World of Animals - Issue #34

Unexpected colour










































































A white peacock is
possibly more stunning
than its blue counterpart

Albinism is more often the word used to
describe the absence of the pigment melanin
when animals appear unusually white. In this
case, however, the peacock is a subspecies
called Pavo cristatus mut. alba, and its colour is
caused by a genetic mutation. It is exactly the
same anatomically and structurally as a regular
peacock, except for the colour of its feathers.



51





050-055_Unexpected Colour_NH.indd 51 24/05/2016 16:07

Unexpected colour












































































The wonderfully colourful
Nicobar pigeon has a
rather famous relative

The closest living relative to the dodo hails
from the Nicobar Islands in Southeast Asia.
While the Nicobar pigeon has a grey head like
other pigeons, it also has a large, colourful
plumage running around its neck and down its
back. Juveniles are less colourful, but almost
completely iridescent, shimmering in the sun.


52





050-055_Unexpected Colour_NH.indd 52 24/05/2016 16:07

Unexpected colour



This insect has shunned
the standard green
colour of other insects

The orchid mantis is probably one of the most
beautiful insects on the planet. Its striking
colour perfectly matches the orchid on which
it is adapted to living. Not only is it a master
of colour coordination, but its body parts also
resemble parts of the flower, allowing the
mantis to patiently sit and hide in plain sight,
and wait for unsuspecting prey to wander by.










































































53





050-055_Unexpected Colour_NH.indd 53 24/05/2016 16:07

Unexpected colour







































































This chicken’s
colouring is more
than just skin deep

Hyperpigmentation has caused this
Indonesian chicken to have black
feathers, and when the light catches
them in the right way, they have
a green tinge. The Ayam Cemani
chicken is a curious creature, and
the black colouring doesn’t just
stop at its feathers; its toenails,
tongue, meat, bones and organs all
appear black too.



54





050-055_Unexpected Colour_NH.indd 54 24/05/2016 16:07

Unexpected colour



The katydid that looks
like a jewel in the grass

Most people would think of a long-horned
grasshopper, or bush cricket, and picture a
camouflaged-green insect expertly hidden
among the grass. While green is the most
common colour, pink, yellow and orange
colourings are also prevalent. The pink
colouration is the result of what is known as
erythrism, a genetic mutation leading to an
excessive production of the pink pigment.































































© Alamy; Ardea; FLPA; NaturePL









55





050-055_Unexpected Colour_NH.indd 55 24/05/2016 16:07

THE BIG





STINK



























Bright colours and shrill calls are all well

and good, but if you really want to make a
statement in the wild, it’s good to smell bad


Words Alex Dale

Our sense of smell is one of the most reliable predators are camouflaged and move silently
methods we have of gaining information about in an attempt to avoid detection. Smell is as
the world around us. If you don’t believe us, intimate as you can get with another creature
hold up a slice of meat that’s past its use by without directly touching it, by which point, for
date and tell us what gives your brain the first the hunted, things would already be too late.
clue that it isn’t safe for consumption. You’ll The sense of smell is also linked to memory
almost definitely pick up the rank smell before and emotion, and so many animals see
noticing any discolouration. Your eyes might the benefits in kicking up a stink. A timely
deceive you and you might start hearing unpleasant odour is often enough to put
things, but your nose always knows. predators off, while other animals use smell
Smells are generated when a creature to mark their territory, attract mates or
or object releases volatile chemicals that communicate. Which animals, exactly, smell
evaporate and reach our noses in the form the worst is a matter of opinion – one beast’s
of a gas. Many animals rely heavily on this stink is another beast’s perfume. But we’ve
sense, because it’s an extremely effective compiled a list of animals that are definitely in
early warning system in a world where many the running. Hold your nose, we’re going in...









56





056-062_Big Stink.indd 56 24/05/2016 16:11

The big stink









































It’s not just
skunks; a wide
range of animals,
from millipedes
to kingsnakes,
defend themselves
by spewing out
a vile-smelling
substance.





The best

defence

is a good

offensive smell


Protection-wise, skunks don’t have an awful
lot going for them; they’re slow-moving,
and don’t have particularly good eyesight or
hearing. It’s unlikely they’d survive long were
it not for their famously pungent defence
mechanism. When threatened, the skunk
sprays its attacker with a noxious chemical
compound from nipples either side of its
anus. The rubbery smell can linger for weeks.
Worse still for the unlikely recipient, the
concoction chokes the lungs and causes
temporary blindness by irritating the eyes.
The skunk can target a predator’s face at
distances of up to three metres (10 feet).





57





056-062_Big Stink.indd 57 24/05/2016 16:40

The big stink







































This North


American marsupial


s
e f
o
s a n
a
o
i
n
g
r a
c
t
h
has a nose for acting
We’ve all heard of the phrase drooling mouths and balled-up
‘playing possum’, right? It comes feet - is convincing enough to
from the opossum’s bizarre yet fool predators, and the deception
effective, tactic of ‘playing dead’ even extends to the nose. Upon
when it’s cornered by a predator. falling limp, the opossum excretes
This is actually an involuntary a green mucus that mimics the
response – the opossum goes into stench of decay. It all adds to the
shock and slips into a comatose illusion of a meal that is well past
state that can last for hours. its best before date, convincing the
Nonetheless, the performance – of assailant to move on.















LEFT If ‘playing
dead’ doesn’t
work opossums
have sharp
claws to defend
themselves
58





056-062_Big Stink.indd 58 24/05/2016 16:37

The big stink



‘Fulmar’ is


Old Norse for

‘foul gull’, and

here’s why


If you lived on a diet that exclusively
consisted of seafood and garbage,
your breath wouldn’t exactly be
minty-fresh, either. But the ocean-
faring fulmar, a relative of the
albatross family, uses its death-
breath to its advantage, projectile-
vomiting a disgusting stomach
oil mix that reeks of rotten fish at

anything it considers a threat. This
is a deeply unpleasant experience
for, say, a rock climber that happens
upon a fulmar nest. But for other
seabirds, it’s often fatal, as the oils
cause their feathers to lose their
insulating properties. This means that
when they land on water, instead of
floating they sink to their doom.

The stomach oil
used as a defence
mechanism is also
regurgitated by the
bird as an energy
source for chicks


Competing
Competing
males hold
males hold
‘pong-offs’
‘pong-offs’

Like many mammals, these
Like many mammals, these
small primates from the island
small primates from the island
of Madagascar use scent
of Madagascar use scent
to communicate with each
to communicate with each
other and mark their foraging
other and mark their foraging
territory. They’re even equipped
territory. They’re even equipped
with a horny spur on each
with a horny spur on each
wrist, where their scent gland
wrist, where their scent gland
is, which they use to pierce
is, which they use to pierce
tree bark before they rub their
tree bark before they rub their
If you bump into a male smell in.
Lemurs live in large social
Lemurs live in large social
groups of about 20 to 30
in musth, urine trouble groups of about 20 to 30
individuals so during mating
individuals so during mating
season there is a lot of
season there is a lot of
It isn’t all about self-defence; Researchers believe this competition amongst the
competition amongst the
males for the attention of the
some animals kick up a stink as a condition isn’t related to mating; males for the attention of the
females. The male lemurs
warning to others not to encroach rather, it’s a period where the females. The male lemurs
resort to chemical warfare,
on their territory. For a few weeks male elephants establish pecking resort to chemical warfare,
smothering their scent into
every year, elephant bulls enter a orders. To do this, they dribble smothering their scent into
period known as ‘musth’. During their strong-smelling urine down their long tails and then fl icking
their long tails and then flicking
their appendage in their
musth, the elephant’s testosterone their hind legs, and accent the their appendage in their
competition’s direction. These
levels are 60 times over normal scent with an oily mucus secreted competition’s direction. These
stands-offs can last for up
levels, and even the most placid from glands on their cheeks. The stands-offs can last for up
to an hour before one of the
individuals become wildly resulting toxic cocktail can be to an hour before one of the
aggressive and unpredictable. smelled over half a mile away. lemurs is forced to back down.
lemurs is forced to back down.
59
056-062_Big Stink.indd 59 24/05/2016 16:37

The big stink


What, you thought


t h e y fl os se d ?
they flossed?


Sloths are nature’s couch potatoes, and they have the
hygiene routine to match. Sleeping for up to 20 hours
a day, sloths move so little that an entire ecosystem of
creepy-crawlies has seen fit to set-up home in their long,

coarse fur. A single sloth can be home to thousands of
beetles, hundreds of moths and, grossest of all, a thick
coating of algae and mold that gives the sloth’s fur a
green tinge. While the animal itself has no natural scent,
its stowaways give the sloth a thick smell of vegetation,
so perhaps it’s for the best that they spend almost their
entire lives high in the treetops.
But believe it or not, having a coat of algae, although
whiffy, is actually useful, and scientists believe that the
sloth’s skin and hair has evolved to create conditions
that encourage its growth. So while the algae gets a
sheltered, damp home, the sloth gets a nifty set of

camouflage from predators, and its skin can also absorb
extra nutrients from its lodger. This kind of mutually

beneficial partnership is called a ‘symbiotic relationship’.
“While the animal itself

has no natural scent, its
stowaways give the sloth

a thick smell of vegetation”
































The parents that would never ask

their offspring to tidy their room


Beautiful, isn’t it? But admire from a distance; The female hoopoe then spreads this
the hoopoe reeks of rotten meat. It does so same liquid over its eggs to make them less
by choice, spreading a foul liquid secreted by palatable to hungry intruders. Tiny pits in the
its preen gland all over its feathers to deter eggshell allow the smell to stick, making this a
predators and attract insects. Bacteria in the nest that could rival any teenage boy’s in the
goop also combats feather-eating microbes. odour stakes.


