WHY SHARKS SHOULD BE SAVED AND NOT FEARED From the makers of
TM
ALL ABOUT
BEES
ANIMAL OLYMPIANS
THE INCREDIBLE INSECTS THAT GIVE US HONEY
MEET THE INCREDIBLE TRACK AND FIELD STARS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
OVER
200 ANIMAL FACTS
BIRDS THAT CAN’T FLY UNCOVER SIX WINGED WONDERS THAT HAVE OVERCOME THE NEED FOR FLIGHT
THE TRUTH ABOUT
BEARS
PLUS WOLVES ELEPHANTS FROGS CRABS
30 UNBELIEVABLE FACTS ABOUT THESE MAGNIFICENT MAMMALS
THE BURROWERS BIZARRE TARSIERS
COLOURFUL CRUSTACEANS
THE COOLEST LIZARDS ON EARTH
WILDLIFE OF COSTA RICA
ISSUE 36
Stolen from the wild. Her mother killed. Please help end this cruelty. Join our campaign to end bear bile farming.
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Welcome Did you know that a grizzly bear eats 20,000 calories a day (the equivalent of 20 full English breakfasts) or that a polar bear can jump to 1.83 metres (six feet)? Want to know more? Then check out our 30 Amazing Bear Facts on page 14. As excitement builds for the Rio Olympics, we reveal the animals that give human athletes a run for their money, from the speedy cheetah to the mighty dung beetle. Meet the track and field stars of the animal kingdom on page 32. It is not only big and strong animals that are awe-inspiring. These insects may be tiny, but one out of every three bites of food in America alone comes from the honeybee. The incredible pollinators are also the only insects that produce food for humans. Read all about these industrious honey makers on page 24. The issue is packed full of fun facts about the world’s most fascinating species. Enjoy!
Zara Gaspar Editor
Editor’s picks Vets without borders When we think of a vet, we tend to think about check-ups for our pets, but in this issue we meet the vets saving animals across the globe, from amputee elephants to lions living in box-like cages. Read all about it on page 68. Birds that can’t fly It’s an odd quirk of evolution that there are birds that have wings, but don’t actually fly. Read all about the flightless wonders of the world, from the waddling penguin to the striding emu, by turning over to page 76.
© Will Burrard-Lucas; Thinkstock
Meet the team…
Designer Lauren Debono-Elliot
Staff Writer Naomi Harding
Picture Editor Tim Hunt
Don’t upset a grizzly bear, they have a bite-force strong enough to crush a bowling ball! See more amazing bear facts on page 14.
Sharks desperately need a better public image (see page 62). Did you know that over 20 were killed while you read this sentence?
The humble honeybee is a hard worker and they are capable of amazing things. Bee amazed by their work on page 24.
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Welcome to Issue 36 06 Reader survey
08 Amazing animals 14 The truth about bears
54 Explore the Earth: Costa Rica Journey to the land of tree frogs and sloths
62 Conserving sharks
30 unbelievable facts about these magnificent mammals
23 Bizarre tarsier
Meet the mammal with eyes bigger than its brain
24 All about honeybees Discover the incredible insect that gives us honey
32 Animal athletes
Meet the track and field stars of the animal kingdom
Read all about the work being done to save these amazing apex predators
68 Vets without borders
An interview with the founder of the Worldwide Veterinary Service
70 Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis
Meet the inhabitants of this European shrubland
42 17 facts about geckos
76 Birds that can’t fly
44 The burrowers
78 Imagine a world without wildlife
Uncover the secrets of this intriguing lizard Find out all about the creatures that live underground
53 Lost forever: the steller’s sea cow
The marine mammal that was hunted to extinction not long after it was discovered
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
4
62
70
Why some wings have been rendered useless for flight
Animals we couldn’t survive without
82 Colourful crustaceans
5 of the most beautiful underwater suits of armour
32
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
88 Keeping in touch
92 Readers’ Q&A
BEARS 14
30 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THESE MIGHTY MAMMALS 54
96 Quiz
Test your animal knowledge
44 42
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The amazing world of animals
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© Getty; Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography
The amazing world of animals
A group of mallard ducks make quite a splash as they gather at a creek in Massapequa, New York One of the most abundant and recognised ducks on the planet, these ducks like to take refuge in calm, shallow waters. They are social animals and oen gather together in large groups.
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© Getty; Matthias Graben
The amazing world of animals
A western lowland gorilla calmly munches on some pink flowers in Limbe, Cameroon Western lowland gorillas have a sweet tooth and love eating fruit, which they will o en travel far to find, but they also eat around 200 different plant species, including flowers, leaves and stems.
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A playful brown bear cub looks like it’s enjoying a big bear cuddle from its mother Bears love to play, especially when they are cubs. It helps to stimulate the brain, gives them some exercise, and teaches them the skills they will need later in life.
© Alamy; Arterra Picture Library
The amazing world of animals
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The amazing world of animals
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Two wild male horses go head to head in a fight for the right to mate with the herd Deep in the Cincar Mountains of Bosnia, these two powerful, feral stallions battle it out in a bid for dominance. The winner will lead the herd while the loser retreats with their tail between their legs.
© Vedran Vidak/Bournemouth News/REX/Shutterstock
The amazing world of animals
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AMAZING FACTS ABOUT
BEARS
Bears are some of the most charismatic creatures on Earth, from Paddington bear to polar bears. Here are 30 of the most incredible facts about these furry mammals Words Naomi Harding
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30 amazing facts about bears
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30 amazing facts about bears
As intelligent as great apes Bears are often portrayed as simple animals – clumsy, cuddly, lovable creatures bumbling around the forest on a neverending hunt for food. But it may surprise you to know that some scientists rank bears up there with the great apes, even boasting the same intelligence as a three-year-old human child. Their intelligence can be demonstrated purely by how curious they are, and they will often stand on their hind legs to get a better view or have a sniff of their surroundings. They love exploring and finding objects to play with and treats to eat. We often look to signs of tool use as a sign of intelligence, and it’s a skill bears certainly aren’t lacking. The use of sticks and branches to scratch their backs is often observed, and even more complex problem solving was seen in the grizzly bear who used a wooden plank as a bridge to cross a patch of bramble and retrieve a coke can it had spotted. Despite all this, they are lacking spatial awareness, not always taking into account what is going on around them, and they can be easily distracted by food. Once they have found a meal they become engrossed, completely oblivious to their surroundings. That’s why it’s best to make your presence known when walking through the woods, so you don’t catch a bear unawares. RIGHT Bears have far better navigation skills than humans do
“Believe it or not, they aren’t actually white – their fur contains no pigment at all. Each hair is transparent and hollow” Polar bears aren’t white
Polar bears are instantly recognisable for their vividly white coats. But believe it or not, they aren’t actually white – their fur contains no pigment at all. Each hair is transparent and hollow, and only appears white as it reflects and scatters visible light. As a result, polar bears seem to us masters of disguise, but not every animal sees them this way. While their fur reflects visible light, it absorbs ultraviolet light, making the polar bears appear black to animals able to see UV light. Reindeer, for example, are the only mammals able to see UV light. They can spot the bears from a mile away, making it extremely difficult for a polar bear to catch a venison dinner. The structure of their fur is perhaps why, when in captivity, polar bears can have a yellow or green tinge, as algae grows in the hollow spaces in warmer environments. Beneath the not-so-white fur, polar bears have black skin. As black reflects the least amount of light, and therefore heat, it is probable this helps the bears stay warm on the snow.
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A sloth of bears
Bears are solitary creatures, with the exception of mating and when mothers care for their cubs. But if you were to ever see a group of bears taking a stroll through the forest, you would be seeing a sloth of bears. Apart from when it’s pandas, then they are an embarrassment. Collective nouns tend to reflect the creature’s character. As bears are famously clumsy, it’s not hard to see how these endearing animals received theirs. ABOVE Although bears tend to keep to themselves they can be quite social animals
30 amazing facts about bears
There are no bears in Africa Bears are found all over the world, but they are noticeably absent from Africa. It seems strange that there are no bears here, particularly when the continent is synonymous with biodiversity and life. But just because there are no bears present today, it doesn’t mean there never have been. There used to be a subspecies of brown bear living in Africa called the atlas bear, but when the Roman Empire extended down into North Africa, the atlas bear disappeared soon after. The bears were hunted to extinction for both sport and entertainment. The Romans were known for throwing the bears into amphitheatres with other large predators, jeering with excitement as the animals fought to the death. The bears were also used as a way to purge society of its criminals, and people convicted of crimes would quickly find themselves face to face with the fearsome animal. By 1870 the last known individual on the continent was shot by hunters in Morocco. It is probably no coincidence the species became extinct shortly after the further development of weaponry and firearms in 1850.
Six out of eight bear species are threatened with extinction
An astonishing 75 per cent of the world’s bear species faces extinction. This is largely due to habitat loss on a global scale. As the human population increases, so does the need for space and resources. Humans are encroaching on bear habitat in a way they never have before by converting land for development or tearing down forests for timber use. This confines bears to a smaller area, where they must compete for food and shelter, resulting in habitats that are able to support fewer and fewer animals.
Black bear Sloth bear Spectacled bear Brown bear Polar bear Asian black bear Sun bear Panda bear
MOST ENDANGERED Panda bear Sun bear Asiatic black bear Sloth bear Andean bear Polar bear Brown bear American black bear LEAST ENDANGERED
“An astonishing 75 per cent of the world’s bear species are facing extinction, largely due to habitat loss on a global scale” 17
30 amazing facts about bears RIGHT Grizzly bears have a very similar jaw and tooth arrangement to dogs
A grizzly’s bite-force is strong enough to crush a bowling ball Polar bears are nearly twice the height of the average human
The polar bear is considered the largest bear on Earth. Standing at up to an impressive three metres (ten feet) on its hind legs, it easily dwarfs any human.
They aren’t named after their colour
Brown bears can sometimes have black fur, and black bears can be brown, or even white (they’re called Kermode or Spirit bears). The white colouration is due to a recessive gene.
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When it comes to bite-force, the grizzly bear is one of the strongest animals alive. Bears have 42 teeth, which is ten more than the average human. The sharp canines are larger than those of a tiger, despite most bears having an omnivorous diet. It’s not just the teeth that are equipped to deal some serious damage. Bears have incredibly strong jaw
muscles, allowing them to bite down and crush bone with ease. The bite of a grizzly bear is so strong it measures 1250psi (pressure per square inch) – more than enough force to crush a bowling ball. By comparison, humans have a bite force of just 150psi. It’s little wonder the grizzly bear Ursus horribilis translates to ‘terrifying bear’; although it looks cute it is incredibly powerful.
“The bite of a grizzly bear is so strong it measures 1250psi (pressure per square inch) – more than enough force to crush a bowling ball” Russians took guns into space for protection against bears
Soviet cosmonauts were so afraid of bears they took a shotgun into space with them just in case they found themselves stranded in bear country.
All polar bears can trace their lineage back to one brown bear
The brown bear was a female living in Ireland around 50,000 years ago. Around the time there were two species of bear in overlapping ranges.
Sun bears have incredibly long tongues
Sun bears’ tongues can measure around 25 centimetres (ten inches), meaning they can easily access their favourite meals deep down in ant nests and beehives.
30 amazing facts about bears
They have super senses Imagine being able to smell a cheeseburger 32 kilometres (20 miles) away - that is the distance at which a polar bear can smell its prey across the ice. Bears have a sense of smell that is 2,100 times greater than ours. They are even able to sense and follow a human’s scent 14 hours after they have passed by. Their sense of smell is so powerful they outperform bloodhounds – dogs specifically bred for their nose. Alongside their super sense of smell, they also have pretty good eyesight. To enhance their night vision, bears have a layer at the back of their eyes called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light into the back of the eye so they can see to forage and hunt. This layer is what gives bears the ‘cat’s-eye’ shine in the dark. Studies with polar bears, black bears and panda bears also indicate that they have vision as acute as ours during the day and can even see in colour, just like us. Lens Iris
Retina
Pupil
The tapetum lucidum is what makes bears’ eyes appear green in the dark when light reflects from the back of the eye. Tapetum lucidum
Reflected light
Chorcid
Cornea
Grizzly bears eat 20,000 calories a day
Bears steer clear of tigers
Big animals come with big appetites. To survive, a grizzly bear has to eat 20,000 calories a day. In a more human context, this equates to around 20 full English breakfasts every day. Bears mostly live on a diet of nuts, berries, carrion and some fish when they can find it. These foods are all much lower in calories than our greasy breakfasts, so the search for their next snack never ends.
Spectacled bears are prized for their gall bladders
They are hunted throughout South America for the illegal wildlife trade and their gall bladders, which are used in traditional Asian medicines. They can be sold for as much as US$150 each.
= 1000 kcals 20 of these is one day’s calories
Baloo was a sloth bear
The laid-back singing and dancing bear from Disney’s The Jungle Book was a sloth bear. Although Baloo doesn’t look much like a sloth bear with his grey fur, it is the only bear species found living in the jungles of India.
The only predator of adult bears is the tiger. The biggest of the big cats is known to hunt brown bears, sloth bears and sun bears. Most other predators are wise enough not to challenge a fully grown bear, so they will go for the cubs instead, but the tiger makes for a formidable opponent. To keep safe, mother bears will keep their young on their backs for around nine months, rather than leaving cubs unattended in trees (as is the strategy for bears in tiger-less forests). In other parts of the world, where tigers aren’t present, bears are le to roam freely without fear. Polar bears have no predators on the ice. Meanwhile the gentle panda bear may look cute, but it is extremely powerful and would have no trouble fighting off a snow leopard, so they usually don’t try unless they catch a glimpse of an unattended cub.
Male bears are called boars and female bears are called sows
Although they share these terms with pigs, it is a misconception that they are related. Bears are no more related to pigs than humans are.
Teddy bears were nicknamed after US president Roosevelt The association began aer a hunting trip in 1902, when he refused to shoot a bear that had been tied to a tree. He called it ‘unsportsmanlike’.
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30 amazing facts about bears
Bears don’t hibernate Bears are possibly one of the most famous cases of hibernation, but whether they do actually hibernate is up for debate. True hibernators such as ground squirrels, bats and mouse lemurs reduce their body temperature to a degree close to freezing, whereas bears only reduce their body temperature by around
10 degrees. Their metabolic rate also does not slow down quite as much as true hibernators and, also unlike true hibernators, they are able to wake up quickly and easily to respond to threats. So if bears aren’t hibernating, where do they go in winter? Well, they certainly slow down, that’s for sure. Bears spend the
autumn eating lots and increasing their body fat to ensure they have the energy reserves to see them through the cold weather when food is scarce. Many scientists believe that their period of winter inactivity is more like a winter lethargy, or torpor, as it is more like an extended nap than a deep sleep.
