bats close their ears with every wing stroke.
British wildlife Greater wax moth
The your Get greater hands waxdirty moth and or get honeycomb involved in moth a National has been Trust working found to be holiday. capable Take of part hearing in practical frequencies conservation of up to from planting 300,000 hertz trees - almost to butterfl twice as y surveys high as the anddolphin’s learn about the problems maximum of 160,000 British wildlife hertz. faces.
Whales in Tenerife Serval
An owl’s ears are finely tuned for precision hunting Ever wondered how it was possible the wizards and witches at Hogwarts could just call for their owls and they’d appear on their arms within a matter of seconds? There may be a tiny sprinkling of science mixed in with the magic! Owls have a highly adapted auditory system. Unlike the other animals mentioned here, the owl’s hearing range is not all that different from a human’s – it is their precision that sets them apart. They can discern the position of their prey by deducing what ear the sound they’re hearing reaches first, and how long it takes for that sound to reach the other ear. They measure this time with extreme precision, down to 30 millionths of a second. Based on this calculation, they turn their head until the sound reaches both ears simultaneously, and then swoop in for the kill.
The serval Keeping tabs hasoncartoon-like whale populations large, round is an ears important that sitpart of checking close together marine on the health. top ofVolunteer its head. They on a are whale extremely survey boat and really successful hunters make and a diff can erence hear their whileprey seeing scurrying whales in the wild. underground.
Sand foxes Basset hound in Dubai
The basset These creatures hound’s areears not yet areendangered the result ofbut decades as Dubai is associated of selectivewith breeding, rapid and developments are thoughtthere to beare highly projects underwayintopicking sensitive safeguard up scents, population by trailing for theonfuture, the ground which you can and waget ing involved particlesin. up towards its nose.
Lynx invioletear Green Slovakia
This species Trek up high into of hummingbird the Carpathian may Mountains look like it’s in search flaunting of lynxes, its sharp sense wolves, of and hearing, bears. butJoin its colourful local scientists ‘ears’ are and learnfeathers, just how to radio and don’t collarseem and set to serve camera a purpose. traps.
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Amazing animal hearing
How’s your hearing? 19,980 Hz range
60 Hz – 45,000 Hz 44,940 Hz range
50 Hz – 80,000 Hz 79,950 Hz range
2,000 Hz – 100,000 Hz 98,000 Hz range
2,000 Hz – 110,000 Hz 108,000 Hz range
1,000 Hz – 123,000 Hz 122,000 Hz range
30,000 Hz – 160,000 Hz 130,000 Hz range
75 Hz – 150,000 Hz 149,925 Hz range
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Man Despite being the ‘boss’ of the house, humans typically have a hearing range under half of that of most household pets.
Dog This shows exactly why your dog can hear the postman approaching from down the road, and why it is so good at alerting you to any intruders.
Cat How do you think cats can hear birds and mice so easily and proceed to bring them into your house as a present?
Mouse Even if a mouse and a turtle found a language they could both speak, they wouldn’t be able to hear each other! Mice have great hearing, but can’t hear the lower sounds that most animals can hear.
Bat Because of their poor eyesight, bats rely on their hearing to find their way around. By using ‘echolocation’ they can work out when walls and other objects are in their way.
Beluga whale Most sound reception in a beluga whale happens in the fatfilled lower jawbone, which conducts sound waves through the jaw to bones in the middle ears.
Dolphin Dolphins are incredibly intelligent animals that use their lower jawbone to assist with hearing, as well as using their antennalike teeth for echolocation.
Porpoise Related to dolphins and whales, the porpoise has the one of the largest hearing ranges on the planet.
© Thinkstock; Nature PL; Getty; FLPA; Corbis; Alamy; Independent Hearing Professionals
20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
Bizarre! The strange creature that looks like a cross between a shrew and an octopus The star-nosed mole has tentacles on its face, lives life underground, and has an unusual talent for speed eating
STAR-NOSED MOLE Condylura cristata Class Mammalia
Territory Southeastern Canada and northeastern United States Diet Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates Lifespan 3-4 years Adult weight 35-75g (1-3oz) Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN
It’s virtually blind
A star-shaped nose A long, thick tail
As they spend so much time underground, the moles have no need for acute vision and so they have small and beady eyes with weak eyesight. Their small size also means they are less likely to sustain an injury or suffer irritation from soil entering the eyes, which is especially important in their cramped underground habitat.
A rosette of 22 fleshy tentacles surround the snout and form the ‘star’ that give the mole its name. The strange appendages have nothing to do with smell and actually assist with touch. Comprising more than 25,000 receptors, they can pick up electrical impulses given off by prey and allow the mole to sense its surroundings.
The star-nosed mole’s fleshy tail changes with the seasons, swelling in the winter to serve as a fat storage organ. It’s covered in short, coarse hairs and concentric rings and is nearly as long as the head and body length combined. As these moles are prolific swimmers, the large tail is also used as a rudder when they are underwater.