60





056-062_Big Stink.indd 60 24/05/2016 16:11

The big stink


5 aromatic animals It’s the stink bombs that


Not all animal give off foul odours. Some smell
as sweet as our favourite scents
bring them together

Like the wolverine, hyenas use their scent to coated in the stuff act as a notice board of sorts,
mark their territory, except in their case they do allowing an individual to draw information about
so by rubbing a sticky, stinky paste called ‘hyena other hyenas nearby; young or old, pregnant or
butter’ on grass stalks, rocks and even each other. lactating. Each clan has its own distinctive scent,
Hyena butter also serves another purpose for this which researchers believe is generated by bacteria
highly-social animal - communication. Grass stalks that lives in the hyena’s anal glands.
Beaver - French vanilla
Anal secretions are rarely pleasant, but there are
exceptions. The beaver’s slime smells of vanilla, and we “Hyenas use their scent
use it in everything from perfume to food flavouring.

to mark their territory...
rubbing a sticky, stinky

paste...on grass stalks”





Citronella ant - Lemon
This common American household pest gives people’s
homes a pleasant lemon-y smell, due to the citric gas
they expel when threatened.












Peppermint stick insect -
Peppermint
This stick insect sprays aggressors with a fragrant but
irritating mist that smells of peppermint.












Koala - Cough drops
You are what you eat, they say: these lazy koalas live on
a diet of eucalyptus leaves, and as such smell like a big,
cute, teddy bear-shaped cough drop.












Crested auklet - Tangerine
Most birds have a poor sense of smell, but this sweet-
smelling seabird preens its scent into its feathers like a
perfume and greets its mate by smelling its neck.

61





056-062_Big Stink.indd 61 24/05/2016 16:11

The big stink



If their smell Introducing the
doesn’t put
predators off,
hoatzin chicks can ‘stinkbird’
hide underwater,
but adult birds
cannot swim This rather clumsy bird inhabits the Amazon
rainforest and appears to have more in
common with the dinosaurs than other
avians – hoatzin chicks even have claws
on their wings, leading to comparisons to
various ancient ‘missing link’ species such as
the archaeopteryx.
It begs the question how such an ungainly
species such as the hoatzin could survive into
the present day. Well, one thing that likely
puts predators off is that it stinks of fresh
cow manure – which actually makes sense,
because the hoatzin, which feeds almost
exclusively on leaves, has evolved a digestive
system similar to that found in cattle. Its crop
serves as a fermentation chamber, where
bacteria slowly (very slowly) breaks down the
leaves until the bird can digest them.
Because of its diet, the hoatzin spends
much of its time lazing about – but then,
there’s no rush. It’s not like the Amazon’s
carnivores are queuing up for a sniff.
“One thing that likely

puts predators off is
that it stinks of fresh

cow manure”



You won’t want to make The

yourself at home on the wolverine’s keen
nose can sniff
out a carcass
wolverine’s patch underneath six
metres (20 feet)
of snow.
Named the ‘skunk bear’ by the Blackfoot Indians that roamed
the north-western United States, this hulking member of the
weasel family is highly territorial, and uses scent to draw the
boundaries of its breeding and feeding range.
Until recently, it was thought that the wolverine marked
its territory with its oily musk, but we now know that it does
so by scent-marking with its urine as it goes about its daily
animal business. It’s unmistakably strong, even by urine
standards, because of the pine needles that form part of the
wolverine’s diet.
But the wolverine has a final stinky trick up its unwashed
sleeve. During lean times, this scavenger will store food
in caches for later. They keep their bounty in cold, snow-
covered crevices to keep bacteria at bay, and spray it with
© Dreamstime; FLPA; NaturePL; Rex Features; Thinkstock
their aforementioned musk to put off anything else who
might happen upon their larder.












62





056-062_Big Stink.indd 62 24/05/2016 16:38

For further information

visit www.gardenature.co.uk
or call us on 01255 514451

We also have a selection of bat boxes available.
Please see our website for more details.









Love turtles?


Adopt a turtle with the Marine
Conservation Society.
Your support will help us secure a safer
future for these gentle but endangered
ancient mariners by protecting them and ©Malcolm Nobbs/malcolmnobbs.com
the ocean world in which they live.
For just £3 a month, you will receive:


• An adorable fluffy turtle hatchling

• Your personalised adoption certificate

• Talk Turtle - our biannual enewsletter,
which contains news, stories and
fantastic photos of turtles and our other ©Malcolm Nobbs/malcolmnobbs.com
marine conservation work
• A colourful factsheet about turtles

©Malcolm Nobbs/malcolmnobbs.com Adopt a turtle now!
Marine Conservation Society www.mcsuk.org/adoptaturtle or call us on 0300 3300 704
Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7US
Tel: 01989 566017 Email: [email protected] Web: www.mcsuk.org
T el: 01989 566017 Email: inf o@mcsuk .or g W eb: w w w .mcsuk .or g Registered Charity No: 1004005 (England & Wales); SC037480 (Scotland).
Company Limited by Guarantee No: 2550966
facebook.com/mcsuk twitter.com/mcsuk
fac ebook .c om/mcsuk t witt er .c om/mcsuk Registered in England VAT No: 489 1505 17
fac
er
.c
om/mcsuk
witt
ebook
.c
om/mcsuk t
Quarter Page.indd 1 23/05/2016 15:19

Conserving the Amur leopard























CONSERVING THE
















































AMUR LEOPARD
Panthera pardus orientalis
Class Mammalia



Territory Southeast Russia
and northeast China
Diet Deer, boar, hares,
badgers
Lifespan 10-15 years
Adult weight 32-48kg
(71-106lb)
Conservation Status

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED


64





064-068_Conserving_the_Leopard_WOA34.indd 64 24/05/2016 16:51

CONSERVING THE








AMUR LEOPARD













These elusive and secretive
felines are one of the most

threatened of all the big cats
and are on the brink

of extinction


Words Naomi Harding

Leopards can be split into nine distinct subspecies
depending on their region. On the whole, they are rapidly
decreasing around the world but few subspecies are quite
as endangered as the Amur leopard.
Only 100 years ago, they occupied the Russian Far East,
northeastern China, and the whole of the Korean peninsula.
Today, there are just 25-40 animals in the southern tip of
the Russian Far East.
They are the only leopards adapted to living in snowy
cold climates (snow leopards aren’t true leopards). They
have thick fur to insulate them from the biting winds, long
limbs and wide paws to act as snowshoes in the cold snow,
and a long bushy tail that is extremely useful, not only
for balance, but as a scarf when they curl up and wrap it
around themselves.
The Amur leopard is just one stop short of being extinct
in the wild. A survey in 2007 revealed just 14-20 adults

and five-to-six cubs in the Primorye region of Russia. Since
the listing increased to Critically Endangered in 1996, the
population has been relatively stable but conservation
efforts so far have failed to increase numbers.


65





064-068_Conserving_the_Leopard_WOA34.indd 65 24/05/2016 16:51

Conserving the Amur leopard

Lonely leopards



These big cats live a life alone in the harsh wilderness
Amur leopards are crepuscular, sleeping which help them strip meat from bone Amur leopards live in the fiercely harsh
during the day and waking in the evening, when eating. They don’t share food. In and bitterly cold mountains. It would be
spending the frosty nights roaming the fact, they share nothing with other animals, easy to think such a remote environment
land to stalk their prey. They are excellent leading solitary lives like most other cats. would be left untouched by humans but BELOW During
hunters and once they have taken down a The only time they have contact with you would be wrong. At most there are 40 mating season,
there may be
wild boar or a deer, they skulk off dragging other leopards is during the breeding individuals remaining, meaning every single several males
their meal with them to eat in peace. season, when a mother is raising her cubs, leopard is important. In Russia, they have fighting and
Their tongues are covered with many or when they need to see other leopards lost 80 per cent of their habitat and the following a
female at any
small rasps or hooks, known as denticles, off their territory. fight to save them is ongoing. given time




































3 things
you should
know about
Amur leopards


The Amur leopard’s cousin, the
Amur tiger, had a population
that fell to just 30 individuals in
the 1930s, but it was recovered
to around 360 living in the wild,
giving conservationists hope for
the Amur leopard.
Depending on their size and
sex, an adult Amur leopard can
need up to 30,000 hectares (116
square miles) of territory. They
are solitary and do not share
their space with other cats.
They are incredibly powerful
and can run 60 kilometres per
hour (37 miles per hour), jump
six metres (20 feet) in the air
horizontally, and three metres
(ten feet) vertically.


66





064-068_Conserving_the_Leopard_WOA34.indd 66 24/05/2016 16:51

The struggle is real On the front line



way for Amur leopard conservation
Conservationists have not yet won the war against poaching These three organisations are leading the
Amur leopards face a number of threats, of due to the low density of prey. Despite the
which have contributed to their endangered bleak outlook, there are people working hard to
status. Poaching, as is the usual cause of many prevent further losses; rangers are stationed in
animal declines, is generally considered to be lodges scattered across the land and if they see
the main threat to their survival. The trade in a fire or hear gunshots they spring to action.
Amur leopard products is illegal, which means In addition, there is an ever-looming threat of
it can be difficult to quantify, but we know it is development in the Primorye area. A proposal
happening as skins are sometimes confiscated to build an oil pipeline through the area has
in Russia and China. Shooting for pelts is been shelved, for now. Another plan for the
largely carried out by unqualified hunters construction of an open pit coal mine was
using unregistered guns, meaning that there only abandoned after increasing publicity and
is a greater chance of suffering to the animal pressure from environmentalists. Although these
and there is more likely to be an unsustainable projects did not go ahead they have not been
harvest in the long-term. considered conservation successes. The desire Amur Leopard And Tiger
Deliberate fires and burning of habitat is also to develop the leopard’s habitat for commercial Alliance (ALTA)
a key threat. Farmers habitually set fire to fields, gain still exists. It is now more important than ALTA is a coalition comprised of 15
a known practice to increase the quality of soil ever for conservationists to stay on top of international and Russian NGOs working
for crops, but over an extended period of time what is happening in the area and continue towards conserving the Amur leopard
this has encouraged large expanses of land to lobbying policy makers, company directors, and population. They plan to work with partner
transform into open savannah, with grasses politicians to preserve the habitat, so that future organisations to establish a second
and scrub that leopards tend to steer clear Amur leopards have a chance of survival.
population of Amur leopards in their former
range, where they are no longer found,
“Poaching, as is the usual cause of many animal by planning and creating a reserve. The
European and Russian zoo conservation
declines, is generally considered to be the main breeding programme now has over 200
captive Amur leopards acting as a safety-
threat to their survival” net population, which they are working
towards releasing back into the wild at
some point in the future.
Researchers also WWF
fix radio collars
to the leopards Looking after Amur leopards is only half
so they can track the battle. To ensure their long-term
their movements survival you also have to look after their
and collect data
depleting habitat and their prey. This
is the strategy the WWF has adopted
to conserve the big cats for the future.
WWF has helped to significantly increase
populations of wild boar and deer in the
leopard’s range, and has worked with
local communities to increase the area
of protected land used as habitat. By
working with TRAFFIC (the wildlife trade
monitoring organisation) they are also
helping to crack down on illegal Amur
leopard products and reducing demand
for such products through education.
Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS)
Working with ALTA, the WCS have been
monitoring Amur leopards in Russia using
modern technology such as camera traps.
The cameras are set up in various locations
where leopards are suspected to travel
through and are triggered whenever they
sense any movement, capturing an image.
Camera trapping allows the organisation
to identify individual leopards by looking
at their distinctive coat patterns, and it has
allowed WCS to build up a data set to spot
trends throughout the years and estimate
the population density. In 2014 the project
was extended to cover a wider area,
and today WCS are carefully monitoring
around 75 per cent of all Amur leopard
habitat in Russia.