RIGHT Bears are not true hibernators, but rather extreme nap takers
“To make sure they are getting their daily calorie intake, panda bears have to consume around 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of bamboo every day” Panda bears spend 16 hours a day eating
Pandas will eat around 20 different varieties of bamboo, but it is difficult to digest and contains very little in the way of nutrients. To make sure they are getting their daily calorie intake, panda bears have to consume around 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of bamboo every day. Eating so much plant matter is definitely time consuming, and can take 16 hours of continual grazing for a panda to get its fill.
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The ice isn’t the only thing shrinking in the Arctic
One of the main chemicals accumulating in the blubber of seals, and subsequently in polar bears’ food, is organohalogens, which can act like hormones once in the body. This has led to shrinking penis and testicle size in males and a reduction in ovary size in females. This is particularly alarming as polar bears have a low rate of reproductive success anyway. Human pollutants are likely to cause further damage to reproductive rates for the future. Bears grow slowly, mate infrequently, and mature at a late age, meaning they are slow to recover from anything that damages their population. At a time when polar bears are undergoing severe habitat loss, it is an extra threat they may not be able to overcome.
30 amazing facts about bears
Bears come in all sizes While the largest species of bear is the polar bear, the smallest one is the sun bear. Standing at just 1.2 metres (four feet) tall when
Human
Polar bear
Brown grizzly bear
standing, these little bears love seeking out beehives, earning them the nickname ‘honey bear’ across Southeast Asia.
American black bear
Asian black bear
Spectacled Sloth bear bear
Sun bear
“While the largest species of bear is the polar bear, the smallest one is the sun bear”
Brown grizzly bear
Sloth bear
Polar bear
Black bear
Bears have big claws
Bears love to dig, whether it’s a mother black bear digging a winter den for her cubs, or a sloth bear tearing apart a termite nest for a tasty treat. Claws come in handy and increase the dexterity of a bear. All eight species have claws, which also help to defend against any potential threats. When faced with a fight, bears can be seen using their paws to bat an attacker, making sure they make good use of those long, curved, sharp claws.
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30 amazing facts about bears The original word for ‘bear’ has been lost
Much in the way wizards fear to say Voldemort’s name in Harry Potter, it’s said that medieval societies were scared to say the word for bear, fearing it would summon the creature. The word actually meant ‘the brown one’; this alternative was used so commonly the animal’s original name has been long forgotten.
You can learn a lot about a bear from its posture Bears have earned themselves a fearsome reputation as unpredictable predators. But this isn’t always the case. Very few animals are unpredictable and once you’ve learnt a bit about bear behaviour it gets easier to understand what they’re thinking. By looking at their posture and hearing the different noises they make, it is
possible to understand what sort of mood the bear is in or if it feels threatened. For example, happy bears make grunting noises, which quickly turn to a blowing sound when they start to feel scared. Meanwhile, a bear standing on its hind legs is probably feeling curious about something and trying to get a better look.
© Thinkstock; Alan D. Wilson; NaturePL; Getty; Alamy; freevectormaps.com
Some towns use bear-proof rubbish bins to discourage bears from looting We’ve all heard the saying ‘the devil makes work for idle hands’ and nothing could be truer for bears. When salmon stocks decline and bears have fewer fish to hunt, they keep themselves busy by strolling into nearby towns in search of food. Bears are very intelligent and quickly learn how to come up with solutions to their problems. However this can be a dangerous situation, as hungry bears can get aggressive and are likely to take more risks in order to survive. A study found that when salmon populations declined by 50 per cent, the number of bears killed per square kilometre increased by 20 per cent. Although many animals will go for the easy option and scavenge for food in human settlements, the same isn’t quite true for bears. As a rule, they generally go for the natural food option when available; it’s only in times of desperation they start to wander closer to civilisation. The temptation proves too much, particularly when there is an abundance of grill houses, waste bins and discarded food. Interestingly, recent research suggests that waste food is turning bears into lazy couch potatoes.
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RIGHT When salmon stocks decline, humanbear conflict soars
Paddington Bear was a spectacled bear He was said to be a friendly bear from ‘deepest, darkest Peru’. This would make him an Andean – or spectacled – bear, although we’re not quite sure where his love of marmalade sandwiches came from.
They like to eat different things
Only one of the eight species, the polar bear, is considered carnivorous due to a diet consisting mostly of seal blubber. Panda bears are almost exclusively herbivores, spending most of their time munching on bamboo. The other six species are somewhere in between, eating a varied diet of nuts, seeds, berries, human trash and meat.
A bear fought in WW2
Wojtek was taken on by the Polish army between 1942 and 1963; originally a Private he was eventually promoted to a Corporal. The bear helped with carrying shells and ammunition to the front line during the Second World War.
Polar bears are strong swimmers
A record-breaking female polar bear swam for nine whole days straight in search of sea ice. During this time she covered 687 kilometres (426 miles). While this is certainly impressive and adds to our knowledge of polar bear strength, it’s likely an unfortunate result of disappearing sea ice. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to these bears.
Bizarre! The tiny primate with eyes as big as its brain This strange little mammal has enormous eyes, super long fingers and a head that can turn 180 degrees to spot its prey in the dark
PHILIPPINE TARSIER Tarsius syrichta Class Mammalia
Territory Southeastern Philippines Diet Insects, small birds, bats, lizards, snakes Lifespan Up to 16 years Adult weight 113-142g (4-5oz) Conservation Status
NEAR THREATENED
Their heads can turn 180 degrees This shy and elusive creature has the ability to see behind it without moving its body. Like an owl it can rotate its head around 180 degrees to spot its dinner. Once ready to attack, it uses the long nails on its fingers and toes to dig in.
They’re the only carnivorous apes The tarsier’s diet is mainly made up of insects, but they are also known to eat small birds, bats, lizards and snakes. Unlike most arboreal animals. They do not hunt by moving around; instead they wait silently until they are ready to pounce on their prey.
They are tiny, but their babies are huge
The ankle bone or tarsus is where tarsiers get their name. It is because of this bone that this incredible primate is able to jump 40 times the length of its own body. They can leap distances of five metres (16.4 feet) between trees, although they tend to stay quite close to the ground.
Tarsiers give birth to the largest babies in the animal kingdom, relative to their body size. Their young are born with their big eyes open and at one day they can already jump. They develop very quickly and are even able to hunt by themselves after just one month.
They have the largest eyes of all mammals Relative to its body size, the tarsier has the largest eyes of any mammal. Measuring 16 millimetres (0.63 inches), each eyeball can equal the size of its brain. This nocturnal creature uses its huge peepers and sensitive large ears to make it easier to hunt in the dark.
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© Dreamstime
The name tarsier comes from its ankle bone
All about the honeybee
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The honeybee
All About
The honeybee
These banded insects that some think of as pests live in complex societies and supply the world with one of nature’s most amazing natural food sources
Words Amy Grisdale
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All about the honeybee
Busy as a bee Honeybees do much more than just buzz Like many other social insects, bees live in strict social structures that are made up of several different roles. The queen is the only fertile female and she is responsible for laying all of the eggs. This happens during winter, when she fills each honeycomb cell with a bee-to-be around half the size of a grain of rice. A queen honeybee can produce up to 2,000 eggs in a single day and only needs to mate once in her lifetime to fertilise all of the eggs she can lay. Most of the hatchling bees will be workers. These are sterile females that perform all of the crucial tasks that keep the hive alive from collecting nectar to acting as security guards. Bizarrely, worker behaviour changes as the animal ages and this is known as ‘age polyethism’. Newly hatched bees clean the cells in which they developed and prepare them for honey storage or another egg. Once this is over
they begin to maintain the hive and perform general tasks for the good of the colony from removing waste to helping fresh air circulate. The most important task that the workers face is gathering food, and although work goes on in the hive around the clock foraging can only occur in daylight. A honeybee visits over 60 species of plant during its short lifetime to collect as much sweet nectar as possible. Pollen and nectar are generally the only things a bee will ever eat, but when these are scarce they may take plant spores or even sticky honeydew secreted by insects. Once nectar has been harvested from a flower it is stored in the bee’s stomach. It is passed from worker to worker and becomes more concentrated as it loses water with each transfer. Some of this collected food is eaten, and the rest is stored to help the colony survive the winter.
Honeybees can even lay down their lives for the sake of the colony. When stinging an attacking predator, the barbed sting and associated venom glands are ripped from the body. This causes an extremely sharp pain that may discourage the predator from pursuing the hive, but the stinging bee will die shortly afterwards. This isn’t true of all bees, and most species can survive to sting again like bumblebees and leaf cutter bees. Despite their best weapon also being a deadly threat, honeybees are unlikely to go extinct any time soon. They have been domesticated over 15,000 years and are distributed all over the planet. While this is great news for honey lovers, the rest of the world’s 4,000 species of bee could face serious danger of extinction and there is still work to be done to protect them.
“An extremely sharp pain may discourage a predator from pursuing the hive, but the stinging bee will die shortly afterwards.” The many jobs of a worker bee A honeybee holds down a great multitude of careers from the first day of life until the very end
Interior decoration Growing workers cover the inside walls of the hive with a substance called propolis to fill in any small gaps in the walls.
Mopping up Rather than being cleaned by a parent, young bees tidy up aer themselves and leave the comb sparkling.
Serving her majesty Attendant bees feed and groom the queen, along with collecting and spreading a pheromone that causes all the colony to follow her.
Wax-making Glands in the abdomen secrete mouldable wax the bee can use to repair damaged honeycomb and build cells for new eggs.
Preparing dinner Drones, the colony’s males, cannot feed themselves so the workers act as food servers for them.
Honey storage Once the honey has enough water removed, it is tightly sealed into the honeycomb to prevent it absorbing moisture from air.
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Hatching A baby bee gets to work straight away as soon as it has emerged from the honeycomb. Nursing Just days into life, a honeybee takes on the task of feeding growing larvae protein-rich royal jelly.
The graveyard shift If dead bees or unhatched larvae mount up they begin to decay and use up valuable space, so workers dispose of them.
The honeybee The dance of the honeybees These insects don’t need words to communicate and like tango dancers they allow their moves to do the talking
The more vigorous the dance, the richer the source of food is. This tells the other bees if it is worth the effort of visiting the new feeding ground, especially if it is a long way away.
Fragments of pollen on the dancer’s antennae give surrounding bees a taste of what’s ahead. However, it seems bees are subject to the fear of the unknown as 93 per cent of bees will return to familiar food sources even aer witnessing a waggle dance.
When a honeybee wants to tell others about the location of new food sources it performs a short dance. It takes place near the hive entrance to allow observing workers to take flight as soon as it has finished.
The steps are relatively simple, though they convey a complex message. The bee moves in a figure-of-eight pattern and takes a straight path in between loops. All the while the dancing bee flutters its wings while the rest of the workers watch.
While it may look subtle, each aspect of the dance contains vital information. The longer the waggling continues, the further away the food source. Those watching the performance are able to understand the exact distance from the duration of the dance alone.
A dancing bee can even wordlessly communicate the direction in which the rest of the colony has to travel. The angle of the waggle walk relates to the sun’s position, allowing onlookers to detect which direction to travel.
BELOW Honeybees travel from 3.2-8km (25m) from the hive to forage for food
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All about the honeybee
Inside the honeybee
Wing muscle
The bee’s anatomy is anything but simple. Despite their small size, honeybees have powerful brains, a potent venom gland and sweet saliva. It takes a complicated mechanism to mass produce honey and keep the cavernous colony under control EUROPEAN HONEYBEE
Spiracles
Apis mellifera Class Insect
Territory Europe, Asia and Africa Diet Herbivore Lifespan Up to 10 months Adult weight Up to 300mg (0.01oz) Conservation Status
NOT EVALUATED
These air holes are in place of lungs and are controlled by rings of muscle. They are opened and closed at will.
Air sacs Crop
Heart
A simple organ pumps amber-coloured, oxygen-free blood around the body. It is an open system, meaning blood is not encased in vessels but is found all around the animal’s organs.
Ovary
Rectum
Sting
This fragile lance is fuelled with a venom gland and is used as a last resort against a predator.
Wax glands
Four pairs of glands develop wax and then flatten back once the wax production is over.
JUVENILE
INFANCY Laying an egg Day 1 The queen inserts her fertilised eggs into a cell in the honeycomb where it begins to grow.
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Initial larva Day 3 Each egg hatches, releasing a tiny larval grub. This worm-like infant is fed by adult workers and will soon grow to 1,500 times its size.
Filling the cell Day 10 Soon the larva grows so much that there’s no more room in the honeycomb wall. It is then sealed by a worker.
MATURITY Pupa development Day 18 The animal’s body parts begin to resemble their adult form and the pupating bee grows hair all over the body.
Emerging as an adult Day 24 The fully grown bee leaves the honeycomb cell and instantly begins to clean up aer itself.
Babysitting new bees Day 30 Though less than a month ago they were in the very same cells, young workers begin to feed the next generation of growing larvae.
The honeybee Salivary gland
Two ducts fuse and open into the mouth, secreting saliva that is full of protein and amino acids. Though it sounds unpleasant, bee saliva finds its way into both the royal jelly and honey produced in the hive.
Compound eye Many small eye units sit side by side and all the images gathered by each eye are combined to make a panoramic view of the environment. A bee’s eyes are best at detecting fast movement.
Brain
Around 10 times more dense than a mammalian brain and around the size of a mustard seed, bees have some serious brainpower. They can recognise different colours, complete calculations and even solve mazes.
Antenna
Aorta Ocellus
Wings Two pairs of wings are attached to each side of the thorax, and the front wings are longer than those at the rear. The wings flap around 230 times per second, and if carrying a heavy load the bee makes each stroke longer without changing the wing tempo.
Jointed legs Each of the three body segments has a pair of legs that are covered in hairs that help pollen cling to the bee. The front limbs help the bee taste, and each leg is responsible for cleaning the pollen-covered area in front of it.
Antenna
Pharynx
Designer babies Queen bees actively choose which eggs to fertilise to determine the gender of the offspring. Fertilised eggs develop into female workers whereas unfertilised eggs give rise to fertile male drones. These are known as haploid in terms of their genetics, as they essentially have DNA from only one parent, leaving them with 16 chromosomes instead of the usual 32.
The honeybee family
Ganglia
Wax workers Day 42 Building new comb cells enables the colony to expand, so wax production is an important stage in a bee’s life.
Every bee colony is made up of different morphs that each fill a vital role
Foraging Day 50 Travelling up to 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) per day, bees learn to find food and how to communicate about the best places to visit.
Short lifespan Month 2 - 10 Bees will keep working continuously until their lives end, which can happen at any stage, though queens can live for up to three years.
Worker A colony can have up to 80,000 of these infertile females. These are the bees we see buzzing around flowerbeds collecting nectar and take on most of the hard work inside the hive. They are the smallest form of honeybee and make up 99 per cent of the colony.