They have large, scaled feet
The fastest eating mammal on Earth
Well-adapted, sharp teeth
It can smell underwater
How long does it take you to eat lunch? This creature has landed itself a place in the Guinness World Records book for speed eating, taking only 230 milliseconds to find and consume prey, on average. That’s less than a quarter of a second!
These moles have 44 teeth in total, including tweezer-like front teeth they use to pluck small insects from the ground with ease. These are so important that 30 per cent of the moles’ brain cortex is dedicated to handling information from their front dentures.
The star-nosed mole has developed a clever way of sniffing out prey underwater without drowning. Quickly re-inhaling the air bubbles that leave their nostrils after exhaling, they are able to continuously blow bubbles and sniff at a rate of five to ten times per second.
© Nature PL
Disproportionately large feet come in handy when you mostly live underground. The moles use their pink, scaled feet much like shovels, giving them the ability to excavate two to three metres (seven to ten feet) of soil per hour! These large feet are also the perfect shape to act as paddles while swimming.
71
Living light
72
LIVING LIGHT In a world without sun, the animals of the deep sea have no choice other than to illuminate their own lives and glow in the dark Words Amy Grisdale
73
Living light
Light in the abyss Sunlight only penetrates the top 100 metres (330 feet) of the ocean, and animals that live below the reach of the Sun’s rays experience constant darkness. There are several zones to the ocean from the sunlight or photic zone at the surface all the way down through the twilight and midnight zones to the abyssal zone at 4,000 to 6,000 metres (13,100 to 19,700 feet) deep. This water is completely devoid of light, but is home to hundreds of weird and wonderful marine species that humans have had to develop highly specialised equipment to even glimpse. Animals have even been found living below the abyssal zone, at such dark
depths that it’s almost unsurprising that some have evolved to generate their own light. Bioluminescence, a natural glow produced by an organism, is a chemical process involving a substance called luciferin. When this molecule comes into contact with oxygen it produces a chemical called oxyluciferin and the by-product is light. While only a handful of terrestrial animals have this capability, it’s relatively common in the sea, where it has evolved numerous times. This demonstrates how crucial it is to be able to produce light, and for some species it’s the difference between survival and death.
“At such dark depths it’s almost unsurprising that animals have evolved to generate their own light”
74
BELOW Comb jellyfish use bioluminescence as a defence mechanism by surprising predators with flashing light
Living light
Who glows there?
From recycling the Sun’s rays to complex chemical reactions, there are various types of glow
Bioluminescence Creating light from darkness
The term bioluminescence is used to describe light that is produced by a chemical reaction inside an organism. The vital substance in this reaction is luciferin, which can react with oxygen to produce light. The process is aided by the enzyme luciferase, but doesn’t need an external source of light, Oxygen
1
which is why deep-sea creatures like anglerfish can use it to lure their prey. There are at least four different types of luciferin in animals, each with a corresponding luciferase. Some bioluminescent species rely on a supply of these molecules within their diet, as they are unable to create them.
2
Photons of light
Luciferase
Luciferin
1. Luciferin binds to oxygen, aided by the enzyme luciferase. 2. Luciferin reacts with oxygen, producing photons, or light particles.
Fluorescence Simple light exchange
Unlike bioluminescence, this process relies on an external light source. The light is absorbed by atoms and re-emitted again almost immediately. If the light source disappears, so does the fluorescence. While being Blue light
Green light
Electrons
2
1
reflected, the photons lose energy, meaning the visible glow differs in colour to the light source. Butterfly wings contain fluorescent pigments that intensify their colour, to attract mates or repel predators.
3
4
1. Light is absorbed into the fluorescent molecule 2. The electrons gain energy and become excited 3. The electrons return to their original state, and re-emit the light
Atomic nuclei
Phosphorescence
4. The emitted light is a different colour, as it has lost energy
The light that lingers
Like a glow-in-the-dark sticker, phosphorescent animals absorb light and use it to give off an eerie glow. The process is similar to fluorescence, but phosphorescent animals can ‘save up’ light and then release it slowly. Like fluorescence, this depends on a light
source, such as the Sun. However, the electrons become excited to a higher degree than in fluorescence and they release light slowly, at a lower intensity. Animals like jellyfish absorb light at the water’s surface, giving them a glow that alarms and repels predators. 1. Light hits electrons in phosphorescent molecules
Electrons
2. This causes the electrons to enter a high-energy state.
1
2 Atomic nucleus
3
3. The electrons return to their normal energy state slowly, releasing a soft glow as they do so.
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Living light BARBELED DRAGONFISH Stomiidae
Class Actinopterygii
Barbeled dragonfish use invisible light
The light this fish produces is on the border of the infrared spectrum. This is outside the visible spectrum of most fish, so prey species cannot see the predatory dragonfish coming. Along with hunting by invisible light, the dragonfish uses it to recognise friends. The dangling barbel structure plays a role in identification, and members of a shoal can distinguish one another simply by seeing the light. At depths of 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) there are few other options for visual communication, and as their light is invisible to other species, they can shine to their friends as bright as they like.