67





064-068_Conserving_the_Leopard_WOA34.indd 67 24/05/2016 17:17

Conserving the Amur leopard






















































Amur leopards are known for
their incredibly shy nature, usually
preferring to stay hidden
Amur leopard health proposed reintroduced second population has been 40 individuals, and therefore it would not be surprising to

summarised in the Disease Risk Assessment for the find problems arising from inbreeding. Certainly, the wild
John Lewis is a vet for Wildlife Reintroduction of the Amur Leopard and mitigation population has a narrower genetic base than captive Amur
,
Vets International (WVI) strategies have been identified to prevent disease having a leopards in European zoos, but no obvious problems that

Can you tell me more about your work? major negative effect on the programme. This document can be related to inbreeding have yet been identified in the


WVI was invited to be part of a is now incorporated into the government approved wild. Having said that, we do not know whether there are
multidisciplinary team trapping and gathering biomedical Reintroduction Plan for the species. more subtle effects of inbreeding yet to be identified.


data from the remaining wild Amur leopards. As there Amur leopards have been camera-trapped on rare
were only about 35 leopards in 20,000 square kilometres What are they key threats facing the Amur leopard? occasions on the Chinese side of the border, but whether
(7,722 square miles) of taiga forest, they were diffi cult to Poaching of the leopards and their prey remains the most they are breeding there has yet to be determined.

find. During six years of trapping, we only caught leopards immediate threat to Amur leopards. In addition, leopard

on seven occasions, with one male being caught three habitat is being altered by some development in the area Is it too late to save the species?

times in consecutive years. and forest fires set for agricultural purposes. Definitely not. The wild population has been stable and

As well as trapping, I was able to mentor a Russian Disease can undermine even the best of conservation even increasing slightly for a number of years, and we
wildlife vet and give lectures to both veterinary and biology efforts. Fortunately, Amur leopards are present in the wild think that some individuals are moving between Russia

students, as there is little knowledge of wildlife disease in at very low densities, which tends to reduce the extent and and adjacent areas of China. However, the numbers are
the Russian Far East. rate of disease spread. Even so, emerging viral threats, still critically low. A reintroduced population could go a
With reintroduction into the wild in mind, our partners such as that posed by Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), could long way to securing this species.
in Russia have collected health data from other wild and affect the viability of the wild Amur leopard population, as A successful reintroduction of the Amur leopard will


domestic carnivore species in the area, and from species it appears to be doing in the case of the Amur tiger. The take many years and no doubt suffer setbacks. It is an

that leopards would prey on. WVI has analysed the health first fatal case of CDV infection in a wild Amur leopard has expensive process and in some ways a risky one, but in
of the captive Amur leopard population that would provide already been reported and we must be extremely vigilant combination with habitat protection, it might just work!
young leopards for the reintroduction project. Over a for others. Support WVI and the ALTA partners by sharing our
number of years we’ve built up a good working knowledge stories, inspiring others and by fund raising to help


of the disease issues likely to affect a reintroduction Do they suffer any genetic problems due to the small support our ongoing conservation work. For more © Getty; NaturePL

project. number of animals le ? information visit www.WildlifeVetsInternational.org
The threat from disease to both the current and The Amur leopard population remains very low at around and www.ALTAconservation.org.
68
064-068_Conserving_the_Leopard_WOA34.indd 68 24/05/2016 17:18

FEED YOUR MIND


www.howitworksdaily.com












































Available
from all good
newsagents and
supermarkets

TM
ON SALE NOW
> Fossilised lightning > Drone racing > Cats vs dog > Gas giants


SCIENCE UP CLOSE INSIDE GADGETS COOLEST TECH ILLUSTRATIONS AMAZING FACTS












BUY YOUR ISSUE TODAY



Print edition available at www.imagineshop.co.uk


Digital edition available at www.greatdigitalmags.com



Available on the following platforms
facebook.com/howitworks twitter.com/@howitworksmag




HIW81_230x297HouseAd.indd 1 06/05/2016 09:53

Endangered

The Tuatara






Tuatara are the last surviving reflect the stark reality for these

COOK STRAIT TUATARA
Sphenodon punctatus members of the order troubled reptiles. Around 70 million
Class Reptilia
Rhynchocephalia, a group of years ago the tuatara became
ancient reptiles that lived as long extinct everywhere except for New
as 225 million years ago. Although Zealand, restricting their range
Territory New Zealand
Diet Beetles, lizards, bird eggs they are listed as Least Concern considerably. Their slow pace
and chicks
Lifespan 120 years by the IUCN, the assessment was of life and the numerous threats
Adult weight 1kg (2.2lb)
Conservation status carried out in 1996 and it has been they face, such as loss of habitat,
acknowledged that the record mean the tuatara are now living
LEAST CONCERN needs updating, as it does not dangerously close to extinction.












The causes of

endangerment


Introduced species

Polynesian settlers arrived around 1250-1300AD

and introduced Pacific rats to many of the
islands. These rats preyed on tuatara and by
the 1840s, the reptile was mostly extinct on the
mainland. Legislation soon followed and since
1895, they have been awarded protection from
the New Zealand government. Today, tuatara are
unable to live on any island where rats, cats or
any other mammalian predator are present.
Loss of habitat
Because tuatara live on such small islands
surrounding New Zealand, they are extremely
vulnerable to environmental change. Seemingly
small events, such as fire, can have a drastic

impact on the survival of the species and easily
wipe out large proportions of the population.
Harvesting
Before the government stepped in and
protected the creature officially, many tuatara

were poached from their habitat and harvested
for trade. Hundreds were shipped overseas for
museum exhibitions and private collections.
People are still taking tuatara illegally from the
wild, but in smaller quantities than they were
before 1895.
b e f o r e 1 8 9 5 .
What you can do…
WWW.TUATARATOURS.CO.NZ
If you’re on holiday in the area, Tuatara Tours is actively involved in
tuatara conservation. It offers a wide range of walking and cycling

tours in Australia and New Zealand, all while raising money to save
the reptiles.
70





070-071_Endangered Tuatara_NH.indd 70 24/05/2016 14:53

Tuatara


A restricted range

The common tuatara is now limited to small islands due to
introduced species. They are no longer able to survive on the
mainland, and the surviving populations are highly fragmented.

Current range












New Zealand






















Tuatara breakthroughs
Keeper Isolde McGeorge has been attempting
to breed the tuatara at Chester Zoo since 1977
Tuatara lived before the dinosaurs, they lived with the dinosaurs,
and they survived aer dinosaurs had died out. They really are a

living fossil and an evolutionary wonder.
There is no other reptile like it on the planet. They have no
external ear openings, they don’t possess normal teeth but
instead have projected serrations from their jawbones, and
they have a ‘third eye’ in the middle of their heads. These ‘eyes’
are equipped with a lens, retina, cornea and connective tissue
leading to the brain, but have no visual function; instead, they are
photoreceptors believed to utilise UV light.
Breeding tuatara is an incredible achievement, as they are
notoriously diffi cult to breed. It has taken me 38 years to get here,

which has involved a lot of hard work, stressful moments and lots
of tweaking of the conditions in which we keep the animals, but it
has all been very much worth it.
This animal has been on the planet for over a quarter of a billion

years, and to be the first zoo to ever breed them outside of New
Zealand is an amazing event. It’s one of the most momentous
events for the reptile team since we discovered Komodo dragons
are capable of virgin births in 2006.
When you’ve worked with tuatara you come to realise that they
don’t do anything in a hurry. Their metabolism is incredibly slow

– they take only five breaths and just six to eight heart beats per
“The tuatara is a species minute, and they only reproduce every four years.
We’ve waited 12 years with this particular pairing. The night
believed to have been before it hatched, I spotted two beads of sweat on the egg. I had
a feeling something incredible was about to happen, so I raced in
around long before early the next day and there she was. Immediately I broke down in © Chester Zoo; freevectormaps.com
tears – I was completely overwhelmed by what we had achieved.
dinosaurs walked the Earth” Now that we have all of the key factors in place, the challenge is to
repeat our success.

71





070-071_Endangered Tuatara_NH.indd 71 24/05/2016 16:25

E x p l o r e th e E a r th
Explore the Earth
















































Enchanting













ICELAND













Witness the animals that roam the land where tectonic
plates meet, water boils beneath the ground and the
northern lights paint the night sky


Words Amy Grisdale





72





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 72 24/05/2016 16:41

Enchanting Iceland


On top of the world Arctic fox Humpback whale
Though found throughout Húsavík in Skjálfandi Bay
With a total population of less than four per cent of the city of most of the country, the is inundated with filter

London’s, Iceland’s vast plains are almost untouched by human west fjords are home to feeding humpbacks
influence. That being said, the country’s wildlife has been shaped The Arctic Fox Centre throughout the summer

almost entirely by human activity as there are few native mammals with local guides that months, hungrily building
on the island and many species that visitors go to see are either can help visitors spot the up fat reserves to see
introduced or domesticated. As people began to settle on the elusive creatures. them through winter.
previously uninhabited country in the late ninth century, more and
more species were introduced. At least 32 invasive species found
their way to Iceland over the years from American mink that escaped
fur farms to the Chinese mitten crab that migrated from the Far
East. Birds and marine mammals, however, have been visiting the

country for thousands of years to enjoy its fish-filled ƒords and are still


sighted to this day. The country is on the brink of the Arctic circle and
its unique fauna live alongside breathtaking geographical landforms, 3
making it an incredibly popular destination for wildlife watchers
around the world
Orca
As a cosmopolitan species the largest Iceland
species of dolphin can be found
in any body of water around the 2
world, but have returned to Iceland’s
Grundarfjörður year after year. 1
Grey seal 4
Common around most of the
country’s coast, these hardy marine
mammals can be seen frolicking in
shallow waters or resting on rocks.