Drone One per cent of a beehive is drones. These are the only males and they don’t have a sting. Drones congregate outside the hive rather than mate within their colony. All the sperm a bee produces is genetically identical so direct siblings are clones of one another.
Queen There is only one queen at the top of the bee family and her main function is to produce eggs. She stores sperm in her body and then selectively releases it over time. When mating with a drone, his reproductive organ detaches as he flies away.
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All about the honeybee
Disappearing honeybees Although these bees are unlikely to disappear any time soon they are still in decline. Since 2006 they have been vulnerable to ‘colony collapse disorder’, a mystifying syndrome that leaves all the adult bees dead except the queen. Even more bizarrely, when collapsed colonies are discovered no bodies are found, the workers and drones simply disappear. There is no clear reason why this phenomenon occurs, and starvation can be ruled out as deserted hives usually have adequate honey supplies. Between 20 and 30 per cent of colonies don’t survive winter and colony collapse disorder accounts for up to 60 per cent of those. This disorder has been reported less frequently since 2010, but there are several more factors that have caused bee numbers to tumble. Pesticides have played a significant role, and chemicals that have become common in agriculture directly harm bee populations
No fruit without bees It’s said that one in every three bites of food in the USA relies on honeybees, and if they were to disappear there are foods that we would never taste again
Kiwi
Lemon
Apple
Mango
Strawberry
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as well as causing deadly antibiotic resistance. A single field in North America can be exposed to up to 21 different chemicals and bees are dying in their millions year after year. Thankfully, these insects have the world’s attention and conservation efforts are well underway. Organisations plant wildflowers and native grasses on uncultivated land to provide food for foraging bees and target areas with the highest bee density. Research is ongoing into exactly how we can avoid chemical poisoning, and while the puzzle is being solved in labs around the world there are things anybody can do to help. Plant bee-friendly herbs and flowers and leave a water basin in your garden to keep visitors refreshed. Be careful about what kind of honey you buy, opt for a local raw variety if possible, and try not to use pesticides or other chemicals on your lawn.
Plant these to save bees If you have space in your garden, why not plant something that isn’t just beautiful but could change a local bee’s life
Foxglove
Crocus
Not a bee!
Witch hazel
Imposters of the gentle honeybee have given it a bad name, and the following examples may look similar but are definitely not friendly honey-makers
German yellowjacket Capable of invading unfamiliar territory and stinging repeatedly, the German yellowjacket has become quite common.
European hornet The large European hornet is known to chew through walls if it becomes trapped and attempts to build a new entrance.
Hoverfly Harmless hoverflies gorge themselves on pesky aphids while disguised in yellow stripes to bamboozle predators.
European paper wasp European paper wasps prefer to hide their nests in closed voids, from inside the garage roof to small light fixtures.
Bald-faced hornet Despite being known as the bald-faced hornet it is not a true hornet species, and actually helps wipe up other pesky wasp species.
Borage
© CSIRO; The Art Agency/Sandra Doyle; Thinkstock; Getty; Alamy;
Wild lilac
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Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Animal Olympians
A cheetah’s speed is extra enhanced by their non-retractable claws, which help them grip the earth as they accelerate
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Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
ANIMAL OLYMPIANS The excitement is building for the Rio 2016 Olympic games, but who are the gold medal winners of the animal kingdom? Discover the creature champions of track, field and water… Words Ella Carter
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Sharp shooter The amazing archerfish spits jets of water with incredible accuracy, to knock its prey into the water and into its open mouth… Lurking in tropical estuarine waters of India, Australia and Polynesia are some fish who aren’t afraid to spit at what they want. The archerfish are small shoaling fish that use an amazing way to get their insect prey to come to them. These fish manipulate the water around them and use it as a tool. By flattening their gill covers they force water through a gun barrel that they form using their tongue against the roof of their mouth. They shoot a stream of water into the air, and as it travels the water collects at the top of the stream and acts like the ball of a fist, knocking the unsuspecting insect into the water. What’s amazing is that these fish can hit targets up to 3m (9.84ft) away. They can adjust the water pressure of the stream to suit the distance, and even aim accurately with account for refraction! A human using a bow, or a fish using its mouth, archery is a skill of precision!
Young archerfish start shooting water at just 2.5cm (0.98in) in length, but like any skill it needs practising before its shots become more accurate.
USAIN BOLT
World record 2009 Speed 100m (328ft) in 9.58 seconds Height 195cm (6.4ft) Weight 94kg (14.8st) Nationality Jamaica
CHEETAH
Top speed 120kph (74.6mph) Height 1m (3.3ft) at the shoulder Weight 50-64kg (7.9 -10st) Species name: Acinonyx jubatus
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Animal Olympians
Fastest
The fastest thing on four legs, the mighty cheetah can reach burst speeds of an incredible 120kph (74.6mph) It’s well known that these lithe, spotted big cats of the Sub-Saharan grasslands can launch into incredible bursts of speed to catch prey. The cheetah is able to accelerate at 10 metres per second, and can reach 64 kilometres per hour in just three powerful strides. Feeding primarily on hoofed animals like gazelles, the cheetah needs to be quick enough to chase and catch these flighty animals. The big cat’s body is super light, lean and streamlined with a very flexible spine, allowing it to curve expertly to complement the long stride. The cheetah’s
heart, nostrils and lungs are enlarged to ensure maximum oxygen delivery at top speeds. The tail (which can be half the cheetah’s total length) works as both a rudder and a counterbalance to keep the cat grounded and allowing for prey securing, high-speed zigzag manoeuvres. The bust of motion takes its toll on the animal however, and the cheetah can only run at top speed for around 500 metres (1,640 feet). It then needs to rest. This often means that cheetahs can lose their kills to larger animals, as they aren’t equipped for fighting off other predators.
Bolt is the first person to hold world records for both the 100m and 200m sprints since automatic time measurements became mandatory in 1977.
Top speed 44.64kph (27.7mph)
Top sprinters
120kph (74.6mph)
Check out these other lightning-fast animals, capable of reaching incredible speeds
Peregrine falcon
Although technically not a ‘sprinter’, this is the fastest animal in the world. During its hunting stoop, the falcon drops through the sky onto its prey, reaching speeds over 320kph (198.8mph).
Gazelle
The gazelle’s amazing speed is one of the reasons why cheetahs need to run fast – to catch up with them! These nimble animals can top bust speeds of 64kph (39.8 mph) and above.
Ostrich
The fastest birds on land, the ostrich can sprint at 70kph (43.5mph). Their long legs can cover strides of three to five metres (9.8-16.4ft), which compensates for their inability to fly.
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Animal Olympians
Hop to it
Hopping is a swi and efficient mode of transportation! Here are just a few of the world’s best animal jumpers
Best jumper
Performing a long jump of up to 15m (49.2ft), the snow leopard can leap ten times the length of its own body
Hare
The hare’s muscly back feet make up nearly 30 per cent of its body length! Using these powerful feet, hares can make 3m (9.84) hops and reach burst speeds of 50kph (21mph). JUMP Nearly 5.5 times its body length
The beautiful snow leopard is perfectly adapted for life in the rugged, mountainous landscapes of Central Asia. This cat has a big appetite and is a voracious hunter. To survive in the craggy, snowy peaks of mountains and be able to catch enough prey to survive you need to be good at one thing: jumping. An adult snow leopard can execute a leap that can cover a distance of 15m (49.2ft). This comes in very handy when both stalking prey and navigating the mountainous terrain. The outstandingly
Flea
These tiny parasites have an amazing ability – the world’s best jump. They use multiple joints in their back legs to transfer energy, enabling the flea to make astounding leaps. JUMP Up to 150 times its body length
Frog
The power for a frog’s jump comes from the tendons in the legs, and not the muscles. Depending on the species, some frogs can make jumps of over 2m (6.56). JUMP 20 times their own length
Wallaby
Like their kangaroo cousins, wallabies spring their way across the bush. Large back feet propel them hop aer hop, allowing them to jump both high and far simultaneously. JUMP 2.5 times its own height
Impala
Although they might not look like expert jumpers, impalas can clear distances of 10m (32.8) and heights of 3m (9.84) with a single jump, which is good for escaping predators. JUMP 3.5 times its own height
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ABOVE Red kangaroos are expert hoppers. With huge hind legs that provide expert springiness, a kangaroo can hop over 8m (26.2) in a single leap and reach hopping speeds of over 56kph (34.8mph)!
springy ability is supported by a few key adaptations. First of all, the long and strong tail is key. This tail can extend to nearly a metre (3.28ft) behind the snow leopard, and it helps the cat to balance and keep on course. The large and muscular hind limbs provide the thrust to propel the cat through the air, and the leopard’s large paws enable a sturdy landing, even on snow. These gravitydefying leaps help the snow leopard to stalk prey of Tibetan blue sheep (bharal) from a distance of 10-15m (32.8-49.2ft).
Animal Olympians Snow leopards live at altitudes of 3-5,000m (9,842-16,404ft). Thick fur keeps them warm in the snow, and the intricate pattern blends in with the wintery surroundings.
Still holding the long jump record, Mike Powell has won the world championships twice, and competed at the Olympics three times for the sport.
Jump distance 8.95m (29.4ft) 15m (49.4ft)
MIKE POWELL
World Record: 1991 Length of jump: 8.95m (29.4ft) Height: 188cm (6.17ft) Weight: 79kg (12.4st) Nationality: USA
SNOW LEOPARD
Distance it can jump: 15m (49.4ft) Length: 240cm (94.4in) including tail Weight: 54kg (8.5st) Species name: Panthera uncia
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Animal Olympians
Best diver
Capable of slipping into the water from a 30m (98.4ft) dive and emerging with a successful meal makes the gannet a powerful feathery missile
Gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, and can be seen bombing into the water in a spectacular hunting display. The gannets spot the fish beneath the waves, and can then launch themselves into an almighty dive. As they plummet seaward their wings are at right angles to their bodies, but right before they hit the water they draw their wings back so that they are a perfectly streamlined shape. This enables them to enter the sea unharmed. If these birds didn’t fold their wings when travelling at 96kph (59.6mph), hitting the sea would be like hitting concrete. Pockets of air and fat within their bodies help to cushion the impact. Once in the water, the gannets can flap their wings to reach a depth of up to 12m (39.4ft). A fish can be secured and swallowed underwater before the bird returns to the surface to then take off and start the process again.
Ren Qian celebrated her 15th birthday on the day she won the gold medal for the women’s 10m (32.8ft) platform dive at the FINA World Championships
A successful entry to the water for both human and bird is all about streamlining and minimum splash
Gannets live up to 35 years. They spend their winters feeding at sea, and then come to specific coastal locations to breed during summer months.
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GANNET
REN QIAN
Achievement: 2016 Diving record: Women’s Platform diving, world rank #1 Nationality: China
Diving stat: 96kph (59.6mph) dive, down to 12m (39.4ft) depth Length: wingspan 1.6m (5.25ft) Weight: 2.5-4kg (5.511.9lb) Species name: Morus bassanus
Animal Olympians
Strongest
Capable of lifting 1,140 times its bodyweight, the dung beetle beats every animal when it comes to proportional strength Once worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians, the humble dung beetle is actually the strongest animal in the world. Weighing just 2 grams (0.07 ounces), but capable of pulling 2.28 kilograms (five pounds) the dung beetle has the equivalent strength of a human being able to shift the weight of six doubledecker buses.
The dung beetle’s amazing proportional strength is due to its small size to weight ratio. Smaller creatures such as insects are able to lift more weight, because (very simply put) there is less of their body weight to lift too. The dung beetle uses his incredible strength to roll up big balls of dung, and to secure and protect his mate. Beetles use dung for sustenance and shelter. Males feed on the dung to build their strength, and the females use dung to protect their eggs.
Animal weightlifters Gorilla
With a stocky, muscular body, a male silverback gorilla is approximately 15 times stronger than the average man.
1,000kg (2,205lb)
roughly equivalent to an average walrus
Elephant Elephants can carry around 25% of their bodyweight; they can lift around 300kg (661lb) using their trunk alone!
17x
1,500kg (3,306lb)
roughly equivalent to 1 and a half Fiat 500s
Ox
Used to work the fields for farming before modern machinery and still useful today, ox can pull a staggeringly heavy weight – whether that’s a plough or a fully-loaded cart.
900kg (141.7st)
Weight lifted
Tiger
2.86 times body weight 1,140 times body weight
roughly equivalent to nine washing machines
Brian Shaw has finished in the top four of the WSM competition every year since 2011, and has won the title in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Tigers can carry around double their bodyweight, and can sometimes drag their large kills up into trees.
540kg (1,190.5lb)
roughly equivalent to six average weight adult men
Grizzly bear
A grizzly bear can easily overcome any other predators that may cross its path. With strong legs and long claws, it is superiorly muscular best.
500kg (1,102.3lb)
roughly equivalent to the weight of a thoroughbred racehorse
= weight the animal can carry
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Animal Xxxxxxxxxxxxx Olympians
Best boxer
You could fit 90 mantis shrimp strikes into the time it takes for a human eye to blink!
Despite its tiny size, the mantis shrimp is a real heavyweight, packing a punch with the force of a 22-calibre bullet The mantis shrimp lives in the warm shallows of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This tiny critter stays close to its home, and when it goes out hunting, it’s looking for creatures that are most often larger and stronger than it is. The reason for its bravery is the fact that this shrimp is a champion boxer. Held up against its carapace, just beneath its head, are two supremely hard clubs, attached to two strong, spring-loaded arms. It looks a lot like the front arms of a preying mantis. When its prey comes into sight, the shrimp releases the energy in the arms and within a fraction of a second it reaches out and clubs its prey with a deathblow. The clubs accelerate at over 80kph (49.7mph), with a force of 150kg (330.7lbs), up to 2500 times its bodyweight. The lightning-quick response is phenomenal.
Best swimmer
© Thinkstock; Rex Features; Getty; FreePik; FLPA; Alamy
Capable of 100kph (62mph) in the water, this armed and streamlined living torpedo is not your average swimming buddy The sailfish is the ultimate prize for any sea angler. Why? Because as the fastest fish in the ocean, they’re pretty darn hard to catch. With colossal, tapering bodies fronted with a long spear-like bill, propelled by a muscular tail and stabilised with a huge dorsal fin that’s taller than the fish’s body is wide, these fish are built for nothing but speed. The huge dorsal fin can be retracted into a groove to ensure that when speed is needed, the fin creates no extra drag. The fish raises its giant sail-like fin when its threatened or excited. The spear cuts through the water ahead of the fish, and when all fins are flat against the body the fish is able to cruise at a speed equalling one body length per second. All of the thrust is generated by contractions of the muscular body and tail, and sharp fins allow for swift direction changes.