“Prey species cannot see the predatory dragonfish coming”
Territory Southern Pacific Ocean Diet Fish Lifespan Unknown Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
Flashlight fish borrow bioluminescent bacteria
Without the ability to talk like humans, flashlight fish communicate by dazzling one another with repeated bursts of light. Their glow actually comes from a species of bacteria that lives in the fish’s light organ, located beneath each eye socket. They change the message they are conveying by increasing or decreasing the frequency of the flashes, covering or exposing the light organ by moving an eyelid-like flap. These headlights can also be used to escape attack; by shining at full brightness in front of a predator’s eyes, the fish can then dart away while the hunter is stunned.
Light of their life Sperm whales rely on bioluminescence for their survival as this is how they locate their prey in the ocean.
ONE-FIN FLASHLIGHT FISH Photoblepharon palpebratum
Class Actinopterygii
Territory Pacific Ocean Diet Zooplankton Lifespan Unknown Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
CIGAR COMB JELLY Beroe
Class Nuda
Territory Open tropical seas Diet Other comb jellies Lifespan 3-4 months Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
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Comb jellies reflect light like an underwater rainbow
Also known as sea gooseberries, comb jellies aren’t actually that closely related to jellyfish. They belong to a family of their own, known as ctenophores. Glowing bright neon in the dark depths of the ocean, these oval jellies propel themselves through the water using a group of eight combs, or cilia, which they operate like the paddles of an oar. The combs shimmer in all colours of the rainbow in the dark as light hits and refracts from the surface.
Living light
Unagi glows blue The Japanese eel was the first vertebrate found to be fluorescent. It glows when blue light is shone on it. COCKATOO SQUID
Cockatoo squids cast no shadow
Leachia
Class Cephalopoda
These incredible creatures are almost completely transparent, but they have opaque eyes that can give away their presence as they swim through the ocean. To prevent any shadows revealing them to predators passing below, the squids cast a bioluminescent blue glow from U-shaped cells beneath their eyes. This eliminates the silhouettes created by their eyes and makes it much more difficult for a predator to detect their exact position.
Territory Worldwide Diet Fish, plankton Lifespan Unknown Adult weight Unknown Conservation status
DATA DEFICIENT
“They have opaque eyes that can give away their presence as they swim”
BIGFIN REEF SQUID Class Cephalopoda
Territory Indo-Pacific region Diet Crustaceans, prawns, fish Lifespan Around one year Adult weight 600g Conservation status
NOT EVALUATED
The bigfin reef squid has special light-bending cells
The bigfin reef squid is covered in special cells to make them stand out. Their heads and bodies are covered in chromatophores, which are light-reflecting cells giving them a metallic iridescent sheen. They are also one of the only squid species to possess leucophores, which are the cells responsible for reflecting the colour of the ambient light surrounding the squid. These two types of cells work in unison meaning the squid is able to produce a variety of vivid colour combinations and visually striking patterns.
© Thinkstock; Getty; FLPA; Ardea; Alamy
Sepioteuthis lessoniana
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Conserving the chimpanzee
3 things you should know about chimpanzees Some of the only species known to use tools, chimpanzees will make sponges from chewed up leaves to drink water with. They are known to medicate themselves for various ailments by eating certain plants for medicinal value. Chimps are able to walk on all fours, called knuckle-walking; however, they are also able to walk on two legs for more than 1km (0.6mi). CHIMPANZEE
Pan troglodytes Class Mammalia
Territory Equatorial Africa Diet Fruit, leaves, insects Lifespan 45-50 years Adult weight 32-60kg (70130lb) Conservation status
ENDANGERED
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CONSERVING THE CHIMPANZEE Our closest living relatives have suffered rapid population declines – and human activity is to blame Words Naomi Harding There are few animals that intrigue us quite as much as the chimpanzee, and with good reason. We share 98 per cent of our genes with these intelligent primates, making them our closest relatives. Affectionately known as chimps, they live in groups of several dozen individuals in the rainforests of Africa, where the thick canopy towers high above the dark jungle. They spend their days grooming each other on the forest floor or swinging from branch to branch in search of food. Sadly, chimpanzees have been listed as ‘Endangered’ by the IUCN for almost 20 years, and no conservation effort as yet has been successful in getting them out of the ‘danger zone’ and restoring populations to a safe level. In fact, the number of chimpanzees left in the wild has declined by at least 66 per cent over the last 30 years. It is not known exactly how many chimpanzees there are left in the wild, but estimates range from around 170,000 to 300,000 individuals. By spending their days picking at their favourite fruits and meandering through the forest, chimpanzees play an important ecological role. They are able to disperse the seeds that are too big for other animals to eat, helping to shape their environment and maintain biodiversity. As is the case with almost all endangered animals, the impact of humans is to blame. Once abundant throughout the rainforests and wet savannahs of Africa, human activities have meant that chimpanzees are now extinct in four African countries following high exploitation and habitat destruction. The remaining populations desperately need our help.