Map key Icelandic horse Puffi n Reindeer
1 Þingvellir National Park Though they aren’t wild Found along the Though not native
2 Vatnajökull National Park animals, the equines of Iceland coasts during the to Iceland, there are
3 Ásbyrgi Canyon are extremely popular with summer months, the strongholds of feral
4 Ska afell National Park visitors to the Golden Circle. largest population reindeer in the higher

Strict laws prevent other can be seen on the elevations of the east
horses being introduced, Westman islands, as they were found
and exported horses are not which is a short ferry difficult to domesticate

Travel guide allowed back into the country. ride from the mainland. by 18th century farmers.
When to go
Summer is the best time for wildlife,
but the northern lights are most active
in winter, so choose your season
according to what you want to see.
How to get there

Reykjavik Keflavik airport accepts direct

flights from all over the world, and nervous

fliers can always take a cruise if they prefer
not to fly.

What the weather will do
Despite the name Iceland isn’t very
prone to snow. Instead, it is generally
cold in the summer, but still sunny with
clear, bright skies.
What to take
The country is geared up for walking
so a good pair of boots are a must
when visiting, along with a proper
winter jacket to keep you warm.

What you’ll see
Even if you aren’t lucky enough
to spot a single wild animal you’re
guaranteed to see Icelandic horses
and the country’s incredible landforms.

73





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 73 24/05/2016 16:41

Explore the Earth




Spy a colour-changing

Arctic fox on the hunt


Iceland is one of the southernmost points of the Arctic
fox’s range, and it’s the only terrestrial mammal native to
the country. In winter its fur is white to blend in with the
intermittent snow, and throughout the summer it takes on a
grey-brown colour. This shade is actually called blue, and the
summer fur is much thinner than the thick white tufts that
sprout in winter.
The Icelandic population feeds mostly on birds and eggs,
scouring cliffs for nests. They have no competing carnivores
to contend with meaning they have a fairly stable population,
though they thrive in areas with high bird populations. If food
is scarce, foxes will turn to scavenging on carrion, picking out
invertebrates or feasting on berries.
Unfortunately, the Arctic fox has been hunted over centuries
as Icelandic farmers viewed it as a threat to sheep. Its fur was
once prized but the introduction of fur farms greatly decreased
the hunting pressure and now many fox areas are protected.
Family groups live in dens with up to eight entrances and
a system of tunnels. They cover up to 30 square metres (320
square feet) and typically contain an adult male, two vixens
and their cubs. Dens provide an ideal hiding place for surplus
food collected in the summer and can be in use for hundreds of
years, passing down through generations.






















A flurry of feathers


Seabirds thrive along the coasts of Iceland, both in the water and
on land. Guillemots, razorbills and puffins nest on clifftops and are
surprisingly tolerant of visitors.
Ducks are a common sight in coastal waters, from eiders to
harlequin ducks. They dive into the icy depths to find food
such as sea urchins and can stay submerged for up to 60
seconds. Many birds in Iceland are migratory and leave for
southern spots if the winters get too harsh. Whooper swans
head to the British Isles around November to escape the
approaching cold. Geese and wading birds like plovers
often stop off in Iceland to break up the journey between
northern Greenland and the southern hemisphere.
Despite the lack of small mammals in the country, there
are three species of owl. Long-eared, short-eared and
snowy owls are an increasing sight, especially at dusk
during late summer. In total, over 370 bird species have
been spotted over the years, many of which are in such
large numbers that Iceland holds a significant chunk of the
world’s population.


74





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 74 24/05/2016 16:18

Enchanting Iceland



More than wildlife












Geothermal springs
Hot water bubbles up from the ground to
form hot springs, the most famous of which is
Blue Lagoon. It’s situated in a northern lights
hotspot so going at night is a good idea.











Hike on ice
Take a tour to see rivers of ice that have
shaped the landscape. Tour operators offer
snowmobile or 4X4 trips for those less willing
to walk.











The Golden Circle
Take the popular trail to see where tectonic
plates touch, geysers spurt and waterfalls
crash. Take a tour or drive yourself.












Explore the capital
Get souvenirs, peruse museums and admire
the city’s artwork while enjoying the view of
Reykjavik’s spectacular harbour.











The northern lights
Not all visitors to Iceland are lucky enough to
see the northern lights, so take a tour or check
the online forecast before going to find the
stunning display.


75





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 75 24/05/2016 16:19

Explore the Earth





Watch whales

and dolphins


Iceland is the whale watching capital of
the world, and throughout the summer
the entire island is surrounded. Arguably
the best place in the country is Húsavík
on the north coast where visitors can
see humpbacks, orcas or more obscure
animals like the northern bottlenose
whale. The cold waters of the north
Atlantic are rich in food and attract more
than 20 different whale species. Large
whales like blues and minkes filter feed
on small marine organisms while toothed
whales like white-beaked dolphins and
sperm whales feed on larger fish and
squid. Some species are migratory, like
the humpback, and spend their summers
gorging themselves on the fishy feast
available. Whale watch guides help
passengers spot marine mammals and
companies offer eco-friendly tours,
operating according to strict guidelines to
prevent the animals suffering any distress.













Peek on a

nesting puffin


Despite generations of hunting and egg
theft, Icelandic puffins are not afraid of
humans and will allow tourists to get
close to their nests. Trips like these should
be taken with professional companies
to ensure the environment does not get
damaged and, most importantly, no birds
are disturbed or injured.
Over 60 per cent of the world’s Atlantic
puffin population live in Iceland, though
they only venture on to land during
breeding season. They are fantastically
adapted to live on the open ocean and
can dive as deep as 60 metres (200 feet).
This affinity for swimming doesn’t hinder
the puffin’s aerial ability, however, these
birds can flap their wings up to 400 times
in 60 seconds.
The brightly coloured feet and bills help
puffins pick suitable mates. Birds with
bright orange beaks are more likely to be
selected as a partner as it indicates good
health, and as puffins mate for life it’s
important that they choose wisely.




76





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 76 24/05/2016 16:19

Animal tourists
Feel festive with


real reindeer

This is the only deer species in which both males and females
have antlers. Males engage in gruesome battles, and the winners
are awarded with groups of up to 15 females. During the rut males
don’t eat and lose a large chunk of their body mass, though it’s
worth it when their newborn calves arrive in late spring.
Polar bear

The largest terrestrial carnivore occasionally finds its
way to Iceland by accident, floating over on ice sheets.

Unfortunately, those that do appear don’t tend to
survive and aren’t able to breed without another bear.









Narwhal
The bizarre sword-faced whale, also known as the
unicorn of the sea, has been seen in Icelandic waters
but is usually only found in the waters of the Arctic and
between Greenland and Canada.











Feed hardy Icelandic horses Common crane
Though this bird is found throughout mainland Europe
and northern Africa it has been known to pop up in
Though a common sight around rural areas Introduced to Iceland over 1,100 years ago, Iceland. The first confirmed sighting was in 1968 and


of the country, tour guides will often stop to they are the last remaining members of an they continue until this day.
show their guests roadside horses. In fact, otherwise extinct breed. They are sure-footed
visitors can go to ranches to ride or even on any terrain and extremely well insulated to
take a horseback tour. defend against snow and chilling winds.
See playful seals


on the coast

Raccoon
Almost all of the Icelandic coast is seal territory, and In 1932 seven raccoons were kept in captivity in
many calm inlets like fjords and sheltered beaches Reykjavik, but one escaped. In 1975, three more were

are swimming with both grey and common seals. brought to HafnaŠörður Aquarium but again, one
escaped. A third was found in 1998.
They are opportunistic feeders, searching the sea

bed for fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Recent
research even suggests that grey seals will attack
harbour porpoises when in need of a quick meal.
Common seals use their whiskers to detect prey
under water, and find their food even if they cannot

hear or see. Seals have 1,500 nerve endings in
each whisker, which is eight times the number in a
single cat whisker. They are extremely sensitive and
are differently shaped to those of other mammals,
and their structure gives their whiskers a unique Booted eagle
property. While the animal is swimming the whiskers Normally native to southern Europe and sub-Saharan
Africa, these large eagles make rare appearances in
are able to stay relatively still and only vibrate in Iceland though the lack of small mammals and reptiles
response to moving prey in the surrounding water. means they don’t stay long.
77





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 77 24/05/2016 16:19

Explore the Earth





Peep at ringed

plover parents


Found on sandy or stony terrain close to
water, these active wading birds are caring
parents. Both the male and female incubate
the eggs and if their nest is approached by
a predator the plover will tear away to lure
the threat from its precious eggs.
Young plovers leave the nest almost
immediately after hatching, but may shelter
underneath their mother if they do not feel
safe enough to make a break for it.












































See salmon

leap upstream



Iceland has only five species of freshwater
fish, three of which are in the salmon family.
The Elliðaár river in eastern Reykjavik is the
ideal spot to see these fish going against
the flow to reach their spawning grounds in
late July to early August.
Once the fish reach their destination they
release their reproductive matter into the
water. Young fish spend their lives in the
safety of streams but find their way to the
ocean in adulthood.