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Britta Steffen won two gold medals in the 2008 Olympic games for the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle and one bronze in 2000 for the 4x200m.
Top speed 8.6kph (5.342 mph) 110kph (68.4mph)
Around 40% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction. To prevent a catastrophe from unfolding, Durrell has launched the Saving Amphibians from Extinction (SAFE) programme. We are committed to stopping the alarming decline of amphibians before it’s too late. Amphibian species are vital to the health of the planet.
Boophis goudotii PHOTO Jeff Dawson
Saving Amphibians From Extinction
Help us secure the survival of threatened amphibians in some of the most at risk locations on the planet by donating today. Visit www.durrell.org/safe
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saving species from extinction
17 Amazing facts Geckos
These sticky little wide-eyed reptiles captured our hearts right from the gecko
They can lose their tails Geckos are able to detach their tail when threatened by a predator, in the hope the tail will act as a decoy while they make a quick getaway. Some species return to the scene of the amputation to make a meal out of the severed limb. Most gecko tails are particularly fat, as it’s where lots of nutrients are stored. So when they need to leave a limb at will, they remember where to return.
They’re double-jointed
Van der Waals forces are really strong and there’s no way to turn them off, so in order for the gecko to move, and not stay permanently stuck to one position, an important part of their physiology helps them do so. They may look funny, but their toes can bend the opposite way to ours. This helps them peel their sticky feet off surfaces when they want to move by curling their joints upwards.
The Virgin Islands dwarf gecko is the smallest species of gecko, and one of the smallest vertebrates in the world. It grows to just 1.8 centimetres (0.71 inches) long. Gecko feet can stick to every surface known to man, with one exception - Teflon. The non-stick man-made material is so effective that a gecko that can hang upside down from glass with one toe isn’t able to grip on. There are around 6,000 species of lizard, and about 1,500 of these are geckos belonging to the infraorder Gekkota.
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They have crazy eyes
Geckos have vertical pupils; some have pupils that narrow into stacked pinholes. Slitshaped pupils are usually found in predators and nocturnal creatures, such as the gecko. The stacked arrangement is yet to be explained and the relationship between animal pupils and their ecological niches are still being explored. Because they are nocturnal, they have specially adapted eyes to help them see in darkness. Their eyes are around 350 times more sensitive to light than ours.
Geckos The word gecko comes from an Indonesian-Malay word ‘gekoq’, which is onomatopoeic and sounds like the chirping noise they make when communicating with one another.
They lick their eyes to keep them clean
Unlike us, some geckos do not have eyelids. Instead, to protect their delicate eyes, they have a clear membrane covering the surface. The eyelid’s function is to keep the eye moist and wipe away any debris. To compensate for this, geckos use their tongue to lick their eyes.
In times of need, some species of female gecko are parthenogenic, meaning they are able to reproduce without the presence of a male. The ability to lose a limb at will is known as autotomy, which comes from the Greek language, meaning self-amputation. The largest known species was the kawekaweau, now extinct; it was endemic to New Zealand and reached lengths of 60 centimetres (24 inches). Some geckos are able to change colour, like a chameleon. However, they aren’t just doing it to avoid predation but also to better sneak up on their prey.
In Madagascar, some sneaky geckos disguise themselves as foliage, complete with tails that look like leaves. They have no ears Geckos don’t have external ears like we do; instead they have a tunnel connecting their eardrums. Mammals judge where a sound is coming from by judging the time delay between the time taken for the sound to get to each ear, but this is harder for smaller animals – whose ears are close together – to do. The tunnel helps to amplify the difference. This is why they look like they have holes either side of their head. If you were to shine a torch through one side, you would see light come out the other.
The Jesus Christ lizard is well known for its ability to run across water at high speed to escape being eaten. The Brazilian pygmy gecko, on the other hand, takes this to a whole new level and is able to not only run across water, but stand on the surface. This is due to their extremely light body weight and hydrophobic skin, which repels water molecules.
Some people think they’re good luck
In many places geckos symbolise good luck, particularly in Hawaii as they enter homes and rid people of any unwanted insects, such as mosquitoes, spiders and cockroaches. In Sri Lanka, if you hear a gecko’s chirp consider it a warning but if you hear a tokay gecko call out seven times in Thailand it’s good luck.
© Alamy; Thinkstock
They have unsinkable waterresistant abilities
Geckos have hairy feet The bottoms of their feet are covered with millions of tiny hairs called setae. Each one of these little bristles are in turn, covered with thousands of even smaller hairs called spatulae. The purpose of having so many microscopic structures lining their toes is to increase the surface area to an extremely large size compared to the small reptile. Geckos are able to grip to surfaces through ‘van der Waals’ forces (molecular attractions). The tokay gecko can support its entire body weight with just one toe.
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The burrowers
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MEET THE
BURROWERS There’s a whole world of wildlife living under your feet. Going underground is an essential part of survival for these mammals Words Matt Ayres
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The burrowers
A molehill
Moles can survive for long periods underground thanks to specialised blood cells
Moles live secret lives underground thanks to their terrific tunnelling skills Everything about moles is adapted to a life spent underground. Their powerful front legs and paws help them to dig tunnels efficiently, propelling them through the dirt in a swift swimming motion. To compensate for poor visibility, a mole’s snout is able to smell in stereo – each nostril works independently, detecting subterranean morsels like earthworms with impressive accuracy. Even the mole’s blood cells are designed with burrowing in mind – these contain special haemoglobin proteins, allowing the animal to reuse oxygen inhaled above ground. As they spend so much time underground, most people have never seen a mole in the wild. Yet almost everyone has seen a molehill. These mounds of dirt are comprised of the excess soil excavated by moles digging and repairing tunnels. Gardeners and farmers may find them a nuisance, but moles play an important role in aerating and tilling soil, making it more fertile. As such, dirt taken from molehills makes excellent potting soil.
Permanent tunnel Permanent tunnels connect the nest with feeding runways, allowing the mole to scurry around underground without having to dig new passages every time.
Feeding runways Shallow tunnels near the surface, dug for the purpose of catching prey. Worms and insects find it difficult to escape from these smooth, compacted runways.
Molehill While digging their feeding runways near the surface, moles push excess soil upwards, creating molehills. A single mole is capable of creating dozens of molehills.
Nest A round cavity that is roughly 0.6m (2) deep underground. This is padded with vegetation to form a protective shell and insulate the nest.
How to identify a molehill Look for conical mounds of loose soil in fields and other green spaces, which indicate that a mole’s network of tunnels can be found below. Molehills are not necessarily where the mole has popped out of the ground, but are a sign that the mole has been burrowing close to the surface and has pushed all of the excess dirt upwards.
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The burrowers
A fox’s den
Entrance The entrance to a fox’s earth is usually taller than it is wide, with a gap of approximately 20cm (7.9in) at its widest point.
Foxes are cunning enough to sniff out burrowing opportunities in human environments Even urban foxes need to find a place to burrow when mating season comes around. Their underground dens (known as earths) are a safe haven for newborn fox kits where they remain with their mother for two weeks while the father hunts and brings back food. As foxes have adapted to live in towns and cities, they are often restricted in terms of places to make their burrows. Many end up making their dens in people’s gardens; in flower beds, compost heaps and under garages and sheds. You may welcome the sight of cute fox kits in your garden, but avoid getting too close – foxes who lose their fear of humans often end up sneaking into homes, usually making a right old mess.
“Fox earths are a safe haven for newborn fox kits”
Den The burrow is a protective den for the fox’s offspring. Excess soil is cleared during springtime to make room for kits to eat and play.
Ramp Fox burrows are not particularly complex. A gradually sloping underground ramp is all they need to reach their dens, which are usually around 2m (6.6) deep.
Food store Cavities branching off from the main ramp are used to store food. Scraps of food are also commonly found around the earth entrance.
How to identify a fox’s den A single entrance hole is usually all you’ll see of a fox’s earth. The hole will be roughly 20cm (7.9in) in diameter, and you may find food remains or a musty smell outside it when the den is occupied. Earths can be found almost everywhere, but are particularly common in hillocks or banks. Earths are most likely to be occupied in spring, when breeding occurs.
Fox kits stay underground with their mother until they are old enough to explore the outside world
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A badger’s sett Badgers are obsessed with keeping their enormous underground homes neat and tidy European badgers live in some of the most impressive burrows found in the animal kingdom. Their setts, which are passed on throughout generations of badger families, can be centuries old, and are sometimes large enough to accommodate multiple families. With such complex, long-lasting homes, it’s perhaps no surprise that badgers are known for their housekeeping talents. They are incredibly clean, regularly clearing out old bedding from their sleeping chambers and replacing it with fresh grass and straw. They also dig communal latrines outside, ensuring that no fellow badger stinks out the sett Badgers rely on their sensitive noses to help them find their way through the dark
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by defecating inside it. Burrowing prowess is also reflected in badger anatomy. Their short but strong legs are tipped with elongated claws, helping them to scoop away dirt with ease. With flexible and muscular snouts, their sensitive noses are also used for digging and probing. This can be particularly useful for sniffing out rabbits, which sometimes inhabit hard to reach chambers within the badgers’ extensive sett. Foxes are also known to take advantage of badgers’ vast underground homes. Despite being rival predators, the two species will generally tolerate one another thanks to a mutualistic relationship – badgers feed on food scraps left behind by foxes, while foxes benefit from the burrow maintenance skills of their hosts.
The burrowers Sleeping chamber Badgers keep their sleeping chambers immaculately clean, replacing their bedding with fresh vegetation on dry nights. Used bedding is deposited outside on the spoil heap.
Spoil heap Badgers pile up excavated earth outside their holes. Discarded bedding and badger hairs can usually be found amongst the dirt.
Entrance Setts typically contain multiple entrance holes. Some are used on a regular basis, while others may have fallen into disuse.
Paths An active sett will be surrounded by paths, which show where generations of badgers have followed the same route to and from the burrow.
How to identify a badger’s sett Badger setts vary in terms of size and number of entrances, with some containing more than 50 entrance holes. Holes are usually no more than 30cm (12in) in diameter, broader than they are tall, and have a characteristic sideways ‘D’ shaped opening. Look out for broad paths leading to the holes, with fresh bedding stored outside during winter and a latrine site nearby.
Setts can be many decades old, with badger families sharing the same burrow for generations
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The burrowers
A water vole’s burrow Water voles dig underground escape routes to avoid being eaten It’s not easy being a water vole. The already meagre five-month lifespan of these small, defenceless rodents is regularly cut short by a wide range of powerful predators, including cats, foxes, hawks, owls, weasels and mink. Living in such hazardous hunting grounds, water voles treasure their burrows as a safe place to hide. They excavate underground homes in the banks of rivers, ponds and streams, providing a useful escape route from predators. Being talented swimmers, water voles are also able to enter their burrows through underwater entrances. If they happen to be spotted by a predator while foraging for their favourite water-dwelling grasses and plants, water voles will make a beeline for their holes. These provide a snug haven from most predators. However, one animal, the American mink, is slender and agile enough to enter their burrows. A fast decline in water vole populations has largely been attributed to this invasive species. Farming and watercourse management have also been cited as reasons for water voles’ increasing rarity. They are currently the UK’s fastest declining mammal, although the recovery of European otters in British waters has helped somewhat. These carnivores are a useful ally against the encroaching American mink, attacking the smaller mustelids to defend their habitats.
Food store Finding food throughout winter can be tough for water voles. Their burrows contain a food store to prevent starvation during cold weather.
Lawn A telltale sign of water vole occupation, lawns of closely cut vegetation near the burrow entrance show where water voles have been repeatedly grazing.
Although commonly mistaken for rats, water voles belong to a completely different family of rodents, Cricetidae
Entrance Water voles enter their burrow via a small, circular entrance above ground. Other entrances can be found underwater, and are used as bolt holes when swimming.
Nest A ball-shaped nest of grass and other plant material provides a cosy place for the water vole to sleep within the burrow.
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The burrowers
“Living in such hazardous hunting grounds, water voles treasure their burrows as a safe place to hide”
How to identify a water vole’s burrow Water vole burrows can usually be found close to the water’s edge. The entrance to the burrow is a circular hole, roughly 5cm (2in) in diameter. Look for a ‘lawn’ of closely cropped vegetation near the hole, which indicates where a water vole has been grazing. Feeding ras made from thick vegetation allow water voles to sit on the surface of the water
If the hole is muddy and littered with food remains, it is probably a rat burrow.
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The burrowers
A rabbit’s warren Rabbits burrow in numbers to protect their young and fend off predators Famed for their remarkable reproduction abilities, rabbits rely on their burrows as a protective environment for their blind, furless babies, known as kits. Networks of these burrows are called warrens, and each warren houses a lively and sociable colony of up to 20 rabbits. Warrens consist of multiple living chambers, connected by a maze-like network of tunnels. By burrowing in groups, rabbits are afforded a greater chance of survival. They benefit from the territorial tendencies of their neighbours: with lots of rabbits protecting their homes in the same space, nesting babies become less vulnerable to attacks from predators. And with more twitching ears and sniffling noses on the lookout for swooping owls and stealthy foxes, the chance of survival becomes significantly greater. Domestic rabbits retain their burrowing instincts, so it’s a good idea to provide pet bunnies with a special digging area: soil, sand and wood shavings can all help to satisfy this need. A group of rabbits is called a warren, named aer the collective burrows they live in
Bank By burrowing on hilly ground such as banks, wild rabbits benefit from natural drainage, which helps to prevent their homes from flooding.
© The Art Agency/Ken Oliver; Thinkstock; NaturePL; Getty; FLPA; Dreamstime; Alamy; Shutterstock
How to identify a rabbit’s warren Rabbit warrens are found on sloped ground in a wide variety of habitats, including woods, forests and fields. Holes are approximately 15cm (6in) in diameter and slope downwards at a shallow angle.
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Multiple holes close together indicate where different rabbits enter to reach their nests. Droppings, fur and grazed vegetation are all promising signs that an area is occupied by wild rabbits.
Nest Rabbit kits begin their lives in the nest, a cosy underground hollow that’s been insulated with grass, moss and fur from the mother rabbit’s belly.
Tunnel Rabbits dig tunnels with their front paws and push out excess dirt with their powerful back legs. The tunnels are around 1m (3.3) in length.
Entrance Gentle sloping entrances allow rabbits to hop in and out of their burrows with minimal hassle. A warren has multiple entrances leading to different nests.
L Steller’s sea cow OST FOREV ER
Russia
A gentle giant hunted to extinction for its meat and fur not long after it was even discovered
Rounded snout A rounded downturned snout helped the animal graze efficiently.
Bering Sea
Thick blubber Its blubber was around ten centimetres (four inches) thick and reportedly tasted like almond oil. One animal was said to feed 33 men for a month.