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Conserving the chimpanzee
Just like us Our primate relatives share many traits with us, from making friends to making their bed Chimpanzees are charismatic and highly intelligent beings that live in a similar way to us. Studies have shown they develop intricate social structures and are keen to make friends, as well as climb the social ladder to gain positions of authority within their groups. In the same way humans make their beds each day (or at least they should), chimpanzees make a fresh sleeping nest high up in the trees every evening, constructed out of leaves. They also show emotional intelligence and are very caring toward members of their community, looking after each other’s young should they become orphaned or abandoned. Groups will form bonds with neighbouring groups and share food supplies in times of adversity. There are four subspecies split by location: central, west African, Nigeria-Cameroon, and eastern chimpanzees. There is little physical difference between them, but different communities of chimpanzee have their own cultures and habits that they learn from their elders and pass on to younger generations. With such a striking resemblance between man and ape, in both personality and looks, it is incredibly sad that the demise of our primate cousins is mainly down to our actions. Mothers and their babies have strong bonds; the young will suckle for five years
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An uncertain future Numerous threats mean chimpanzees face danger from all angles Deforestation is arguably the leading cause of population declines; trees are being felled at an alarming rate and the land is being transformed for agricultural use and development. A loss of habitat means less food for chimpanzees and fewer places for shelter, leaving them vulnerable to predators and hunters. Logging can also lead to fragmentation – the breaking up of habitats – isolating individuals and splitting up social groups. The demand for bushmeat has also been increasing, with local people hunting the primates as a source of protein. A high demand for juveniles within the illegal pet trade has also encouraged the killing of adults in order to safely capture young chimps for sale on the black market. Poachers with their sights set on larger animals will often set snares and traps throughout the forests, but inadvertently catch
chimpanzees in the process. As a result, these chimps can suffer from debilitating wounds or even die from infection. As the human population increases, so does the need for resources. In equatorial Africa many mining sites have opened, which have drawn large numbers of workers to the area and increased human encroachment on the chimp’s habitat. As they share so much of our DNA, chimpanzees are highly susceptible to human diseases, so being in such close proximity to humans is hazardous. At Jane Goodall’s research camp in Tanzania, many chimps have lost their lives to polio and the outbreak of Ebola has had a devastating impact on wild populations. A rise in tourism has seen an increase in the number of people coming into contact with chimpanzees, only increasing the risk of transmitting illness.
“A loss of habitat means less food and fewer places for shelter, leaving them vulnerable”
Saving the chimpanzee These three organisations are leading the way for chimpanzee conservation
Project Primate
Located in Guinea, West Africa, this organisation has founded a dedicated Chimpanzee Conservation Centre. They employ a three-step approach to help the chimpanzees they work with. First, chimps are rescued either as orphans of the bushmeat trade or survivors of the pet trade. They then undertake a lengthy rehabilitation process, which can take up to ten years. For the first several years, the chimps need lots of care and are taken out on daily bush walks by volunteers and integrated with other chimps. Once this is complete, Project Primate releases the successfully rehabilitated individuals back into the wild. Lastly, the volunteers spend time educating the local communities about the important role chimpanzees play within the environment. Once chimps have been released, the Project Primate team have very little contact, to minimise the risk of disease transmission and increase their chance of survival in the long term.
The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
To ensure the chimpanzee’s survival, it is vital to protect their habitat. That is exactly what the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation is doing in West Africa. Setting up eco-patrols to help stop illegal deforestation by farmers ensures the chimps have the best possible chance, and also helps to deter poachers from unlawfully taking the chimps. In addition, the Foundation undertakes regular bio-monitoring checks to form up-to-date habitat management plans. This means it can address any problems that arise in the chimp’s environment and ensure the quality of the habitat. Knowledge is power, and this group is dedicated to monitoring population trends and primate activity regularly.
The Jane Goodall Institute
ABOVE Much of the chimpanzee’s habitat is being cleared for growing crops
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) was founded in the US in 1977, and continues Dr Goodall’s pioneering studies on chimpanzee behaviour — research that has transformed scientific perceptions of these endangered primates. Today JGI is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats, and is widely recognised for establishing innovative communitycentred conservation and development programmes in Africa, as well as founding Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, a global environmental teaching programme for young people that has groups in more than 130 countries. JGI UK was founded as a charity in 1988 with a mission to prevent the extinction of chimpanzees through research and community-focused conservation, alongside environmental and humanitarian education.