78





072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 78 24/05/2016 16:19

Enchanting Iceland




!
WIN!
WI
N
For the chance to win the
fantastic new TERRA® ED
Pocket binoculars from
ZEISS visit
animalanswers.co.uk



Top tips


Keep to a budget
Iceland has a reputation for being expensive, but there are ways to
keep costs down. Avoid alcohol, which is heavily taxed and try to get
self-catering accommodation like camping or staying in a hostel. Hire a
car to avoid paying for expensive tours.
Boycott whale meat
Whaling is still legal in Iceland, and many restaurants serve minke meat.
Don’t eat at establishments that have whale on the menu and be careful
tasting samples at indoor markets if you aren’t sure what they are.
Choose your season carefully
As a country with a high latitude, Iceland has varying daylight hours
throughout the year. Check the sunrise and sunset times online to
ensure you book at the right time. Late August is a good time as there
are still whales in the water but enough hours of darkness to see the
northern lights.

Golden rules for

Icelandic photography

These guidelines will guarantee you take the best pictures on your trip












Capture the aurora Adjust to low light Freeze whales in frame Create magical waterfalls
e
r d
n
n
d
a
t i
o
n I
e
c
n
s a
y
d a
h
e s
Winter days are short in Iceland and
W
Snapping the northern lights W i i n t t e r d a y s a r r e s h o r r t i n I c e l l a a n d a n d To capture whale photos keep It’s hard to get that misty effect
can be a challenge. Use a sturdy if it’s getting dark you still want to your viewfinder to your eye and in images. The key is to show that © Alamy: FLPA; Getty; Thinkstock; freevectormaps; Dreamstime

tripod and set your exposure be able to use your camera. Firstly, don’t zoom until you’ve spied your the water is moving, so try a slow
t
t
r
s m
u
h
u
e
p
e
s m
r

p
e
e
o l
t i
n a
n a
t i
r
r

e t
o l
time to 30 seconds or longer. use a large aperture to let in as much target. Take bursts of photos to shutter speed to create motion blur.
e t
g
e a l
h
s
e a l
r
a
r
g
a
c
u u
u
c
e a
s
u
e a
h
d s
g
o
light as possible and slow down your
i
o
w
l
w d
o
Make sure your camera is on l light as possible and slow down your ensure you capture the action, Use a tripod or rest your camera on

l
e a
b
i
s
o
r
u
n
t a
n y
s p
s
s
e
a
n
c
r
e
t
t
e
p
r s
shutter speed. You can also increase
manual focus. Find a spot with shutter speed. You can also increase and keep your shutter speed high. a solid surface and experiment with
s
u
h
e
n a
a
l
o i
s
d
e
. Y
u c
o

minimal artificial light for pin- the ISO, but your pictures may Follow the lighter parts of its body exposure times starting with one to
sharp images. become grainy. until it surfaces to breathe. two seconds.
Who to travel with
Budget Family Luxury
Evaneos Travel Family Adventure Company Steppes Travel
WWW.EVANEOS-TRAVEL.COM WWW. FAMILYADVENTURECOMPANY.CO.UK WWW. STEPPESTRAVEL.CO.UK
Reykjavik and southern Iceland Summer Iceland family adventure Iceland – Land of fire and ice


£399 excluding flights £1,794 per adult, £1,615 per child £4,300
79
072-079_Explore Iceland_WOA034.indd 79 24/05/2016 16:19

n
i
f
g
W
Working for Wildlife
k
or
or
i
l
e
f
i
W
d
l
SOS: SNAILS
IN DISTRESS









If you thought that wildlife conservation stopped at big,

cuddly mammals then London Zoo snail keeper Sam
Aberdeen is here to set the story straight



What originally drew beloved wildlife, including hedgehogs, thrushes introductions, including predatory species like
you to working with and badgers. Molluscs will be here long after the rosy wolf snail (Euglandina rosea).
snails? all humans are gone – the question is, will we We are lucky to have had extraordinary people
As children, snails create a world where only the pests survive, working on the project from the very beginning.
are some of the first killing off the benign and useful to leave only Two pivotal figures are Bryan Clarke and


wild animals we fully the aggressive invaders behind? Not if we can James Murray. These scientists were following
experience. Searching help it. a long tradition in Partula research, studying
through the grass, that speciation [the evolution of new species] in

first encounter is like What’s the backstory of the Partula snail French Polynesia. While on the island of Moorea,
looking into an alien conservation programme? they noticed that their study animals were
world: motion with no legs; fluid skeletons; eyes Between 1970 and 2000, almost all 58 species disappearing, leaving behind thousands of shells


on tentacles; and covered in mucus. As adults, of French Polynesian Partula were wiped scattered across the forest floor.
the constant presence of snails in our lives out. The extinction was caused by a series of We are now an international collaboration of
makes them oddly forgettable.
I was fortunate enough to be reintroduced
to the world of the snail in my teens, bringing The 7 x 12m (22.9
x 39.3 ) reserve on

these gastropods back from a peripheral Tahiti where the snails
interest into a genuine passion. Unfortunately, were reintroduced
as with a large number of animals on our planet, into the wild in 2015
many snail species are currently losing the
battle for survival.
Why do snails deserve our help as much
as other endangered (and arguably more
photogenic) animals?
Who says snails aren’t photogenic? Personally I
find their slightly quizzical expressions genuinely

delightful – just look at Gary from SpongeBob
SquarePants, or Turbo. Or, for real examples,
have a look at the Polymita or British Cepaea.
Wherever snails and slugs are found, they
form a vital part of the ecosystem. As grazers,
terrestrial molluscs can exert a far more efficient

grazing pressure on plants than vertebrate
grazers. When feeding on dead and decaying
vegetation, they create the perfect media for
© ZSL; Sam Aberdeen bacteria and fungi to get in and release the
base nutrients that create the soils we rely
upon. These species are the basis of a number
of food chains that support some of our most

80





080-081_Careers_Snails.indd 80 24/05/2016 15:55

Diary of a
“…that fi rst encounter is like looking into an D i a r y o f a

alien world: motion with no legs; fluid skeletons; snail-keeper
snail-keeper
eyes on tentacles; and covered in mucus”
Much of zoo-keeping is doing the dirty
M u c h o f z o o - k e e p i n g i s d o i n g t h e d i r t y
f l
a
l
s’ b
a
s
o


u
m
n
i
r a
n
i
c
o
w
k
o
o
i
e
r y
f
t
r
k o
14 zoos (five in the UK and five in the US, plus can change a species’ behaviour, and issues like work of looking after your animals’ basic
g a
others in Poland, France, the Netherlands and predation and variations in climate can have a big needs. At ZSL London Zoo, the day starts
Latvia). The zoos work in conjunction with many impact. at 8.00am with a morning meeting. As
other important partners, including the French Money: Invertebrate programmes often run on a keeper within the B.U.G.S. exhibit, for
Polynesian government and the IUCN. far smaller budgets than those for vertebrates. me this meeting includes a number of
However, on the flip side, raising funds can be mammal, aquatic and invertebrate keepers,

What sort of problems do you face in snail much harder. which can make for an interesting range of
conservation that perhaps differ from that of Politics and attitudes: Invertebrates inspire a topics and daily jobs.
other animals? number of reactions, including ambivalence and Mondays and Fridays are Partula
Many of the problems that face a small species in some cases terror. Much of this is completely servicing days where I spend the majority
project are the same as for larger species: unfounded, but it makes our work much more of the day in the Partula room. The snails
identifying the main factors causing a decline, diffi cult. are kept in glass tanks with tissue across
securing a political will and encouraging local the bottom, a paste that often looks and
involvement are all essential. However, certain Tell us what it felt like to be involved with the smells like fermenting grass on food plates,

factors of invertebrate biology and public Partula release in 2015. and a plastic film top. During servicing
perception do set snail conservation apart: The sense of pride was indescribable – the days, I remove as much ‘snail poo’ as
Smaller ranges: Most invertebrates have ranges culmination of our team effort, starting with all possible, and replace the old food and
of limited size. With Partula, one of our release of our collections that bred these snails over 25 substrate with new, all while wearing

sites is a man-made reserve that must be one of years, to our field team on the ground at that a fetching lab coat and Crocs combo
the smallest on the planet, at approximately 90m² moment seeing these amazing creatures [in their that is required for quarantine purposes.
[968ft2]. That said, protecting a small area can natural habitat]. Understandably, many visitors tend to get
be difficult – it only takes one destructive event to confused when, looking into the Partula

wipe it out. What does the future hold for this project? room, they see a keeper in a lab coat and
Big numbers: The great thing is that we can The 2015 release was a huge step forward, and Crocs, elbow deep in snails! Once a month I
breed a large number of animals in a limited we have big plans to build on this success with count every snail in the room, which at the
area – eg 2,500 Partula snails in a space the size a series of releases across the islands in the next moment is over 2,500, but during summer
of a small bedroom. That said, when looking to three years. Hopefully by 2018 we will have the 2015 that rose to 3,500.

reintroduce invertebrates, the mortality rate can majority of the captive species represented in the On non-Partula days, I’m the ‘floating
be as high as 90 per cent. Being kept in captivity wild once again. keeper’ of the department working with all
the animals, which makes for a really varied
week. One day I can be helping weigh an
anteater – on another, I can be changing
the water for the jellyfish.

Conservation in the slow lane
When it comes to wildlife conservation
of any form, the main requirement is
enthusiasm, but experience is key too.
In zoos, many keepers have previously

undertaken significant volunteering time
within a zoological collection or another

animal management field. Education is
always highly valued, but there is no set
route. I was a biology teacher in secondary
schools before I came into keeping; others I
have worked with were originally landscape
gardeners, bankers and civil servants.
Being a bit different can bring a new
perspective to a problem.
Several zoos are now closely involved in
invertebrate conservation, both nationally
and internationally. We want to do more,
so any donation can make this work go
further. There are a number of other

organisations in this field, including Buglife,
Butterfly Conservation and the British

Arachnological Society.
The best thing we can do is make a
space in our gardens for these animals.
Green spaces free from molluscicides and
lawnmowers will provide a perfect habitat,
The Partula
release team
heading to their Keep up to date with the Partula project at
A rosy wolf valley release site
snail, one of the http://bit.ly/1UnlBPv
predatory species
threatening Partula
81
080-081_Careers_Snails.indd 81 24/05/2016 17:24

Try the new magazine from the creators of





























Must-see heritage sites, fascinating stories

& insider travel tips for those who live history

From the Great Wall of China to your local museum, Explore
F r o m the G r e a t W a l l o f C h i n a t o y o u r l o c a l m u s e u m , E x p l o r e
History takes you on a journey around the world, and into the
History takes you on a journey around the world, and into the
past. With stunning photography, fascinating stories and
past. With stunning photography, fascinating stories and
insider tips for your next trip.
insider tips for your next trip.










































ORDER HOTLINE ORDER ONLINE


0844 826 5022 imaginesubs.co.uk/explore

Please use code NEW161XH
Calls will cost 7p per minute plus your telephone company’s access charge.