No teeth Because of its diet, the sea cow didn’t need teeth. Instead it had broad pads to chew kelp.
icy cold environment with thick layers of blubber to protect its internal organs and if its living relatives are anything to go by, it was likely to be a slow-swimming gentle giant. A group of explorers who found themselves shipwrecked on Bering Island during an expedition discovered the sea cow in 1741 and while waiting to be rescued a naturalist onboard began to document the animal. The team also hunted and fed on the marine mammals to survive as the enormous size of the sea cow meant they were an excellent source of food for Russian hunters. Word soon spread amongst explorers and Bering Island and the surrounding waters soon became a popular stopover for Russian fur and meat hunters. The creature was driven to extinction not long after.
Last seen…
Date: 1768 Location: Russia Due to aggressive hunting, the sea cow was presumed extinct by 1768 and there have been no recorded sightings since. Population modelling has revealed that more than 1,500 animals would have been slaughtered between 1741 and 1768 to lead to its demise.
“They were an excellent source of food for Russian hunters”
© freevectormaps.com; Alan Batley
The Steller’s sea cow was a large herbivorous marine mammal of the order Sirenia, named after the mysterious siren mermaids from Greek mythology. This group has just four living members today: three species of manatee and the dugong. The Steller’s sea cow was the largest member of the family, dwarfing the manatee and measuring up to nine metres (30 feet) in length and around 10,000 kilograms (10 tonnes) in weight. There is not much information about the giant creature and not many people know it even ever existed possibly due to the fact that it disappeared 250 years ago. The large sea cow wandered the Bering sea, which is just north of the North Pacific Ocean, grazing on the meadows of grass growing on the sea floor of the shallow waters. The creature was perfectly adapted to its
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Explore the Earth
WILD
COSTA RICA Located on a narrow strip of land where the plants and animals of North and South America can mingle, this enchanting country is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, and a must-visit for any nature lover Words Alex Dale
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Wild Costa Rica Travel expert Sarah Meils’ natural curiosity about the world inspired her to pursue a degree in tourism and she is now a travel writer for Costa Rica Experts Costa Rica has so many unique opportunities to see animals in their natural environment. Its year-round tropical climate is a hotbed of biodiversity ideally suited for regeneration and renewal. From the gregarious wildlife of the rainforest canopy to the migrating marine life that frequents the coast, scientists and wildlife enthusiasts from around the world flock to catch a glimpse of the perplexing animal behaviours and sophisticated ecosystems of Costa Rica. Hike through the remote rainforests of the Osa Peninsula, where nearly one-tenth of the mammal species in the Americas can be found including the rare jaguar and tapir. Go birding in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in search of the elusive resplendent quetzal bird. Explore Marino Ballena National Park, where humpback whales come to breed and raise their young. Finally, don’t miss Tortuguero, home to the mass annual sea turtle nesting known as arribada.
Coatimundi
Map key 1 Tortuguero National Park 2 Santa Rosa National Park 3 Chirripó National Park 4 Arenal Volcano National Park 5 Corcovado National Park
This adaptable member of the raccoon family makes itself at home in almost every wooded environment Costa Rica has to offer – from oak to lowland rainforest. A strong climber, this diurnal species rests in crudely-built nests high in the canopies.
Blue jeans frog
A common sight in Caribbean-facing reserves such as La Selva and Tortuguero, this poison-dart frog is unmistakable with its fire-engine red body and blue legs (and while toxic, fortunately contact is not lethal to humans).
Leafcutter ant
These enterprising ants can be seen carrying pieces of leaves many times bigger than themselves to their nest, where they use it to grow a fungus, which they in turn feed on. You'll find them everywhere in Costa Rica – even in the cities!
Scarlet Macaw
What you need to know When to go
We recommend visiting during high season (December-April) as many national parks are off the beaten track, and rainfall can render rural roads impassable.
How to get there
You can travel direct from London to either the capital, San Jose, or Liberia – the former of the two is more central and offers better access to the Osa Penisula.
West Indian manatee
Otherwise known as the 'sea cow' because of its grazing habits, this enormous aquatic mammal can be found in estuaries and slow-moving rivers on the Caribbean side, but given that they can hold their breath for 12 minutes at a time, don't hold yours for an immediate sighting.
Orca
Some 25 species of whale and dolphin can be seen in Costa Rica's waters. Drake Bay, on the north side of the Osa Peninsula, is a hotspot; here you can find orcas, short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins.
This gregarious, noisy bird is the largest parrot species in the Americas, and in Costa Rica is largely restricted to the forests of the Osa Peninsula. They flock in large numbers, travelling long distances in their hunt for fruits and nuts in the rainforest treetops.
What the weather will do
It rains a lot throughout the year, even in high season, but temperatures are consistent year round; a pleasant average of 22-26 degrees Celsius, peaking in May.
What to take
A change of clothing and waterproof bags. Insect repellent is essential. Costa Rica is not in a high-risk malarial zone, but there are occasional zika virus outbreaks.
What you’ll see
Costa Rica crams an incredible number of ecosystems into a small strip of land, and often you’ll encounter spots where pristine rainforest and endless beaches intersect.
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Explore the Earth
Bow to the quetzal, sacred bird of the Mayans With its glittering plumage and dramatic tail streamers, the resplendent quetzal’s striking appearance makes it appear like a deity among birds – and for many centuries, the region’s indigenous people treated it as such. The resplendent quetzal was sacred to both the Aztec and the Mayan people, who considered the bird a symbol of light and goodness. The bird found expression in local mythology in the form of Quetzalcoatl the wind god, commonly depicted as a feathered serpent adorned with the bird’s stunning plumes. Its feathers were considered a symbol of wealth, and high priests and rulers would often decorate themselves with the quetzal’s tail feathers. In the present day, these reclusive birds can be difficult to spot, but the mountain forests of Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and San Gerardo de Dota valley offer the greatest odds. The former is one of the most famous quetzal habitats in the world. The best time to visit is during nesting season from February to May, when pairs retreat to higher elevations to find suitable holes in the avocado trees in which to lay their eggs. Local guides will be able to steer you in the direction of popular nesting sites – from a respectable distance on the park’s network of suspension bridges, of course.
Go eye-to-eye with nature’s wonders on a night hike As the sun sets on Costa Rica, the day is only just beginning for the country’s rich tapestry of nocturnal wildlife – from sloths to scorpions, owls to olingos – the tree-dwelling distant relatives of the raccoon. Thankfully, these wonders are by no means inaccessible to travellers. Numerous places throughout the country, such as the Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge and Wildlife Refuge north-west of the capital San José, operate night walks. It’s in these circumstances that you will have the best chance of
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encountering one of Costa Rica’s most famous inhabitants, and someone who looks like they’ve had a few late nights on the town: the redeyed tree frog. This tree frog is curiously difficult to spot during the day, as it sleeps stuck to the bottom-side of leaves, camouflaging itself by concealing its bright stomach and limbs. When threatened by a predator, it uses its conspicuous colouring as a defensive mechanism, suddenly snapping its vivid scarlet eyes open and flashing its orange webbed feet, startling the threat long enough for the frog to make a hop for safety.
Wild Costa Rica More than wildlife
Stone spheres
An assortment of over three hundred boulders that were sand-polished into smooth spherical sculptures by the Diquis people 500-1,500 years ago. Their exact purpose remains unknown.
San Jose Central Market
Established in 1880, this bustling, hectic market takes in tens of thousands of visitors on a daily basis, and its narrow alleys pack in over 200 different stalls and restaurants.
Coffee tour
Coffee production plays a key role in Costa Rica’s economy. Plantation tours such as those organised by Café Britt show your gourmet coffee’s journey from bean to cup.
Guaitil Pottery Studio
The village of Guaitil has a pottery-making heritage that dates back thousands of years. Here descendants of the Chorotega tribe will teach you how to cra clay pots by hand.
Gold Museum artefacts
Based in downtown San Jose, the preColumbian museum holds a collection of over 1,600 golden artefacts craed by numerous indigenous Latin American cultures.
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Explore the Earth
Watch turtles lay eggs on the remote Tortuguero beach Tortuguero (“Land of Turtles”) is possibly the most important turtle-nesting site in the Western Hemisphere. Species such as the hawksbill, giant leatherback, loggerhead and the endangered green sea turtle (pictured) lay their eggs across the region’s 35.4 kilometres (22 miles) of protected beach. There is plenty for nature lovers to see and do in Tortuguero and the surrounding National Park; for example, a tour boat ride through the neighbouring creeks and lagoons, where you can catch sight of caimans, river otters and – if you’re lucky – the West Indian manatee. The feature attraction however occurs between April and October, where guided tours take you to nesting sites under the blanket of night, where female green sea and leatherback turtles arrive to lay their eggs. Visit between November and January and you’ll likely miss the parents, but take a stroll across the beach in the late evening when temperatures begin to cool and you might catch sight of freshly-hatched baby turtles darting to the sea.
Go on the prowl for the jaguar Once widespread across Costa Rica, the graceful and deadly jaguar has seen its range and numbers plummet in recent times, due to poaching and deforestation. Today, it can only be found in the country’s protected forest reserves, such as Corcovado National Park, Santa Rosa National Park and the Rio Mache Forest Preserve. Even then, this elusive predator can be difficult to pin down. The best time to go on a guided tour is during the rainy season (June-July), when the jaguar is at its most active. The jaguar is the largest feline in the Americas, and worldwide it is dwarfed only by lions and tigers. It is a feared and versatile hunter, capable of taking to the trees and water, and it has the most powerful bite in the cat family, capable of piercing through skulls and the armour of reptilian species such as caimans or turtles. Fortunately, jaguar attacks on humans are almost unheard of.
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Sniff around for tapirs The Baird’s tapir is the size and shape of a pig and has the prehensile trunk of an elephant, but it’s actually more closely related to horses and rhinos. It’s Costa Rica’s biggest land mammal, and its range is restricted to protected forest land such as Corcovado, Monteverde and Santa Rosa National Park. It is most active at dawn and dusk, when it goes foraging for fruits on the forest floor. Although the tapir moves with a silent grace that belies its stocky appearance, tour guides find it easy to track down because they rarely roam far from water sources.
Know your toucan
Keel-billed toucan
The most recognisable of all Costa Rica’s toucan species, the highly sociable, keel-billed toucan travels around the rainforest in small flocks of a dozen or so individuals and can be seen at dawn or dusk.
Chestnut-mandibled toucan
Costa Rica’s largest toucan inhabits lowland forest habitats. While the chestnut-mandibled toucan mostly dines on fruit, its versatile beak also enables it to make meals of lizards and insects.
Hang out with the sloth These notoriously, well, slothful, creatures can be found lazing in tree canopies throughout Costa Rica. You’ll have to move slowly to catch sight of one, as the moss that grows across their coarse fur
can make them difficult to spot against their surroundings. The Sloth Sanctuary, located south of Limon, offers a canoe trip that takes you into the heart of their preferred rainforest habitat.
Discover the butterfly that disappears before your eyes Costa Rica is home to over 1,200 species of butterfly, of which the striking blue morpho is the most famous. It calls the tropical forests home, where it can be surprisingly wellhidden, since it spends much of its time on the forest floor with its wings closed – the undersides are a rather more understated brown colour. Venture into a clearing or a stream, however, and the vivid blue flashes of a morpho in flight is unmistakeable. It appears to blink in and out of existence as it beats its half-blue, half-brown wings.
Collared aracari
Aracaris are medium-sized members of the toucan family. They are stronger fliers than their cumbersome brethren, darting between treetops with a shrill ‘cheepeep’ call.
Fiery-billed aracari
The easiest way to distinguish between the two native aracari species is to check your map; the collared is typically found on the Caribbean side of the country, the fiery-billed on the Pacific.
Emerald toucanet
Toucanets are toucans which thrive at high-altitude. They live in open woodland, or humid cloud forests. The emerald toucanet is one of seven species of ‘mountain toucanet’, all of which are mainly green in colour.
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Explore the Earth
Hike through the most “biologically intense” place on Earth That’s how National Geographic describe the Osa Peninsula – a large expanse of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, consisting of beautiful beaches, unblemished rainforest and mangrove swamps. It is a contender for the most biologically diverse place in the world, containing 2.5 per cent of all known species worldwide. Corcovado National Park takes up the majority of the peninsula and cannot be entered without a certified guide. Hosting over 15,000 species, the highlights are too numerous to list, but how about Central America’s largest colony of scarlet macaws, for starters?
Go monkeyspotting where beach and rainforest collide Manual Antonio may be the smallest national park in Costa Rica, but it absolutely teems with life, with over 100 species of mammals sharing a little over three square miles of coastal rainforest. Along with Corcovado National Park to the south, it is the last stronghold of the endangered Central American squirrel monkey, a social, tree-dwelling species distinguished by the park’s more common white-headed capuchin and mantled howler monkeys by its striking ruddy fur. You’ll encounter different sub-species of this rare monkey in both parks – the variant found in Manual Antonio has a grey crown, while Corcovado’s population boast a black cap.
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Wild Costa Rica
Whale watching tips Go at the right time
Drake Bay, in the Osa Peninsula, is Costa Rica’s premier whale and dolphinwatching spot, with 25 different species observable year-round. The types you’ll see differ from month to month – head to drakebay.info/vidamarina.htm for a detailed break down.
Pick the right conditions
If you have a choice of day, choose one where the weather is forecast to be calmer, as whales are difficult to spot in rough seas. Regardless of the weather, use plenty of sun protection because water reflects sunlight, leaving you more exposed than usual.
Avoid sea-sickness
If you’re prone to seasickness, you should consider taking preventive medicine before embarking on a whale-watching boat. If you start to feel nauseous, keep your eyes fixed on the horizon, and keep yourself hydrated.
Nikon D3300
A good camera with optical zoom and a customisable shutter speed is essential if you plan on taking photographs of whales, as these gentle marine mammals move quickly in the water. £299 johnlewis.com
Y
Tamron 28-300mm lens
Affixing a telephoto lens onto your DSLR camera will allow you to snap far-away whales. There’s no point taking anything bulkier than this, as they’ll just come out blurry due to the motion of the boat. From £84.99 Jessops.co.uk
Bushnell H2O 7x50 binoculars
Stability issues mean there’s little point taking any binoculars with a magnification greater than 7x aboard. This model is waterproof, resistant to salt water corrosion, and even floats if you drop it in the water. £112 amazon.co.uk
Who to travel with Budget Llama Travel
WWW.LLAMATRAVEL.COM Best of Costa Rica
A roundtrip from £1449 for 11 days, including flights.