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Conserving the chimpanzee
Donald Gow is the team leader for the Budongo Conservation Field Station, one of Africa’s leading conservation projects, run by Edinburgh Zoo Why do you think chimpanzees are so endearing? Chimpanzees are our nearest cousins, sharing over 95 per cent identical DNA. Like us, chimps have a long childhood and maternal and sibling bonds can persist through life. There are also close parallels between chimpanzee and human infants – their appetite for play, learning through observation and imitation, their need for reassurance and attention. Chimpanzees can also display a wide range of emotions like happiness and empathy and possess an almost human-like enjoyment of physical contact, laughter and community. Chimp non-verbal communication – hugging, patting, touching and aggressive behaviour – also appear in similar contexts to which they are seen in humans.
chimps are one of the most ecologically, economically and culturally important species on our planet. Chimps are integral to maintaining biodiversity in Africa. What do you do to help? The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is celebrating ten years as the core funder of the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS) in Uganda. One of Africa’s leading conservation projects and a world-leading centre for primate research, BCFS is also this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. BCFS is a unique conservation success story, which brings together scientists from all over the world, local people and a community of nearly 700 chimpanzees. The station combines cutting-edge research with practical action on the ground, all underpinned by local community involvement. A holistic approach, the project provides alternative livelihoods, conducts forest edge planting research and works with local schools. And it remains to this day one of the very few places in the world where wild chimpanzees are observed at close quarters in the wild.
What are the major threats they face? Threats differ from country to country, but one of the main threats is bushmeat snares, set for smaller forest animals, accidentally injuring and harming chimps. The species is also specifically targeted by poachers in some countries for the bushmeat trade. Habitat loss, encroachment and forest fragmentation are significant threats to chimpanzees as there are ever-increasing demands for land from the rapidly growing human populations – Africa currently has one of the highest human growth rates in the world. The pet trade, which involves the capture of infants and usually results in the death of their mothers and other group members, is also a threat, as are infectious diseases being spread from human to chimp populations – for example, Ebola is the main issue in some areas currently.
Do you think they can be saved for the future? Conservation work can be an uphill struggle and the odds can seem overwhelmingly stacked against a species. However, there are many dedicated people and organisations who are wholly committed to changing that. RZSS is one of those organisations and, whether it be through our ex-situ work with our chimp group at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and our close cooperation with zoo colleagues throughout Europe, or in-situ work with chimps in Africa, we have the opportunity to really make a difference for this species. In the face of so many challenges there are success stories too, such as the formation of protected national parks, rehabilitation and release programs and the halting of hunting in particular areas.
If chimpanzees were to become extinct, what would be the ecological impacts? Staggeringly, only 15 years ago, two million chimps lived in the forests of 25 separate African countries; today only five countries have significant populations and chimps have totally disappeared from some countries. The total number of chimpanzees in the wild is most recently estimated to be between 172,700 and 299,700; however there is a lack of survey data in many regions. There are four subspecies and a wide range of behavioural differences exist between groups from different regions, so the loss of any one group represents a loss of cultural and biological heritage. A priority species,
How can ordinary people get involved? RZSS is a conservation charity and receives no government funding. Instead we rely on money generated through our two visitor attractions – RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and RZSS Highland Wildlife Park – combined with fundraising activities, in order to connect people to nature and safeguard species from extinction. Our achievements, including our work with chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, are down to the generosity of supporters just like you. Please consider a donation towards protecting endangered species and their habitats by visiting www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/support-us.
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© Nature PL; Alamy; Donald Gow
Tackling the chimpanzee challenge
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Endangered
Atlantic bluefin tuna ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA Thunnus thynnus
Class Actinopterygii
Territory Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea Diet Fish and invertebrates Lifespan 15 years Adult weight 250kg (550lb) Conservation status
ENDANGERED
The bluefin tuna was once the king of the seas. Living in large shoals and hunting together, Atlantic bluefin are long-lived and highly migratory fish that can be found throughout the Atlantic Ocean. Their only crime is that, to sushi eaters, they taste delicious. Before the 1960s, bluefin tuna was only fished in small quantities; however, demand rose as the fish became a Japanese delicacy and was soon targeted heavily by commercial fisheries. Now it is on the brink of extinction, having been unsustainably fished for so long.
The causes of extinction Overfishing
Over the past few decades, numbers of bluefin tuna have declined due to commercial and also unregulated fishing. Illegal fishing of this animal means that no data is kept or analysed, and often even regulated fishery numbers are misinterpreted, making it incredibly difficult to gain the state of bluefin in the wild.
Habitat degradation
Key habitats such as spawning grounds are crucial to species survival. When these fragile locations are hit by pollution and mismanagement, such as the oil spill from Deepwater Horizon in 2010, it can have huge knock-on effects for tuna survival.
Taking young fish
Tuna statistics
It’s not just taking an excess of fish that is an issue; it’s removing the fish that are too young to have had a chance to reproduce. Bluefin develop slowly, not reaching sexual maturity until five to eight years of age. When juvenile fish are removed from the water, the species has no hope of recovery.
What you can do… WWW.WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG/TUNA
To help save the bluefin, be vigilant about what tuna you eat. Always ask restaurants and fishmongers where they get their fish, and boycott bluefin sourced from the Mediterranean. Find out more at the link above.