ExH Launch Subs Ads.indd 2 06/04/2016 17:25

BY POST
Send your completed form to:
SUBSCRIBE &
Explore History Subscriptions, 800 Guillat Avenue,
SAVE YOUR DETAILS
Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8GU
LAUNCH
OFFER
Title
First name
Surname
Address

50% Postcode Country


Telephone number
Mobile number
Email address

DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT
■ UK Direct Debit Payment
I will pay just £15 every 6 issues (save 50%)
Why you should subscribe Instruction to your Bank or

Building Society to pay by Direct Debit
FREE bookazine Please fill in the form and send it to: Imagine Publishing Limited, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8GU
Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society Originator’s Identification Number
To: The Manager Bank/Building Society 5 0 1 8 8 4
Save 50% off the cover price Address Reference Number

FREE delivery direct to your door Postcode Instructions to your Bank or Building Society
Please pay Imagine Publishing Limited Direct Debits from the account detailed in this
instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit guarantee. I understand
Name(s) of account holder(s) that this instruction may remain with Imagine Publishing Limited and, if so, details will be
Never miss an issue
passed on electronically to my Bank/Building Society
Branch sort code Signature(s)
Bank/Building Society account number
Date
Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of account A6 instruction form
PAYMENT DETAILS
YOUR EXCLUSIVE READER PRICE, 13 ISSUES
■ UK £38.95 ■ EUR £50 ■ ROW £60 ■ USA £50
Cheque

■ I enclose a cheque for £
(made payable to Imagine Publishing Ltd)
Credit/Debit Card
■ Visa ■ Mastercard ■ Amex ■ Maestro
Card number Expiry date



Issue number ■■ (if Maestro)

Signed
Date


Please tick if you do not wish to receive any promotional material from Imagine Publishing Ltd by post
FREE GIFT Please tick if you do not wish to receive any promotional material from other companies by post ■
■ by telephone ■ via email ■
by telephone ■ Please tick if you DO wish to receive such information via email ■
TERMS & CONDITIONS
WORTH £9.99 UK Direct Debit subscribers will pay £15 every 6 issues, a saving of 50% off the cover price.
Pricing will revert to our standard offer of £17.95 every 6 issues, a saving of 40% on the cover
price, on the third payment made. This offer entitles new UK and overseas subscribers to
receive a free copy of All About History Book of Ancient Egypt worth £9.99. Stock is subject
to availability, Imagine Publishing reserve the right to substitute the gift for one of equal value
should stock run out. Details of the Direct Debit Guarantee are available on request. New
subscriptions will start with the next available issue. This offer expires 30 September 2016.



ExH Launch Subs Ads.indd 3 06/04/2016 17:25

r g
r g
r g
f
r g
me
m
me
me
me
f
s
t
s
s
s
f
f
t
t
t
Summer gifts
u
u
S S S S S u m me r g i i i i i f t s
u
m
m
u
m
Bat notebook
Creature Candy was founded by
ecologist Lizzie Barker and sells all
manner of animal-related goodies.
Why not get out of the house and
record all of your wildlife sightings
in this adorable bat notebook?
creaturecandy.com, £8.50 (10%
of profits go directly to the Bat

Conservation Trust)
Summer pugging
This hand-iced pug is
holding flowers and he

makes the perfect giΠfor

yourself or anyone else.
notonthehighstreet.
com, £7.25
Cat lady
A set of temporary tattoo designs to show
A set of temporary tattoo designs to show
everyone how much you really love cats. The
everyone how much you really love cats. The
tattoos are applied with water and can last up
tattoos are applied with water and can last up
to one week.
Narwhal on your case ohhdeer.com, £10.50
The narwhal iPhone case
from Skinnydip features blue
glitter for an underwater
theme and comes with a free
screen protector. Not only
comforts S u m a k a p e f e k a t o u r l d f t o l o f and explore. This helpful
does it look cool but it also
protects your phone from
accidental bumps. The most complete

skinnydiplondon.com, £18.00 guide to butterflies
There’s no better time
than summer, when the
weather is good and the

e
n
i
s
f
Sneak a peek at our list of
sun is shining, to get out
e
u
i
s
r g
k
ac
e
summer gifts, packed full of
m
, p
t
l
s
book will guide you
through identifying all the
e i
t
e
u
s
must-have items for animal lovers
m
ha
v
t
-
s
ma
n
i
l l
e
r
o
v
r a
s f
m
o

butterflies of Britain and
northern Europe.
harpercollins.co.uk,
£18.99
ering can
t
Flamingo watering can
a
Flamingo w
As the warmer weather inspires
As the warmer weather inspires
more people to get outside and
more people to get outside and
discover new hobbies, why not
discover new hobbies, why not
try your hand at gardening? This
try your hand at gardening? This
Fish tea
amingo watering can is

1.5 litre flamingo watering can is Fish t ea
1.5 litre fl
s
n
d
i


e fi
e t
h
s
e l
o
r l
o
e
a i
f t
e
a
t p
l
s
Just place your loose leaf tea inside the fish and leave to
u
o
u
e y
a
c
fun and practical. J Just place your loose leaf tea inside the fi sh and leave to sh and leave to
w m
e
t
r
e
e p
s f
e
f
i
e
u
n
r t
e
t t
c
o
p f
o
r a f
e
steep for a few minutes for the perfect tea
s
e
t
h
dotcomgiſtshop, £8.95 steep for a few minutes for the perfect tea a

i
om
an
l
i
i
an
om
d
d
an
d
om
l
e
e
e
kikkerlandeu.com, £7.82 2 2 2
k
k
k k k
k
l
k
k
r
r
r
k
7
£
£
u
u
7
u
£
.
.
7
.8
.
.8
.8
e
,

e
e
,
,

c
c

c
P Panda sandwiches
anda sandwiches
Turn your summer picnic
Turn your summer picnic
sandwich into an animal
sandwich into an animal
lover’s dream. These panda
lover’s dream. These panda
cutters are easy to use, safe
cutters are easy to use, safe
for children, and can even
for children, and can even
be used as cookie cutters as
be used as cookie cutters as
well – brilliant!
well – brilliant!
9
,
r
2
m
£
.
fi rebox.com, £12.99 9

fi
1
o
o
c
e
b
x
.
Go wild f or DIY
Go wild for DIY
le, a wolf-shaped wire stripper,
With a llama-shaped file, a wolf-shaped wire stripper,
With a llama-shaped fi

and a rhino-shaped bottle opener, you can combine
and a rhino-shaped bottle opener, you can combine
84 your love of animals with your enthusiasm for DIY.
your love of animals with your enthusiasm for DIY.
9
£
,
2
6.
9
uk
p
g
g
e
t
t
e
in
r
.
l
o.
c
gettingpersonal.co.uk, £26.99
s
a
on
084_Wishlist_WOA34.indd 84 25/05/2016 14:31

SAVE RHINOS NOW









10% OF OUR PROFITS HELP FIGHT POACHING
















An animal in crisis Make a difference today Join World of Animals BUY
World of Animals magazine takes a
In eastern Africa, poachers use Ol Pejeta is a leading conservancy W o r l d o f A n i m a l s m a g a z i n e t a k e s a TM

stand against these atrocities and
automatic weapons to slaughter fighting against this cruelty. stand against these atrocities and
is proud to be in partnership with
endangered rhinos. The animals It needs more funds so more is proud to be in partnership with AND HELP
are shot and the horns are hacked rangers and surveillance can be the Ol Pejeta Conservancy – 10% FIGHT
away, tearing deep into the rhinos’ deployed on the ground to save of our profits go towards saving


rhinos in the fight against poaching
flesh with the rhino left to die. rhinos from this horrible treatment. rhinos in the fi ght against poaching POACHING

Buy World of Animals at all good shops now
B u y W o r l d o f A n i m a l s a t a l l g o o d s h o p s n o w
worldofanimalsmag @WorldAnimalsMag @ animalanswers.co.uk justgiving.com/olpejeta
SaveRhinosNow_HouseAd.indd 1 24/05/2016 18:23

Wildlife photography


Take your photography




underwater






Capture underwater wildlife with our top hints and tricks. Learn how

to solve colour problems, get the light right and much more



Choose the right kit Recommended kit
Top techniques Some top gear options for your
underwater adventures
Correct blue colour casts
Whether you’re a regular diver or trying

snorkelling for the first time while on holiday,
going underwater is a really fun experience,
and it can be incredibly rewarding when
you spot some amazing species in the deep.
Getting photos of those animals can also be GoPro Hero Session
very satisfying, especially when you manage This tiny camera (£160/$200, shop.gopro.com)
to capture a unique shot, but doing so is not has a built-in case that makes it waterproof to 10m

without its challenges. Luckily we are here (33) without extra housing. It shoots stills at 8MP
with some key advice to help you get the and HD videos at 1080p60, and it’s easy to operate
with only two controls.
best possible results.
Remember, you don’t have to dive to
great depths to get good shots, as some
wildlife swim fairly close to the top, and
sometimes playing with the sunbeams and

reflections dancing off the surface can
create fantastic photos. If you do want to
dive down further or swim in more
remote locations, make sure you Nikon 1 AW1
have the right training and It’s not the cheapest waterproof camera
(£579/$800 with 11-27.5mm lens, store.nikon.
keep your personal safety in co.uk) but it affords you the option to change

mind at all times. lenses. The small CSC allows you to go to depths of
15m (49) and shoots at 15 frames per second.







Aquapac waterproof DSLR camera case
If you wish to take your DSLR underwater, this is an

affordable option for beginners (£95/$140, store.
aquapac.net). It features a tough acrylic area for
your lens to go next to, and it’s submersible up to

10m (33) for 30 minutes.