Family Reef & Rainforest
Maui Jim PolarizedPlus2 sunglasses
You don’t want to spend your trip gawking at your camera’s viewfinder. Polarised sunglasses reduce glare from the ocean and allow you to see into the water. From £125 uk.mauijim.com
Luxury Rainbow Tours
REEFANDRAINFOREST.CO.UK
RAINBOWTOURS.CO.UK
Gentle Family Fun in Costa Rica
Costa Rica in style
From £2,865 per adult, £1,056 per child, 12 days including flights.
£3395 including flights. Visit Corcovado, Monteverde, Arenal and Cano Island.
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©freevectormaps.com; Francesco Veronesi; Thinkstock; Getty; FLPA; Alamy; NaturePL; Alamy
Must-have items
Conserving sharks
Not all sharks are as fearsome looking as the great white shark. Head over to animalanswers.co.uk to read about zebra sharks in our interview with The Deep.
GREAT WHITE SHARK Carcharodon carcharias Class Chondrichthyes
Territory All waters between 12 and 24°C Diet Other sharks, rays, dolphins, fish Lifespan 70 years Adult weight 2,268kg (5,000lb) Conservation status
VULNERABLE
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CONSERVING SHARKS These prehistoric predators lived through four mass extinction events and survived what the dinosaurs couldn’t, but sadly overfishing may see these fearsome fish wiped out for good Words Naomi Harding Sharks have been swimming in our oceans for 450 million years. These fearsome fish have developed an excellent set of skills to take down their target with ease. Sharks are able to smell prey from a great distance and as their nostrils are solely for smelling, their olfactory system is highly specialised. It has been claimed that a shark can smell a single drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but it turns out this may have been fuelled by our fear of sharks rather than by fact. Scientists tested five coastal shark species and found their sense of smell was no better than any other fish. Out of more than 400 shark species, one third of open ocean species are endangered. With pollution rife, trawlers everywhere, and movies such as Jaws still popular, it seems as though sharks have been persecuted as a result. Many people have a fear of sharks, but much in the same way people are frightened of spiders that can’t hurt us, sharks pose little danger either. In 2015 there were just 98 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide. Very few of these were fatal and in some cases the sharks were just ‘sample biting’. When the shark realises the human isn’t a suitable meal, they release them. It is possibly an unfounded fear of these creatures that has hampered conservation efforts and fund-raising attempts. Perhaps it’s time they received a PR makeover.
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Conserving sharks
Curtains of death Thousands of gillnets used to catch cod and other common fish everyday are one of the biggest threat to sharks Gillnets are nets which are set vertically, perpendicular to the ocean floor. There are a wide variety of nets with different sized mesh to trap different species of fish. The holes are just large enough for fish to swim partly through, but not large enough to fit their body through and they get caught by the gills. Gillnetting is an effective means of fishing for species that live near the ocean floor. Sadly, fish we are used to eating and seeing in the supermarkets everyday such as cod, tuna, sea bass and halibut are all caught this way. But it is difficult to only target one species with this method, and many others inevitably get entangled. Sharks, turtles, and dolphins all fall victim. It is little wonder why these nets have been referred to as ‘curtains of death’.
3 things to know about sharks It is a myth that sharks don’t get cancer. Although as a species they suffer lower incidences of cancer than humans – they are still susceptible to the disease. There are around 440 species of shark but there are many only known from one-off sightings recorded many years ago, or single museum specimens such as the Irrawaddy river shark. Sharks have a tapetum lucidum, a layer of reflective tissue behind the retina which helps them see in dark and in murky water. They have this in common with cats, which is what makes their eyes appear to glow in the dark.
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Regulations do exist and have been made a large part of the commercial fishing industry in a bid to reduce the amount of fish needlessly killed. But where there is fishing, there is bycatch. However, there are many artisanal and even small-scale fisheries working outside of the regulations. For almost all of the world’s endangered and vulnerable shark species, gill nets are mentioned by the IUCN as a cause for concern and a top priority due to the staggering number of sharks caught up in them and pulled out of the oceans.
Conserving sharks
Around 200 sharks lose their life every minute Sharks are well on their way to extinction purely because of our fishing activities The main causes of increased shark mortality come from a very high demand for shark fin soup, overfishing, and incidental trapping with nets as bycatch. Sharks struggle to recover from intense hunting pressure because of their life history. Females have a low productivity, meaning they produce small litters; these young sharks then have slow growth rates and reach a sexual maturity at a late stage. A slow life cycle means they are less able to compensate for over fishing and unable to bounce back as a population when large numbers are killed.
Although many people are now aware of the dangers shark fin soup poses to the species and are more environmentally aware, particularly in the west, there is still a demand for shark products. In China, shark fins are prepared as a soup or a stew and are said to prevent cancer and heart disease, increase appetite and be beneficial to the skin but rigorous scientific testing of these claims has yet to offer any hard evidence. It is estimated that 11,417 sharks are killed every hour by finning alone. This doesn’t even include sharks killed as bycatch, and a shocking
100 million sharks are killed every year. It sounds a lot, but it gets worse - this is just the conservative ‘best case scenario’ estimate. It could be as many as 273 million. Sharks are an incredibly important part of their ecosystem and act as an indicator of how healthy the ocean is. In short, happy oceans have healthy sharks swimming in them. They are so vital due to their status as an apex predator. Sharks are fish at the top of the food chain, controlling the populations below them and keeping everything in balance, by feeding on the animals below them on the chain.
BELOW The white-tipped reef shark is just one of the sharks under threat. It is currently listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
Great hammerhead shark Sphyrna mokarran This species is now considered Endangered on the IUCN Red List as it is highly sought after for its fins. There have been shocking population declines of around 50 to 80 per cent worldwide.
Great white shark Carcharodon carcharias The main threat these sharks suffer from is habitat degradation. They use inshore waters for pupping and as subsequent nursery grounds but these habitats are of increasingly poor quality.
Oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus Overall this shark is listed as Vulnerable, but in some areas it is considered as Critically Endangered. Intense fishing pressure has almost decimated the shark in some parts of the world.
Whale shark Rhincodon typus Whale sharks are listed as Endangered on the Red List due to being targeted by harpoon fisheries in Asia. Despite an increase in tourism and interest in the species, populations are severely depleted.
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Conserving sharks Saving sharks
Paul Cox is the Managing Director of The Shark Trust
What state are shark populations in currently? Scientists estimate that approximately one quarter of shark and ray species are threatened with extinction and require immediate conservation action. This includes some of the better-known species like the great white, great hammerhead and whale shark but also includes many less charismatic but nevertheless valuable species. This estimate is based on the IUCN Red List, which in 2013 found that 181 out of the 1038 species of sharks and rays assessed fell into one of the three “threatened” categories, including 20 species classified as Critically Endangered. Almost half (472 species), however, are classed as Data Deficient, meaning that we just don’t know enough about the populations to assess their status. Can you tell us more about the work and projects you are involved in? We are involved in various wildlife protection, fisheries policy, and responsible trade projects, working with partners around the world to advocate for changes that will safeguard sharks. Our fisheries action is currently spearheaded by our ‘No Limits?’ campaign, which is targeting an end to uncontrolled shark fishing for ‘No Limits?’ species, including the blue and shortfin mako sharks. Another of our biggest projects, the Great Eggcase Hunt, encourages everyone to explore their local beaches, to search for and submit records of the eggcases from local sharks and rays, building a valuable knowledge base. What successes have there been so far? There have been many, from the landmark protection of the basking shark in the UK in the late 1990s to an International Plan of Action for sharks in 1999. In 2013, seven commercially exploited species of sharks and ray were CITES listed, restricting trade across the world, and in the same year the EU Finning Regulation set the international standard for a move away from the practice of finning at sea. But there is still much to be done: We need more science to assess species and develop conservation plans; we need more policy change to set the agenda; we need a shi¡ to sustainable shark fisheries coupled with a responsible global trade in shark products. Sadly, sharks are notoriously unpopular – how can we change people’s minds? I don’t think people need to like sharks to appreciate the importance of not driving their populations to extinction. We just need, as a society, to make better decisions to safeguard the future of our wildlife, and those that do value wildlife to be vocal and active. What are the main threats facing sharks and how can we overcome them? The biggest current threat to sharks is overfishing. Not shark fishing per se but uncontrolled and unmanaged shark fishing. We have to get a control on shark fishing, push for science-based management, for sustainable fisheries and, take steps to reduce the trade in unsustainable products. Shark conservation is a global issue which requires collaboration. The Shark Trust published a comprehensive 10-year plan as part of a global partnership with WWF, IUCN Shark Specialist Group, Shark Advocates International, TRAFFIC and WCS. There is hope if we act quickly and decisively to protect threatened species, manage fisheries, reform trade and tackle demand for shark products.
How you can help Join the Shark Trust or Adopt a Shark at
WWW.SHARKTRUST.ORG.
Find out more and sign the petition at
WWW.NOLIMITSNOFUTURE.ORG
Join the Great Eggcase Hunt WWW.EGGCASE.ORG, WWW.SHARKTRUST.ORG
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© Getty; Pixel Squid; Alamy; Dreamstime
LEFT Fins are removed from the sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean finless, and the fins placed on a bamboo rack to dry
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VETS WITHOUT BORDERS We chatted to Luke Gamble, founder of the Worldwide Veterinary Service (WVS) about the charity’s work and what it’s like saving animals across the globe
© WVS
What does WVS do and what prompted you to set up the charity? WVS helps animals in places where no one else will. We provide veterinary support to small non-profit organisations and little animal charities in really tough places where there’s no veterinary aid or help for the animals that live there. We send teams, drugs, medicines, parcels and supplies to these places, and build up a sustainable infrastructure that will continue to support the animals in these communities, as well as the people who often depend on them. We work with all species from all over the world. It’s a great charity. I set it up at the end of 2002 and it was really just a hobby! I loved being a vet and this was something I could do to apply my trade and enjoy adventure and travel. I ran it for fun for about ten years, but then we started to get serious grants and it started to grow much bigger, and so it is where it is today!
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ABOVE In 2009 Luke visited this elephant at the Friends of Asian Elephants hospital. It had its leg blown off by a mine, but now proudly sports a prosthesis – the first of its kind in the world
What kinds of projects do you have on the go at the moment? Well, I just got back from a trip to Zambia and Malawi. In Zambia we are trying to help set up the first wildlife veterinary clinic, working on the edge of the Kafue National Park. We want to get it off the ground because the areas around the edge of the national parks are ‘game management zones’, where people can hunt. The idea of these buffer zones is to try to protect the animals within the national parks. But what happens is that snares are set and a lot of animals get injured. The idea of this sanctuary is to help those animals. There are currently only three wildlife vets in Zambia so there’s just no support or
help. That’s why we want to get something going there. I’m also off to Thailand on Monday. We set up international training centres in Thailand and India, where we train vets on the front line of animal welfare in humane techniques. So they can safely and kindly help animals in the areas where they live. We train around 400 vets a year in Thailand and India to use antibiotics and do surgery – it’s going really well! We are helping donkeys that are so desperately valued in India to cart materials that their owners (often just through lack of education) will slice open the sides of their noses to get better airflow, among other things… We go there, we treat those donkeys, we educate the owners and we train up the local para-vets who can give the animals ongoing support. So the donkeys have a better life and they’re also more productive. Among other things, we are also trying to rescue lions in Armenia that inhabit the ‘World’s saddest zoo’, living in tiny little box-like cages for four years. We have got them out of those cages now but we need to work on getting them back to the UK to a lion sanctuary here. There’s a lot going on! How do you identify the areas where your help is needed? Often requests come in. We work with charities in much smaller places that really need our help. We never send money, we always send ourselves instead, so we go over and meet with them and
work out how we can practically help. Then we build from there. Are there any projects that really stand out for you? When I first set the website up, I was working from my garage as an evening project. A request came through from a charity in India, where some American tourists had witnessed piles of dead dogs on the side of the road. The wife of the doctor who owned the local hospital had been attacked by wild dogs, so the reaction from the local municipality was to kill all the dogs – they were paying per tail. The American tourists found a local charity, and I received an email. I went over there and straight away I had to see a cow that was heavily pregnant and had broken both its legs. Of course, cows are sacred, so I bought the cow from the family and I shot it but cut the baby calf out, which survived. I gave the calf back to the family. Then we went to the place where they were killing the dogs and we neutered 70 dogs in two days. Local TV crews saw what we were doing and there was huge community support. They stopped killing the dogs and instead started a sterilisation campaign. Thanks to the work of all the people there, the entire area has now been declared rabiesfree. I went back and saw the family with the calf, and they’re now really happy. Another of my favourites was when we went to the refugee camp in Kenya. It just goes to show that people living in really tough places do love their animals!
“It just goes to show that people living in really tough places do love their animals!”
Diary of a global vet Tackling rabies on the front line We work very synergistically with our sister charity Mission Rabies, going to global rabies hotspots. It is a horrible disease. It kills a child every nine minutes around the world and it’s completely preventable by vaccinating dogs, as 99 per cent of all rabies cases are transmitted through dog bites in Africa and Asia. We do very focused campaigns; in May for example we went to Blantyre in Malawi, which has the highest rate of child rabies deaths of any city in the whole of Africa. We vaccinated 35,600 dogs in 20 days. When we are there, our days usually start at about 4-5am. Normally if we are doing a rabies drive we will go out for a morning capture because that’s when you’ll get the dogs, at dusk and dawn. I’ll spend a few hours out and about, catching and vaccinating dogs and going door to door, marking, GPS logging and data recording. Then it’s back for breakfast! And then the rest of the day is quite varied – it might include operations and treatments, dealing with any scenarios and talking to different people, or getting the community support and going into schools to give talks about what we are about and what we’re doing. Then at about 3-4pm we will go out again until about 6-7.30pm, catching and vaccinating more dogs. When we catch them, we give them a jab and then send them right on their way. Then it’s home for a nice cold beer! The main issue is sustainability. Anyone can go in and vaccinate dogs, but the thing that will make the difference is training the locals up. We’ve set up this whole education component for that; during the 20 days that we were in Malawi we educated 91,000 children!
How can people get involved and help out? First things first: check out the website! There’s a lot of information there on how you can get involved. You can become a supporter of WVS, which is massive. With people’s support and donations we can help with so many amazing projects! And if anyone wants to be a vet, you just have to stick at it – I have no regrets. It’s a wonderful job. We also run volunteer trips for ready-trained vets that cater for all different types of people. Luke Gamble and his team wor k closely with sister charity Mis sion Rabies to catch and vaccinate dogs in Africa and Asia
For more information, check out www.wvs.org.uk, or get connected with the Worldwide Veterinary Service on their social media channels.