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A single bluefin tuna was sold in Tokyo for £1.09 million ($2 million) in January 2013
80 per cent of the world’s bluefin tuna is eaten in Japan, where it is known as ‘hon-maguro’ or ‘kuro-maguro’
Bluefin fishing was banned in the Gulf of Mexico in 1982, but fisheries still net tuna as bycatch
It’s not all bad: bluefin spawning stock in the Mediterranean has nearly doubled since the 1950s
Atlantic bluefin tuna Bluefin in the wild Two stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna are present – the east and west populations – although much of their range overlaps in the central Atlantic Ocean. This map highlights their range, and their declining numbers. East/west range overlap
Eastern population
Gulf of Mexico spawning area Western population
It is estimated that for every 50 bluefin swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in 1940 there was just one in 2010
Mediterranean Sea spawning area Experts approximate a 72 per cent decline in the western Atlantic bluefin tuna population and a 46 per cent decline in the eastern stock
What’s being done?
Alongside educating people about the tuna they eat, wildlife charities and trusts are working with fishermen to manage tuna catches
Bluefin tuna are warm-blooded, and able to regulate their body temperature – this is very unusual for a fish. The bluefin is as comfortable in the icy waters of Iceland as in the warm waters of its tropical spawning grounds. These ocean beasts can grow to a whopping two metres (6.6 feet) in length, and can live for up to 40 years. The species grows slowly, and gets to such a large size by hunting other fish, crustaceans and eels voraciously, as well as feeding on smaller oceanic offerings such as plankton. The bodies of bluefin tuna are incredibly streamlined, and these fish are built for speed. They can even retract their fins to reduce drag, and are capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) per hour as they dart through the water.
“Bluefin tuna are now so valuable that illegal fishing is rife”
© Nature PL
Why save the bluefin tuna?
The key management measures being put in place to protect the Atlantic bluefin involve setting sustainable fishing limits and developing harvest control rules for all main fishing stocks. At the moment, the purse-seine net method of fishing is a major issue; fisheries, particularly those in the Mediterranean, use circular nets that encircle a shoal of fish, and then pull the bottom of the net together to trap them. This catches a huge amount of fish, and although quotas are set, until the fish are landed and counted, the quantity that has been caught is unknown. Bluefin tuna are now so valuable that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is rife, and it’s thought that fisheries will oen sell on their excess catch and not declare it, or simply not declare their catch at all, rendering the whole process of setting quotas useless. Groups such as Pew Charitable Trusts and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are devoted to saving the bluefin tuna and are working with fishermen and other tuna consumers to bring this fish back from the brink. Their aim is to reduce the amount of tuna taken from the sea, put limits on the size of fish that is removed and to work with fisheries to find different and more sustainable methods of catching bluefin.
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Animal answers
Send your animal questions to us at:
[email protected]
Sea lions can walk on land using their long front and rear flippers There are several key differences between seals and sea lions
Seal
Hind flippers
Claws/front flippers Sea lion Ear flap
Hind flippers
Front flippers
What is the difference between seals and sea lions? Seals and sea lions are members of a group of mammals known as pinnipeds. There are three families within the group: true seals, eared seals and walruses. True seals include species like the grey, spotted, elephant and monk seals, while eared seals are not really seals at all, and include sea lions and fur seals. As the name suggests, one of the main differences
between the two families is their ears. True seals have no external ears, just one tiny hole on each side of their heads, while eared seals have small ear flaps. However, there is a simpler way to tell seals and sea lions apart; they have completely different body shapes and ways of moving. True seals are much better adapted for swimming than they are for moving around on land;
© Thinkstock; Dreamstime
Do all animals have eyelids?
Snakes cannot blink – each eye is protected by a clear scale
For humans, eyelids are crucial for keeping our eyeballs clean and moist, but many animals have different solutions. In the water, eyelids are not always necessary. Fish eyes are constantly being moistened by their environment, so they don’t need eyelids. Aquatic mammals like dolphins and whales can blink, but they do so much less often than us. Back on land, reptiles often lack eyelids too. A snake’s eyes are each covered with a thin, transparent scale, connected directly to the rest of the skin. These scales are fixed into position, keeping the eye safe but preventing any blinking. Some geckos are also unable to blink, and use their tongues to keep their eyes clear of debris. Insects have compound eyes that are completely different to our own, and do not need to be kept wet to function properly, so they have no need for eyelids at all.
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their short arms and inflexible tails make them clumsy out of the water, but beneath the waves they move gracefully, using their front limbs to steer. Eared seals have longer front limbs, and can curl their back flippers underneath their bodies. They use their front fins to pull themselves through the water, and on land, they can walk on their limbs quite effectively.
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Insect eyes are made from layers of cells, and do not need to be kept moist
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Animal answers
Which birds are unable to fly?