Tamron 10-24mm lens
Underwater photography If using a DSLR, a wide-angle zoom will give you
allows you to capture some more composition opportunities if your subject is
very unusual and interesting moving quickly. This Tamron lens (£350/approx.
creatures, but make sure you $500, www.tamron.eu) has a minimum focusing
always keep your safety and distance of 24cm (9.4in), letting you get closer.
that of the animal in mind

86 86





086-089_WOA34_Underwater_photography.indd 86 24/05/2016 15:55

Wildlife photography



Tip 1

Pick the right kit

A quick-fire guide to your underwater options

You can’t take your normal camera underwater, that
much is obvious, but luckily there are a variety of robust
options open to you. If you’re just starting out, a dedicated
underwater compact camera is a great affordable option,
such as the Canon PowerShot D30 or Fujifilm FinePix

XP80. Nikon also does an underwater CSC, the Nikon 1
AW1, which gives you more flexibility as you can change

the lenses on it.
You can buy dedicated underwater housing for your
current camera, but do bear in mind that some can cost
more than the actual camera. Some housing will only

fit certain models, too, so check this before purchasing.
Experiment with cheaper bag housing to start with, but if
you want to take it seriously, try and get one with a hard
casing that will still allow you to control the settings, such
as those from Ikelite. Be sure to check the depth rating on
the housing and make sure you clean it after each trip out.
If you do opt to use an interchangeable lens camera in
housing, wide-angle lenses will let you fit in more of your

surroundings. You can’t shoot through lots of water anyway
so it’s best to move as close as you can rather than zoom
in with a telephoto lens.

Make sure you check the
depth tolerance of your
housing or underwater
camera before you take a dive




























Tip 2
The most important area
to keep sharp in your shot
is the animal’s eyes Learn the key settings

Work with the right modes to get the very best results
Your camera may have a dedicated underwater preset
mode, but if not, make sure you use a small aperture to keep

everything sharp. Also, when the light reflects off your subject
it then has to travel back through water before it reaches your
meter, which drops the exposure. Because of this you will
also likely need to set some positive exposure compensation.
It’s important to focus on the eyes of the creature you are
photographing, and a continuous focusing mode will help your © Alex Mustard
camera keep moving subjects sharp.


87 87





086-089_WOA34_Underwater_photography.indd 87 24/05/2016 15:55

Wildlife photography


Tip 3 Ensuring you eliminate
colour casts means
p
g
u
i
L
Light it up you’ll get a result that’s
it
ht
vibrant and true to life
G e t t h e b e s t r e s u l t s b y c o n s i d e ri n g t h e li g h t i n g i n y o u r s h o t s
Get the best results by considering the lighting in your shots
Getting good light underwater is key to getting a clear and bright
shot of your subject. In shallow water, shoot between 11am and
2pm, when the Sun will be high and directly hitting water, and
shoot with the sun behind you. If the water is rough and choppy it

can deflect more light so calm days are better too. Look for shafts
of light, coming through the water and move to these areas.
If you’re diving a bit deeper, the water absorbs a lot of the
light, so you’ll need to add in flash. Using direct camera


flash, however, will cause problems, as it will light up
all the particles in the water between yourself and
the animal. This is known as backscatter, and it
can cause you hours of editing time trying to
clone the particles out. The solution is
to buy underwater strobes that sit
on arms on the side of your
camera and move the light
away from the lens –
have just the edge of
the beam fall on
your subject.

























Tip 4


Remove the blues

Correct colour casts for more lifelike hues

You will often find underwater photos will have
a horrible blue colour cast to them. To solve this,
use the underwater mode on your compact, if one

is present, to filter out the blue hue. Otherwise,

red filters that screw onto the front of your lens

can filter some of the blue light out, adding
more punch to the colours. It may decrease the
amount of light coming in slightly, so you’ll have to
compensate for this with your exposure settings.
If you want real accuracy, take a manual white
balance reading or shoot in RAW and correct
white balance in editing software like Adobe
Camera Raw. Simply move the temperature slider By filling in this shot with

until you see the correct tones, and you may also flash, Alex Mustard has lit

need to boost the contrast and saturation overall. up the shadows and created
a lovely bright image
88




086-089_WOA34_Underwater_photography.indd 88 24/05/2016 15:55

Wildlife photography




Tip 5

Create stunning

split-level images

Shoot above and below at the same
time for a look at both land and sea
By placing your wide-angle lens half in the water
and half out of the water, you can capture a ‘half
and half’ photo where you can simultaneously
see above and below the waterline. You don’t
need to dive for this shot and a simple point and
shoot camera can yield great results.
Use a narrow aperture (f8-11) for a large depth
of field so you keep both above and below in

focus – raise your ISO if you need to let more
light in on duller days. Using continuous shooting
will also help you capture the precise point, if
the waves are choppy. Look for areas of interest
above and below the waves and focus on the
subject below the waterline.

Split-level shots like Alex
Mustard’s work best in
calm, shallow waters
Top 5 pro tips
Alex Mustard, author of
Underwater Photography
Masterclass, gives us his
top advice













1. Get close, then get closer. Shooting through
water robs images of colour, contrast and clarity.
Luckily most marine life are not afraid of people,
so you will be able to photograph them from
within touching distance.
2. Close focusing lenses, such as wide-angles and
macro lenses, are essential underwater. A wide-
angle lens lets you photograph a large creature like
a hammerhead shark from as close as possible
producing a clear image.
3. You don’t need to scuba dive to be an
underwater photographer. Life in ponds, rivers
and rock pools can be photographed without
getting wet, while snorkelling is actually the
best way to approach many of the oceans’ most
charismatic creatures, like dolphins and seals.
4. You can’t change lenses underwater and the best
images come when the equipment is optimised for
the shot. Good underwater photographers learn
not to just snap at anything, but to go underwater
with a clear plan of what they want to shoot.
To learn more, check out
Underwater Photography 5. Flashes are essential for underwater
Masterclass by Alex photography. Once you go deeper than snorkelling
depths, colours are absorbed by water and
Mustard, available you need a flash to restore them for the most

© Alex Mustard
from Amazon eye-catching pictures. The better you can control
strobes, the better your underwater photography.

89





086-089_WOA34_Underwater_photography.indd 89 24/05/2016 15:55

Keeping in touch Contact us at…

@WorldAnimalsMag
worldofanimalsmag

Star letter
“@WorldAnimalsMag.
He’s inspired me We
by portraying an asked you
animal as an under for your favourite
Attenborough
memory or how
dog and to always David Attenborough
back an under dog. has inspired
you.
#Attenborough90”
@Jvarley1997

“I once met Sir David Attenborough
at a book signing during my
university years in Norwich. I
cannot even express how it felt
to be able to tell him in person
how being exposed to his work
from a young age had inspired
me to study the environment
and eventually become a
conservationist. His response was
that he was very glad to hear it,
and hoped I would carry on the
mantle. I left out the part about
how his ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ Happy 90th Birthday to Sir David
series was basically used for the Attenborough from World of Animals!
revision of an entire BSc module – it On 8 May, Sir David Attenborough celebrated
really was an extremely his 90th birthday and people around the
priceless moment!
world congratulated him and thanked him for
Fatemah Abidi the inspiration he has been to so many for so
many decades.
“@WorldAnimalsMag
His fascination with all
living things and the Superpower Dogs update
extraordinary places While Superpower Dogs pup Halo is busy with her urban search
he has been to has and rescue training with the Miami-Dade Fire Dept, here’s
inspired me to explore everything you need to know about the hero-in-the-making.
the world!” Name: Halo
@TardisGeek22 Breed: Dutch Shepherd
Occupation: Urban search and rescue recruit
DOB: 6 October 2015
Sex: Female
Place of birth: Detroit, USA About the breed:
Height: 53cm The Dutch shepherd was originally bred as
Weight: 20kg an all-purpose working dog, appearing in the
Favourite toy: Tennis balls Netherlands in the 1800s. Farmers and shepherds
Favourite game: Tennis-ball soccer (always with needed dogs that were quick and intelligent but
another ball in her mouth) also hardy, versatile and dependable. After World
Favourite food: Anything that is not dog food War II the breed almost became extinct and is still
Likes: Using the couch as a trampoline, watching rare today, but their willingness to work and sharp
ducks on the lake, chewing sticks and ripping the reflexes meant that they soon became excellent

fuzz off tennis balls, working for and tugging with working dogs.
her tug toys.

Dislikes: Baths, clipping her nails, resting for more About the film:
“A nice cuppa and the latest

WorldAnimalsMag. Always such a then three minutes and hates the sound of the air Superpower Dogs is an epic family adventure film
brakes on the large semi-trucks (understandable
about extraordinary real-life canines. Filmed in 3D
feel-good delivery!”
considering the size of her ears!). and presented in association with the California
@hollydotray Handler: Cat Labrada Science Center, it will hit giant screen and IMAX
Handler occupation: Miami Dade Fire Captain theatres in Spring 2018. Find out more about the
Handler years in service: 16 fi lm at www.animalanswers.co.uk
90



090-091_Community.indd 90 24/05/2016 17:38

Wildlife journeys Animal antics
this month
Whale geek Amy visited Iceland Our favourite animal news and

Iceland is one of those countries that’s great to visit all stories. Let us know yours at
[email protected]
year round. I visited last November with a group of fellow
whale geeks in hope of seeing some marine mammals. In the news
We saw the geysers and fed feral horses, and we were Vaquita nearly extinct
even lucky enough to see the northern lights from the We were saddened to hear that
naturally warm waters of Blue Lagoon, but the call of the the vaquita propoise is on the
sea was too strong to ignore. We took a whale tour and brink of extinction, with only 60

now le€ in the wild, according to
each of us was provided with a warm waterproof suit. a recent study.
The boat’s café served free hot chocolate to keep us all
warm on deck as we watched white-beaked dolphins,
harbour porpoises and minke whales slice through the
crystal-clear water. Different animals are attracted to
the country’s waters at different times of year, and I’ll be
going back in the summer to see the humpbacks!
We were lucky enough to see Iceland actually icy, and
it was stunning to see whooper swans fl y over the
snow-topped fi eld on their way south. They would have
reached the UK before we’d even boarded the plane
home. We kept our eyes peeled for wild mammals but Raising awareness
Help tackle wildlife
alas saw none on land. The bird life was sensational
however, and we were thoroughly entertained by milling The Wildlife Witness app,
developed by Tarronga
eider ducks, soaring kittiwakes and diving cormorants. Conservation Society in

partnership with Traffic will

allow the public to help combat
Reader photos wildlife crime.