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Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis
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Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis One of the largest habitats in the world conceals some of the most interesting species of animals Words Tanita Matthews
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Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis
Where in the world? The region around the Mediterranean Sea is famous for an ever changing landscape of high mountains, rocky shores and sandy beaches. Home to thousands of species and subspecies, the maquis covers portions of three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. Countless islands brimming with beautiful wildlife make for an exciting place to explore and admire. The ‘Mediterranean Basin’, as it is otherwise known, is the largest of the world’s five Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrublands. To survive the sparse and rough terrain, its animal inhabitants have become agile climbers and adopted varied diets that include the foliage available nearby. Meanwhile vegetation is able to reproduce with notable speed following fires that can crop up as a result of the dry and hot weather. Those who live here have faced intense strain on their homes as the lands they roam come under threat from human civilisation.
Iberian lynx The world’s most endangered feline species, the Iberian lynx is recognised by its tawny coat, long legs, ‘bearded’ face and very short tail with a black tip. The feline feeds primarily on wild rabbits, but also consumes ducks, deer and partridges if rabbit numbers are low.
Greasy rockrose Particularly well suited to the climate of the Mediterranean, the Cistus ladanifer can withstand both long summer droughts and cold weather. They are heat resistant, and fire in fact helps increase the germination of seeds which offer shelter to the minor fauna when spread and in bloom.
Iberian Imperial eagle With its pale cream head and neck but dark brown feathers elsewhere, this particular inhabitant is extremely distinctive, recognised partially for its flat gliding flight. Its cry is a resounding ‘owk’ sound. Juveniles are a red-brown colour that fades to pale brown with dark flight feathers and white fringes.
Iberian badger The badger is a social animal, living in colonies of between six and 20 individuals. Badgers do not have many predators or natural enemies, but in some parts wolves, dogs and lynxes pose a threat. However, in other areas they can live side-byside with other predators such as foxes without conflict.
Shrubland plants
Haws are important for the wildlife, particularly during the winter months, as the birds feed on the fruit and dispense the food in their droppings.
The forested areas of the Mediterranean are much more diverse than those found in other areas of Europe, attracting all manner of wildlife. Olive
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Thyme
Short-toed eagle These birds can live up to 30 years in the wild. They are found in warmer climates, where plenty of snakes are available as a source of food. They like to nest in forests but hunt in open, agricultural areas. The population has declined or become extinct in some places across Europe.
Iberian wolf This wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf, sporting a grey, brown and fawn coat with an insulating undercoat. Distinctive markings include a white throat and cheeks. Smaller in stature to the grey wolf, the average male weighs approximately 35 kilograms (77 pounds), while the female weighs in at around 30 kilograms (66 pounds).
Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis
Hawthorn Also known as the ‘May Tree’ due to its flowering period, the hawthorn’s deep red fruits – known as ‘haws’ – are rich in antioxidants and are eaten by birds and small mammals such as hedgehogs. Its dense and thorny foliage is ideal for birds to use as a nesting shelter.
Holm oak The Holm oak is characterised by black, finely cracked bark and slender twigs covered in felt like hairs. Known to grow up to 25 metres (82 feet), its dense evergreen leaves offer yearround shelter for birds. It also provides bees and other insects with a pollen source, even during the harsher winter seasons.
Black vulture This bird’s uniform is a sooty black plumage and bare black head with white patches or ‘stars’ on the underside of its wingtips. They are compact birds capable of powerful wingbeats thanks to broad wings. Due to its poor sense of smell, it oen follows the turkey vulture to carcasses.
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Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis
Moving in on the maquis With civilisation’s growing desire to live in more beautiful and unspoiled parts of the world, the maquis and its wildlife are under threat Mediterranean regions have long been impacted directly by humans, with the biggest threat to the scrubland being development. Situated near beaches and coastlines, and with its warmer climate, this habitat makes for a desirable environment in which to live. Because of this, many people flock to the area, building homes and hotels, bringing with them the threat of chemical pollution, which heavily affects the area and the vegetation. Shortterm financial gains to growing tourism in the area often outweigh the long-term security of biodiversity and the maintenance of the ecosystem. Large volumes of incoming people affect the
vegetation and the animals that inhabit the area as some species become hunting targets for food, while overpopulation brings with it the exploitation of natural resources. Other threats include the introduction of invasive and exotic species, and then there’s the threat of fire. Both natural and manmade fires alter the landscape as older vegetation is cleared to make way for new. Long-sleeping seeds are left to develop in the warm ash. As animals return to a charred landscape their tracks appear in this changed earth. Predators find it easier to spot their prey among the blackened twigs without leaves to hide behind.
“Situated near beaches and coastlines, and with its warmer climate, this habitat makes for a desirable environment in which to live”
Mediterranean maquis in numbers over
50
220 1 5 12k 8K 24 500 INCLUDES
IN
% species are under threat
of plant species can’t be found anywhere else in the world
OF ITS SPECIES ARE FOUND NOWHERE ELSE
YEARS spent occupied by humans
countries which are spread across three continents
HOME TO
MAMMAL SPECIES SPECIES OF BIRD & REPTILE SPECIES
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Mini mammals Larger species are not the only wonders of the maquis; there are other smaller mammals to marvel at
Blackhead warbler
The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler’s song is fast and rattling. The species like open, cultivated areas with bushes for nesting.
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Common rat
Also known as the brown rat, the common rat can weigh more than half a kilogram (1.1 pounds) and can grow to approximately 23 centimetres (nine inches) excluding the tail. Rats have an acute sense of hearing and a well-developed sense of touch and smell.
Bastard snake
Also known as the Montpellier snake, fully grown adults are a black-ish, dark grey or olive colour with a white underbelly. They can grow to over 1.83 metres (six feet) long. Their rear fangs are poisonous, although the bite is more painful than fatal. The snake lives in sunny and open habitats.
Wildlife of the Mediterranean maquis
Weasel
Weasels hunt small rodents for food and are less common where such prey is scarce, including at high altitudes and in dense woodland. If food is scarce they may hunt birds and young rabbits. Its size enables it to forage through tunnels and runways of mice.
European hedgehog
The spiny mammal hibernates throughout the winter months but can be found scuffling around at night in woodland, farmland and suburban areas in Europe during warmer periods. Its protective coat of around 7,000 spines helps keep it safe from predators.
Field rabbit
The field rabbit’s natural habitat includes woods, meadows and farmland. Rubbing their necks on the ground, they will mark their territory with the scent from their glands. Feeding and grazing are done close to their burrows. These animals have a remarkably wide field of vision.
© Thinkstock; Sol90; FLPA; Dreamstime
LEFT Despite the pressures on the landscape, the Mediterranean habitat is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot and is recommended as a major conservation priority
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Birds that can’t fly
Birds fly to migrate, search for food, or to escape predators but some species have found other ways to overcome these needs, rendering the need to fly useless
Emperor penguin
Kiwi
The ability to swim has become much more important than flying ever could be for this bird
The New Zealand icon is a nocturnal bird that uses its incredible sense of smell to find its prey The kiwi bird belongs to the genus Apteryx, the Latin word for ‘wingless’. Although they are the smallest ratite (non-flying bird family) member and have been sentenced to a life on the ground, they do have tiny vestigial wings buried beneath their bristly feathers, leover from a previous life.
Flightless cormorant
This large water bird’s body is perfectly adapted to diving and gliding through the ocean The flightless cormorant is the only one of 40 cormorant species to have lost the ability to fly. Also known as the Galapagos cormorant, a lack of natural predators, all round good weather, and a plentiful food supply means they have no real need for flight at all. They also have webbed feet and powerful legs to power through the water.
Penguins were able to fly many moons ago. But over the years, a life spent on the ice and swimming for survival has led to wings that more closely resemble flippers. Their bones have also changed; rather than having hollow bones like other birds, their bones have become heavier to help them dive below the water’s surface.
Ostrich
Cassowary
© Thinkstock; Getty
The big bird with a dangerous reputation that’s able to take down dogs and humans with one kick Being unable to take to the sky to avoid predators, the cassowary has learned to stand up for itself in other ways and the shy bird chooses fight over flight in response to a potential threat. The Guinness Book of Records has named the cassowary as the world’s most dangerous bird, thanks to their strong kick and sharp claws.
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An ostrich’s kick can be lethal as they have some of the strongest legs in the animal kingdom Ostriches do not have a keel, which is a part of the breastbone connecting the pectoral muscles to the wings, and the structure enabling other birds to flap and take flight. However, even if ostriches did have a keel, their tiny wings probably wouldn’t be able to carry their large weight. They are certainly at no disadvantage; to compensate for the lack of li, the largest bird in the world can run at speeds of up to 70 kilometres (43 miles) per hour.
Rhea
One of the most powerful birds uses its wings as rudders Native to South America, the rhea’s name comes from the Greek word for ‘ground’. It may seem silly for a flightless bird to be in possession of wings, but the rhea uses them for stability when running at high speeds of up to 64.4 kilometres (40 miles) per hour. It is an impressive sight, as they run in a zigzag pattern while liing alternate wings to act as sails and to confuse potential attackers.
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Wildlife plays a vital role in the balance and well-being of our planet. Even the loss of the smallest bug in the darkest corner of the rainforest could have a worldwide impact. ZSL is a charity working in over 50 countries around the world to help nurture and protect wildlife but they cannot do it alone. Help ZSL to ensure that we continue to live in a world with wildlife.
Support ZSL by texting ZSLWILDLIFE to 70300 to donate £3 or find out other ways you can help by visiting zsl.org/withwildlife
#WithWildlife
95% TIGERS
GONE Statistic baseline 1900s. ZSL will receive 100% of your donation. It costs £3 plus one standard message. ZSL will text to thank you for your donation and give details of further methods to support ZSL. Always ask the bill payer’s permission. Registered charity in England and Wales: no 208728. More facts available at zsl.org/withwildlife
5 animals we couldn’t live without We have lost a staggering 50 per cent of the world’s wildlife over the past 40 years. If this rate of decline continues, the majority of the Earth’s most iconic creatures could disappear completely within our lifetimes. International conservation charity, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is working to ensure that this alarming scenario never comes to
Without insects…
A world without insects is unthinkable. The ecosystem services these creatures provide are fundamental to the survival of the rest of the animal kingdom as we know it. Bees and wasps are vital for the pollination of plants, particularly those that humans rely on, such as fruits, nuts, cotton and hay for livestock, and the recycling of nutrients into the soil by insects such as dung beetles cannot be overlooked. Insects also play an integral role in the food chain, as they provide key sustenance for other animals. But we must also remember that insects themselves have intrinsic worth, enriching our lives through their fascinating forms and beauty. Could we live without this? Dave Clarke, team leader of BUGS at ZSL
pass. Through their global conservation work, pioneering scientific research and world class zoos, they’re striving to reverse these dramatic declines and safeguard our planet for future generations. It’s impossible to imagine a world without wildlife. We spoke to experts at ZSL who are committed to making sure you don’t have to.
Without birds…
Imagine springtime without bird song. Wild birds are part of our daily lives, culture and history. Imagine a world without them. The natural world would be very different – many plants rely on birds to disperse their seeds, and as top predators, birds regulate the populations of their prey. Imagine being knee deep in spiders! Sadly, in some cases we don’t have to imagine – the island of Guam in the Pacific has no birds; they were eaten by introduced snakes. But there is still hope for such areas. Bird populations on Mauritius are recovering after years of conservation work. Let’s make Guam the exception rather than the rule! Professor Ken Norris, director of science at ZSL
1/3 Of all food is reliant on pollinators
Without bees, we wouldn’t have cherries, pears, tomatoes, avocados, or strawberries to name a few
Many flowers are dependent on birds to disperse their seeds; without them there would be fewer plants
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The insects that birds feed on would multiply and dominate their habitat without a natural predator to control their population
Animals we couldn’t live without….
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Without big cats, numbers of their prey would rocket, decimating the vegetation. If tigers become extinct, their habitat would lose its protection from logging
The number of years in which scientists estimate lions, tigers and other big cats may become extinct
Without big cats….
From the tiger’s stripes and the cheetah’s spots, to the unique spotted rosettes of the jaguar, the iconic patterns of big cats are almost instinctively recognisable to adult and child alike. From cuddly toys as children, poetry through the ages, art on ancient rocks and modern canvas, to Christopher Robin’s Tigger, Shere Khan and the Lion King, these majestic creatures touch our lives in so many ways. They
are icons entwined in our lifestyles and cultures across the globe, part of our shared history and existence. A world without big wild cats would be a world starved of a thread of its history, its culture and its spirit. If we cannot save these icons from extinction, if we cannot muster the will to do this for them, then what can we save? Craig Bruce, head of Asia Conservation Programmes at ZSL
Without corals…
No white sandy beaches to lay on, no dazzling fish, no protection from waves and less food to eat. If coral disappeared, we would lose a giant chunk of Earth’s biodiversity. We would lose over 2,500 species of coral animals that build reefs, plus the thousands of other species that call them home; from the vibrant fish that rely on them for food and shelter, to the thousands of crabs, shrimp, starfish and urchins that need reefs to survive. Our reefs would dissolve in an empty sea, taking away the coastline’s protection and eliminating the world’s most beautiful beaches forever. ZSL is working around the world to help communities protect their coral reefs from destruction and create Marine Protected Areas where reef ecosystems have the best chance for survival. Brian Zimmerman, curator of ZSL’s Aquarium
$375 billion
The estimated economic impact due to the loss of jobs, food, and recreation should the Earth’s coral reefs disappear
Without coral reefs we could lose whales, hawksbill sea turtles, spiny lobsters, butterfly fish and many more
Without amphibians…
Without amphibians, the forest at night would lack a cacophony of excited calls. We would have more agricultural pests, predators would go hungry, streams and ponds would clog up with algae, and we would lack the important pharmaceuticals that have been developed from amphibian skin secretions. Unfortunately, despite their importance, amphibians remain underrated by many – in some environments, they can even be as abundant as mammals and play a key role in the transfer of nutrients from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. ZSL is committed to improving the conservation status of Critically Endangered amphibians to safeguard these animals for the future.
Frogs are an important food source for snakes, birds and small mammals. They would struggle to survive without them
A lack of frogs would lead to a dramatic and rapid rise in the number of mosquitoes, as frogs that feed on them provide pest control
Ben Tapley, team leader of herpetology at ZSL
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COLOURFUL CRUSTACEANS Familiar species come to mind when we think of crabs, shrimps and lobsters, but with over 30,000 species of crustaceans, the diversity of these ‘crusty’ underwater creatures will astound you Words Zara Gaspar
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Colourful crustaceans The red rock crab stands out The red rock or Sally Lightfoot crab was apparently named after a Caribbean dancer because of how it moves. This brightly coloured crustacean stands out against the black volcanic rock where it is found in the Galapagos Islands. It also lives on the western shorelines of South and Central America.
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Colourful crustaceans Harlequin shrimp feast on starfish These small shrimps may only be five centimetres (two inches) big, but they are fierce predators. Their diet is made up primarily of starfish which can be difficult to lift off the reef because of their strong grip. However, these mighty crustaceans work in pairs to pry them off and carry them home for dinner. This stunning shrimp is known for its colourful pattern. It is white in colour and covered in light blue spots.