The largest and fastest flightless bird is the ostrich, which lives in Africa
There are a surprising number of flightless birds living today, and even more than that have been lost to extinction. Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have cassowaries, with razor sharp claws and distinctive ‘casques’ on their heads, and the Galapagos Islands are home to the only species of cormorant that cannot fly. In Australia there are emus, in South America there are rheas and in Africa there are ostriches, the largest birds on the planet. New Zealand is home to more flightless birds than any other country, with 16 living species, including kiwis and a type of flightless parrot called a kakapo. Then, of course, there are the penguins, which are found along coastlines across the Southern Hemisphere.
Do animals ever help each other? Survival in the wild is tough, but many species have found that things are easier when they work together, known to scientists as ‘biological altruism’. This most oen happens among animals of the same species. For example, if a herd of prey animals are eating and one individual spots danger, they oen alert the rest of the group, risking drawing attention to themselves in order to save the others. However, there are examples of animals aiding one another in a completely different way, and some of the most widely observed animal helpers are dolphins. Reports of dolphins helping sailors date back to ancient times, and more recently, there have been many occasions where dolphins have come to the rescue when other animals are in trouble. They have been reported guiding stranded whales back out to sea, nudging injured companions towards the surface for air, and even protecting human divers from circling sharks.
Pinhole eyes are like a primitive version of our own eyes
Which animal has the largest number of eyes? Spiders might seem like good contenders for the title of ‘most eyes in the animal kingdom’, but even with an impressive eight, they don’t come close to the record holders. If you’re looking for animals with lots of eyes, the best place to search is under the sea. Nautiluses and giant clams have eyes like pinhole cameras; rather than having a lens, they simply have a hole. This hole functions a little like a pupil, allowing the animals to vary how much light enters the eye. These primitive eyes are not
great for building up detailed pictures of the environment, but they can rapidly detect changes in light and shadow, perfect for detecting movement nearby. Giant clams need this ability because they have colonies of photosynthesising algae living in their bodies. The clams open up to expose this algae to the light, allowing it to grow, but if something dangerous swims overhead, they need to snap shut for protection. To do this, they have not one or two, but thousands of tiny eyes lining each side of their mantle.
Dolphins are known to help other animals, including humans
Q.How can you tell giraffe species apart?
Find out at…
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Wildlife photography
All-weather wildlife photography Discover how to keep shooting in all conditions and get the best wildlife photos you’ve ever taken Rainy day shooting Capture atmospheric mist Deal with bright sunlight
Shooting in dramatic weather conditions can lead to even more dynamic shots
Essential kit to help you shoot in any weather
Rain cover If you’re oen out on wet days, a weathersealed camera will be useful. A rain cover is a must, though, to further protect your kit.
Warm clothing In cold weather, layer up with a hat and a warm jacket. Fingerless gloves will enable you to easily operate your camera.
Spare batteries In the cold, you need to keep your battery warm or it drains quickly. In between shoots, take batteries out and store them close to you.
It can be tempting to only go out on a photo shoot when the weather is just right, but you may be missing out on some fantastic image opportunities. We will show you how to shoot on a bright, sunny day and get the best results, but there are also ways to get lovely shots in the rain or snow too, so there’s no need to avoid these times. Incorporating the raindrops into your photo can add an extra dimension, and mist can add a fantastic sense of atmosphere. Find out how to avoid dull captures while keeping your kit safe with the following tips and tricks for shooting, whatever the weather.
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Lens hood A lens hood will help stop the light hitting the side of your lens on bright days. Without one you could get flare and a lack of contrast.
Wildlife photography
Tip 1
Let it snow
Avoid dull, grey shots with this top advice Snow is actually a very useful tool for wildlife photography, as it helps you easily track animal footprints. It can also leave you with really captivating animal imagery, especially when combining the cool white tones with the warm glow of sunrise and sunset. The difficulty of shooting in the snow, however, is that shots can often appear murky, or the whites can take on a blue colour cast. Experiment with your white balance presets, but you’ll likely need Cloudy or Shade to warm up the tones. If you shoot in RAW you can always go and tweak the colour temperature later too. To stop the whites appearing grey, check out ‘Get the right exposure’ below.
✗
With the wrong white balance, this shot has an unpleasant blue hue, and the snow is duller than it is in real life
Protect your kit Be sure to acclimatise your kit to warm temperatures again when you come inside by placing it in a ziplock bag for an hour, otherwise condensation can build up.
Get the right exposure
Learn how to overexpose snowy shots to make whites true to their colour
Use a semi-manual mode Set your camera to Aperture Priority (A or Av) with a wide aperture (low f number) to create a nice blurry background.
Compensate The brightness of snow can lead to the wrong exposure, so use positive exposure compensation of around +1 or +2EV.
Spot meter You can tell your camera to expose for the animal and not the snow; use spot metering and place your focus point over the animal.