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Colourful crustaceans The ‘praying mantis’ of the sea The skeleton shrimp gets its name from its skeletal form. It has a long slender body which only measures up to four centimetres (1.5 inches). These stick-shaped crustaceans can be pale brown, green or pink in colour depending on the habitat they are camouflaging themselves in, and some species can change colour too. Sometimes called the ‘praying mantis’ of the sea, the shrimp hunts like the insect.
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Colourful crustaceans Squat lobsters hide out in rock crevices Although they may look like lobsters, these crustaceans are more closely related to hermit crabs. Instead of shells on their back, they protect themselves with their long claws which can grow several times the length of their bodies. These shy creatures hide under rocks and in crevices.
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Colourful crustaceans Three cheers for the pom pom crab
© FLPA; Getty; NaturePL
The Lybia crab, otherwise known as the cheerleader, pom pom, or mosaic boxer crab, gets its nickname because of the anemones wrapped around its claws that look like pom poms or boxing gloves. Three species of anemone are generally used by the crab to help it catch food and defend itself from predators with the sting of the anemone. This tiny creature is only 2.5 centimetres (one inch) and when it is not waving around its pom poms, it can be found hiding in crevices.
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Keeping in touch
Contact us at… @WorldAnimalsMag worldofanimalsmag
“@MWApeRescue so pleased with this month’s magazine and to see the world of monkeys and apes advertised” @MWApeRescue
Superpower dogs update We have been following Halo’s progress for four months now, so it’s time to catch up with her handler, Miami-Dade fire captain Cat Labrada, to see how Halo’s training is coming along and whether she has what it takes to be a superpower dog…
How is Halo doing, and has she achieved any new milestones?
“Picked up a copy of @WorldAnimalsMag on random today and it’s beautiful! This will become a regular!’
@Aoife_Lawlor
Latest digital edition In our latest digital edition, we meet the strangest animals on Earth. From a kangaroo the size of a cat that lives in trees, to a marmoset the size of your hand that blows raspberries when it mates, discover the most bizarre creatures in the animal kingdom. Find out more at www.greatdigitalmags.com
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She’s good! She’s doing stuff on the rubble pile now, learning how to run on the rubble with her agility and it’s coming along really well! Imagine a mound of broken-up concrete; in some places it’s 1.8 metres (six foot) tall, and in others it’s three metres (ten foot) off the ground. Before, we only trained on the ground, running along the ground to the bark barrels [tubes that people hide in for Halo to locate] for the tug-toy. But now she’s running across rubble, which is the agility aspect of her training, to get to somebody that has her tug-toy, so it’s just applying what she’s learned on the ground on to the rubble.
Is there anything that she’s struggling with? The heat is a huge factor right now because it’s very hot here in Miami! It’s nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and conditions are difficult for her. But she’s getting better at being able to save her energy. She gets a little worked up in the kennel. I’m teaching her not to bark and expend all her energy in the kennel so that when she comes out she’s rested and fresh.
But then after a while of doing that, we progress to Halo having to find the person not knowing where they are hidden. She’s doing really well! We had somebody go in the tube and she sniffed them out – four tubes over I had put an open tin of cat food and she didn’t pay attention to that, so we are starting to add in lots of distractions as well. That’s huge, because when you get to a disaster site there are all kinds of distractions – refrigerators, bags of food, garbage – and you don’t want her to be more interested in those things than looking for a human!
Finally, how is Halo doing at home when she’s ‘off-duty’? She’s still very mischievous and still very playful! She wants to play all the time – my other dog just ignores her! But she’s not as boisterous or in your face as much as she used to be; she’s got a lot better. She has her moments but we work through it! I wish I had more time to train with Halo as the weather is so hot at the moment, but I’m enjoying it. We actually had a night training session the other day because it was a lot cooler then.
What goals are you working towards?
About the film:
Now she’s working up on the rubble, she needs to use her nose more. We’ve been doing stuff blind and getting her to work it out – motivating her to want to use her nose more than her other senses. We have scent tubes (known as bark barrels) that we put somebody in, on the pile or on the ground. We have a few of them and then she has to use her nose to figure out which one the person is in. In the beginning they will tell her by calling her, or show her by running away and getting in it.
Superpower Dogs is a forthcoming 3D live-action IMAX film that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Through the magic of the giant screen, the movie and its accompanying exhibition, which is in collaboration with the California Science Centre, it will immerse you into the way that dogs think and work, and tell the incredible story of how man’s best friend is able to fight crime, save lives and put wrongs to right. Find out more about the film at www.animalanswers.co.uk
Animal antics this month
Wildlife journeys Going wild in Oz
Our favourite animal news and stories. Let us know yours at
[email protected]
Designer Jo Smolaga loved every moment of seeing animals in Australia
In the news
The vastness of the Australian bush means that seeing marsupials in the wild is quite a challenge. During my recent trip to Western Australia we didn’t manage to see any of Skippy’s cousins in the bush, but a trip to Caversham Wildlife Park near Perth more than made up for that. They have a wide range of Australian animals but, as expected, the highlights were the koalas and kangaroos. The kangaroo area is huge and both animals and humans are free to roam around amongst each other. Using the kangaroo feed provided, we were able to get up close and personal as we fed the sunbathing kangaroos. It was great to see a lot of joeys and tails and feet emerging from pouches while we were there. My personal highlight was meeting a friendly albino joey who seemed very eager to greet the visitors. It took every ounce of self restraint not to bring him home with me!
Stranded sperm whale We were devastated to hear that a sperm whale died a
er washing up on Perranporth beach in Cornwall, UK. Sadly nothing could be done to save it.
Tell us about one of your wildlife holidays by emailing your story and photos to animals@ animalanswers .co.uk
Reader photos
Fundraising
The Great Big Rhino Project Paignton Zoo’s Great Big Rhino Project will see life-sized rhino sculptures invade the streets. Visit www.greatbigrhinos.org. uk for more information.
Animals on film Kristin Michalski
At less than 20 steps away, I quickly captured this fleeting moment of the two animals glancing at each other before the marmot ventured off.
The family
American Pekin duck
This northern yellow-sha
ed flicker lands to feed her four young ones. Taken with a Nikon 800E and a Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6D lens in northwestern Ontario, Canada.
I took this photo as I walked along the edge of a small pond in Dothan, Alabama.
Terry Lozenski
Johnny Walker
Have you been inspired by a WOA cover or feature? Send us your best wildlife photos.
Snow monkey on film Animated film Kubo And The Two Strings is out next month and we’re excited to see the animated snow monkey, voiced by Charlize Theron. Have you got a favourite animal film?
© Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock; Graham Stone
Mammals of Mount Evans
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
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Animal answers
Send your animal questions to us at:
[email protected]
Why do some insects have feathery antennae? Feathery antennae are one of the main distinguishing features between moths and butterflies. But it’s not just moths that are in possession of these extravagant appendages; many other insects have feathery feelers too. Antennae are mainly used as chemical receptors so the insect can sniff out the pheromones of a female over great distances. If you were to zoom in on these feathery structures, you would see they are covered in thousands of minute branches of hair, with some species boasting as many as 60,000 ‘feathers’. These all act as part of the moth’s olfactory system. In short, the more feathery the antennae, the greater the surface area. This allows the antennae to come into contact with the largest volume of air possible, granting a greater sense of smell.
Who are the International Whaling Commission, and what do they do? The International Whaling Commission (IWC), is an international voluntary organisation. Their goal is to “provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry”. There are currently 88 countries signed up to the IWC. The organisation reviews the state of the ocean’s whale population and governs worldwide
whaling. However, as they are a voluntary organisation, their guidelines are not legally enforceable and member countries are free to leave at any time. Most famously the IWC imposed a moratorium on whaling, banning all commercial capture and killing, but since the 1986 ban Iceland and Norway have carried on regardless and Japan continues under the guise of scientific research.
Some species have thousands of tiny hairs covering their antennae
Which houseplants are most poisonous to cats? A lot of people worry about keeping poinsettias in their house when they have pets, and while it is true they can cause some discomfort to your pet, they are unlikely to be harmful. Lilies, however, are another story. These are some of the most popular plants in bouquets, but, unlike poinsettia, contact can be fatal. For cats, just a bite or two of some leaves, or even some pollen groomed from the coat can result in kidney failure and liver
damage. For dogs, the outcome is less severe but can result in some serious gastrointestinal discomfort. So to avoid any catastrophes, make sure to watch out for flowers from the Lilium or Hemerocallis species. If you do have pets it’s definitely worth checking which plants can cause harm to your furry companion before making a purchase, as there are more than 700 plants containing toxins that may be harmful to both cats and dogs.
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Animals answers Orb webs may be beautiful but spiders need to repair them at least once a day
Are all spider webs the same? There are in fact different kinds of spider web, which vary depending on the species. Once you have learnt how to recognise the different patterns of web, you will be able to tell which type of spider made it. Orb webs are the stereotypical spiral-shaped spider webs – the webs most people picture when asked to think of a spider web, and they are usually made by orb-weavers. They take a lot of maintenance and orbweavers can oen be seen making repairs. Then there are the triangular webs, which look like a slice of an orb-web, and spiders from the Uloboridae family most
oen produce these. They are non-venomous spiders BELOW Though they appear to be and are found almost all around the world. Funnel menacing killers, webs are created by the larger, ground-dwelling great white spiders that hide away at the base of trees or beneath sharks only kill a smallfor number of rocks. These spider webs contain a large opening humans yearly prey and a smaller one at the back for the spider to hide in or escape through. If you’ve ever noticed your house has its fair share of cobwebs, that’s because they are built by the smaller house spiders. They can instantly be recognised by their erratic and messy mesh-like pattern.
Cob web
Triangular web
Funnel web
Orb web
Can chickens be hypnotised?
How do earthworms communicate?
Until relatively recently, earthworms were considered to be basic, primitive creatures unable to form social bonds and communicate with each other in any meaningful way. In 2010 a study showed that some species go against everything we thought to be true. The species Eisenia fetida, was observed to form herds and move together. This behaviour indicated there must be some collective conscious thought or a hidden way of communicating that we missed before. It turns out that they use touch to convey meaning and form large groups to travel through the soil top layer with. They even appear to follow a leader, with some individuals making an executive decision for the group. The behaviour was attributed to communication rather than a type of chemical trail-based navigation because separate groups of worms choose to take different paths through the same patch of test soil in order to find food le out by the researchers.
There is an abundance of videos and websites online claiming that it is possible to hypnotise a chicken. They claim that by holding the chicken’s head down to the ground and drawing a straight line from the beak extending outwards from the chicken, it will be put in a trance lasting between 30 seconds and 30 minutes. This is true, sort of. While it is possible to render a chicken immobile with this technique, it’s not exactly hypnosis as we know it. So what is actually happening? It is more likely the response to being held down, which is called ‘tonic immobility’. It is what happens when an animal is absolutely convinced it is about to die; it becomes too scared to move. It has been noted in other animals, and even in humans during particularly traumatic events. So while it may appear comical to try to hypnotise a chicken, it is probably quite cruel in reality.
Q. Is it true that fish can use tools?
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Animal answers
[email protected] Why do bees make honey? Bees make honey as a food source for the colony. Usually their preferred snack is nectar, which is a sugary liquid produced by plants to attract pollinating insects. The only problem is that bees have a sweet tooth and there aren’t any flowers around during winter. To compensate for the lack
of nectar during the colder months, they make honey throughout the year and stockpile reserves for when winter arrives. Bees are certainly not risk takers and they tend to produce far more honey than the hive will ever need. The excess is what humans harvest.
Bees also produce wax to seal in the honey into separate cells
If rhino horns are made of hair, why are they so strong? Rhino horns are made out of the same protein that makes our hair and fingernails: keratin. So why are they so strong and pointy? Well the horns grow from the bottom upwards; the outer part is so ened over time by repeated Sun exposure and is worn away when the rhino clashes and rubs it on the ground and on vegetation. Over time this creates the distinctive horn shape. The middle part of the horn – the part that has not been exposed to the Sun – is much stronger and tougher.
“Bonobos work for the good of the group and solve disputes by making love instead of war”
Are we more closely related to bonobos or chimps? It has always been generally accepted that chimpanzees are our closet relatives, but recent genome sequencing has shown this may not be the case. The common ancestor of humans, chimps and bonobos split away around 4.5 million years ago. Fast-forward to around 2 million years ago and the remaining primates were separated by the Congo River. Just 1 million years
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ago these two populations were distinct enough to be separate species a er evolving separately for 1 million years. In this time chimpanzees became famously aggressive, tearing through the jungle and terrorising rival groups. Meanwhile, bonobos went in the opposite direction, living in a democratic society, all working for the good of the group and solving disputes by making
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love instead of war. It turns out that, a er studying the bonobo genome, it was found that there are portions of our DNA more similar to bonobos, and other parts more similar to a chimpanzee. So although we would probably like to think of ourselves as having more in common with the peaceful primates, we share around 98.7 per cent of our DNA with both.
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Animal trivia
Test your animal knowledge 1. THE BEAR FACTS
3. CONSERVING SHARKS
What is the collective noun for a group of bears?
Can you name the shark in danger?
2. TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE
a.
b.
c.
d.
Which of these is a bee?
a.
b.
4. ANIMAL ATHLETES How fast can a sailfish swim?
c.
d.
a. 100kph
b. 80kph
c. 120kph
d. 90kph
5. WHO AM I?
© Thinkstock; Dreamstime
a.
Match the burrow to the animal c. d.
b. “Look for a single entrance hole”
“My burrow is usually in sloped ground in a variety of habitats”
“I often dig my burrow close to the water’s edge”
Mole
Badger
Water vole
e.
“To find me, look for conical mounds of loose soil in a field”
Fox
“I can have more than 50 entrances to my home”
Rabbit
Answers A sloth of bears d. The European honeybee a. Great hammerhead shark b. whale shark c Oceanic whitetip shark. d. Great white shark a. 100kph a. Fox b. Rabbit c. Water vole d. Mole e. Badger
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LIFE AFTER DARK
98
HOW STARFISH WORK
CONSERVING ZEBRAS
ISSN 2053-7727
ADOPT A BEEHIVE A delightful way to support honey bees and learn more about the craft of beekeeping.
Choose to ‘adopt’ a beehive from one of ten regions across the UK and receive this ‘welcome’ box of bee related goodies, plus three seasonal updates a year from your beehive and beekeeper. Help raise money for applied research and education projects to help save the honey bee.
“A present that is useful, desirable and capable of doing some good” THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
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“It doesn’t get cuter or quirkier than giving the gift of armchair beekeeping” VOGUE
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