With the correct white balance, the colours are much more true to life
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Wildlife photography Tip 2
If you are out in wet weather, keep a lens cloth to hand to regularly wipe off any spots of rain from the front of your lens
Embrace the rain
Make the most of rainy days and get even better results Rainy day shots can actually look very effective, and you’ll often capture different animal behaviour during these times too. Keep yourself (and your kit) sheltered, though, by using a hide, shooting from your car or even just using an umbrella. The light will be low when it’s raining, so raise your ISO to help the sensor be more sensitive to the light, if need be. Alternatively, wait for breaks in the cloud, when you can often get beautiful pools of light streaming into your images.
To capture the rain in the shot, look for a dark background for it to show up well against and use a shutter speed of around 1/60sec for it to appear as blurry streaks across the image. You’ll only be able to do this if the animal is still though, otherwise they’ll be blurry too. Think about how much of the sky you want to include in the shot, depending on how grey and cloudy it is. If it’s just one unattractive block of grey then you might want to crop in closer to the wildlife or compose so there is less sky in the shot.
To improve its stability, avoid extending the centre column of your tripod on a windy day
Give it a boost If your colours have come out a little dull on a rainy day shoot, try boosting the saturation slightly in an app or editing programme like Adobe Photoshop.
Tip 3
Shoot in strong wind
Avoid blurry shots caused by camera shake with these tripod tricks It’s not just the movement of your hands that can blur your shots; wind can cause problems too. When you’re using a tripod, wind can cause vibrations that result in a loss of sharpness in the image. When setting up the tripod, keep it as low as possible. Extend the legs before the centre column and hang a bag or another heavy item from the hook in the middle to keep it sturdy. Also, be sure to set up on solid ground if you can.
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Wildlife photography Tip 4
Misty marvels
Meter for the background to make the animal a silhouette, creating a dramatic, misty shot
Capture atmosphere by incorporating misty weather into your photographs Mist can really help to add a sense of atmosphere to your animal images but it can only be found when the air currents and temperature are just right. Head out late evening or early morning when the temperature differences between night and day are most extreme, and look for areas with a body of water. The direction of light is key, and shots look best when backlit. Position yourself with the animal in between you and the sun so beams of light shine through.
Tip 5
Bright days allow you to freeze the action with really fast shutter speeds
Work with glaring sunlight Sunny days are useful for wildlife photography, as they allow you to use faster shutter speeds to help freeze the action. Near the middle of the day you may even be able to push your shutter up to speeds of 1/1500sec allowing you to capture very rapid movements. However, you may need to use spot metering to tell your camera to meter from the animal rather than include the bright background in its reading. Strong sunlight can cause harsh shadows, however, so to deal with this you may wish to move into a shaded area for more even lighting. If you are shooting macro subjects like insects, use a diffuser to soften the look, or even position yourself so your body acts as a shield from the Sun.
@ Thinkstock
Embrace the Sun or block it out to get great results on bright days
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Charles Kinsey
“This photo was taken in Svalbard. When we arrived at this particular ord, there were a number of polar bears hanging around waiting for the tide to go out so that they could feed on an old whale carcass which was only accessible at low tide. This photo was taken from a Zodiac.”
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Scooter blennies Cat Neal
“I am lucky enough to have my own little reef at home and this is where my scooter blennies live. They are amazing at blending in to the reef!”
Your animals Malayan horned frog
Sami Asad
“This grumpy-looking frog comes with some of the best dead leaf camouflage about! The edges of the eyes and nose are shaped like the tips of dead leaves and protrusions on the back give the illusion of fungus growing on the leaf!”
Face off
Charlie Debenham “I was in Ecuador observing some Galapagos tortoises when these two started fighting. I caught this picture as they were facing off with each other!”
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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.
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Animal trivia
Test your animal knowledge 1. HAVE YOU GOAT IT?
3. HARPING ON
How many breeds of domestic goat are there in the world?
Can you identify the seal?
a. Over 50
b. Over 100
c. Over 200
d. Over 300
a.
b.
2. FINE FEATHERS
4. OUT OF AFRICA
Can you tell which crane is the tallest, smallest, rarest and has the longest migration?
How many countries does the tropical African rainforest habitat span?
a.
b.
Whooping
a. 6
b. 5
c. 7
d. 4
5. AMAZING ARTHROPOD
Demoiselle
Golden tortoise beetles are able to change what?
c.
d.
Siberian
Sarus
a. Their sex
b. Their shell
c. Their colour
d. Their wings
6. CAN YOU ‘EAR THAT? a.
b.
Match the animal to its hearing ability c. d.
“My precision sets my hearing apart”
“My hearing range is four times better than a human’s”
Long-eared owl
Dolphin
“The large surface area of my ears helps regulate my body temperature”
Dog
“My ears are just decorative”
Fennec fox
e. “I use echolocation to find my prey”
Green violetear
Answers 1. d) Over 300 2. a) Rarest b) Smallest c) Longest migration d) Tallest 3. a) Grey seal b) Harp seal 4. a) 6 5. c) Their colour 6. a) Long-eared owl b) Dog c) Fennec fox d) Green violetear e) Dolphin
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