Helping wildlife
Innovative
conservation
Spring babies Saltwater Brewery has created

Katelyn Parfitt fully biodegradable and
completely digestible six-pack
Nutty squirrel I saw this mallard and went to get a closer look. I holders which will stop animals
Emma Furniss certainly wasn’t expecting to see the ducklings. being entangled.
Taken in a park in London,
this squirrel was very tame
with an old man feeding it
nuts from his hand at first!


Chipmunk © EUGENE ADEBARI/REX/Shutterstock/
Kate Yeigh
A photo captured at
Quarry Hill of a chipmunk
sitting on a log. QUESTION
OF THE MONTH
Young heron
Susan Jenkins Do you look like your
While out walking the dogs looking for wildlife I pet dog, cat or hamster?
came across this young heron.
Send us a photo to
Have you been inspired by a WOA cover or photos@animal
answers.co.uk
feature? Send us your best wildlife photos.

91





090-091_Community.indd 91 24/05/2016 17:39

ENJOY MORE OF YOUR FAVOURITE WILDLIFE MAGAZINE FOR LESS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE!



SUBSCRIBE





UP TO36%36%





& SAVE





















16-PAGE
THE REAL UNGLE BOOK 16-PAGE THE DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES IN NEED OF PROTECTION
SPECIAL!
THE REAL UNGLE BOOK SPECIAL!
THE DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES IN NEED OF PROTECTION
From the makers of
From the makers of
From the makers of
From the makers of
TM TM
TM
SUPER
SUPER DOLPHINS WHY GANGS
AMAZING ABILITIES OF HERO CANINES ANIMAL
AMAZING ABILITIES OF HERO CANINES
A-Z OF
A-Z OF
WHY
ANIMAL
ANIMAL
ANIMAL
GANGS
GANGS
DOLPHINS
DOLPHINS
WHY IS A GROUP OF
WHY IS A GROUP OF
WHY IS A GROUP OF
DOGS COMMON FROG EXTRAORDINARY MAD FOR CREATURES
IGUANAS CALLED
IGUANAS CALLED
IGUANAS CALLED
A MESS?
A MESS?
SAVING THE OCEAN’S
SAVING THE OCEAN’S
SAVING THE OCEAN’S
HARES GO
HARES GO
MOST PLAYFUL MAMMAL
MOST PLAYFUL MAMMAL
MOST PLAYFUL MAMMAL
MOST PLAYFUL MAMMAL
1 4 1 4
CRIMSON
CRIMSON
CRIMSON
CREATURES
CREATURES
MAD FOR
MAD FOR
MAD FOR
ANIMALS THAT LIVE
ANIMALS THAT LIVE
ANIMALS THAT LIVE
LIFE IN THE RED
LIFE IN THE RED
LIFE IN THE RED
EXTRAORDINARY
BIRD EGGS
BIRD EGGS
PLUS
PLUS
OCTOPUSES
OCTOPUSES
FLAMINGOS
FLAMINGOS
PENGUINS
PENGUINS
SLOTHS
SLOTHS
PLUS
PLUS
ORANGUTAN
ORANGUTAN
COMMON FROG
BLUE WHALE
SPRING
SPRING
SPRING
SPRING
SPRING
SPRING
RHINO
RHINO
MADAGASCAR 200 BLUE WHALE SPRING
OVER
JOURNEY TO A COUNTRY FILLED WITH UNIQUE WILDLIFE TREASURES
OF THE NOISIEST ANIMAL LADYBIRDS FEROCIOUS BOXING MATCHES HIGH SPEED CHASES BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR
LADYBIRDS
LADYBIRDS
LADYBIRDS
LADYBIRDS
ANIMALS ON EARTH
FACTS
FEROCIOUS BOXING MATCHES
FEROCIOUS BOXING MATCHES
FEROCIOUS BOXING MATCHES
FEROCIOUS BOXING MATCHES
FEROCIOUS BOXING MATCHES


HIGH SPEED CHASES BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR
POLAR BEAR HIGH SPEED CHASES BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR
POLAR BEAR
CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION
MEET THE CONSERVATION 31/03/2016 12:52
WILDLIFE MANTIS SHRIMP MEET THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
MEET THE
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
RODENTS
RODENTS
BORNEAN
SENSATIONAL OF A POND RODENTS BORNEAN GIRAFFE EXPLORE THIS UNIQUE HABITAT
ORANGUTANS
ORANGUTANS
SEAHORSES just mice and rats Journey to the SURVIVAL WILDLIFE
EXPLORE THIS UNIQUE HABITAT
EXPLORE THIS UNIQUE HABITAT
This family is not
This family is not
Journey to the
just mice and rats
land of the red ape How these mammals AFTER DARK
land of the red ape
land of the red ape
001_WOA32_Digital.indd 1 used height to adapt Taking the best
night-time shots
001_WOA31 Mad Hares_Digital.indd 1
03/03/2016 14:07
See more at: www.greatdigitalmags.com

ENJOY MORE OF YOUR FAVOURITE WILDLIFE MAGAZINE FOR LESS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE!





Every issue





packed with…







Amazing animals from around the globe


Breathtaking photos and photography guides


Amazing illustrations


In-depth articles, thrilling facts and reader Q & A


s
h

ou

y
h
y
l
W
Why you should
ou

d
subscribe...


Save up to 36% o the single issue price

Immediate delivery to your device


Never miss an issue

Available across a wide range
of digital devices







Subscribe today and take advantage

of this great o er!








Download to your device now

Animal



answers











Send your animal questions to us at:

[email protected]






















Why do seagulls


dance on the grass?


You may have seen seagulls dancing before, surrounding soil. During a torrential downpour
stamping their little legs on the grass and ground soil can become waterlogged, making
doing their best attempt at a Riverdance it diffi cult for the worms to breathe, so they

impersonation. However, rather than just come to the surface to wiggle around, migrate
showing off , the birds are using these moves to long distances faster than they would be able
catch a sneaky meal. to underground, and bask in the plentiful supply
It’s a form of worm baiting and the rhythmic of oxygen.
tapping of their feet on the grass is meant to But when tricksy seagulls are stomping away Seagulls stomping
imitate the sound of rain hitting the ground. and unsuspecting worms come to the surface, their feet are
Worms breathe by absorbing oxygen rather than being met by fresh air, they are met doing more than

just showing off
through their skin, which is kept moist by the with hungry open mouths. their dance moves
sho
n ho

C
rs
e
e
a
What do I do if a bird keeps Can horseshoe
crabs sting?

flying into my window? crabs sting?
i
t
B
f
e
a
g
c
u
n
o
s
e
m
c
r
e
a
As the weather warms and the sun makes an appearance it Because of their menacing
n
i
h
e
e
e
r
a
,
pe

ho

n
r
c
c
ho
r
es
s
a
p
a
b
can cause an unlikely problem for our garden bird species. a appearance, horseshoe crabs
s
e

f
r
a
e

d
a
h
a
g
a
m
o
n
As glass is so reflective, birds can see their own reflection on have gained a fearsome
v
i
e
s
e
o
n
re
.

u
I
the surface and confuse this with another bird invading their reputation. In reality, though
y
t
,
t
h


n
p
rea
i
l
o
g
at
t
h
u
i
e
e
t

e
T
l
r
e
s
t
a
s
territory. The average bird you would find in your garden isn’t t they are pretty harmless. They
m
r
y
y
a
h
y
h
e
p
r
.
h
p

s
v
re
u

e
c
ce
rel
self-aware and they lack the ability to recognise themselves in a are relatively peaceful creatures
f
l
a

i
u
re
reat
at
y
el
a
a mirror. Instead, they react by trying to attack the reflection, a and their tails are never used
e
d
n
r
t
e
e
r
i
s
e
i
d
a
l
n
s
v
e
r
h
u

t
u
as they would an invading bird, until it disappears. Sometimes a as weapons. Although the long
h
o
n
l
e
t
n
l
a
h
p
.
A
w
s
g
t
h
o
o
g
s
e
i
n
k
e
v
e
o
u
s
y
r
t
i
a
d
l
y
with the positioning of windows this problem is unavoidable p pointy tail does look very much
o
o
o
m
l
c
h
t
y
i
n
r
a
g
s
t

e
g
e
i
n

i

l
t
h
k
e
r
s
t
o
a
but if you find that birds are flying into your windows oen, you like the stinger of a stingray, ,
f
t
s
n
o
fl
t
t
o
i

i
e
h
can help by covering the glass with a non-reflective substance, it is only ever used to flip the
i
p
v
r
u
e
s
y
e
d
l


e
crab upright if it is accidentally
such as brown paper. crab upright if it is accidentally
overturned by a wave.
Follow us at... @WorldAnimalsMag worldofanimalsmag
w
mag
s
a
f
n
ma
i
o
l
o
r
d
l
94 94
094-095_Animal Answers.indd 94 24/05/2016 18:16

Animals answers



What on Earth is pronking? The saber-toothed cat
was around 1.5m (5 feet)
long, 1m (3 feet) tall and
When four legged animals, or more commonly antelope such as had teeth around 28cm
springbok, feel threatened by a predator, or are putting on a display (11in) long
during play or mating, they can be seen leaping high in the air with

an arched back and stiffened legs. This is known as pronking.
Foxes are also
known for their
pronking skills













Which was the last cat

species to go extinct?


The saber-toothed cat (Smildon) was the last similar social structure to modern day lions. We
feline to go extinct. The cat vanished from have successfully managed to go a long time
the planet around 10,000 years ago, which without losing any feline species but the next to
we know from fossil records. The bones that go could well be the Iberian lynx. In 2002 there
were found show many of the cats were living was a shrinking population of around 100 cats

with fractures, painful arthristis, and many but extensive conservation efforts throughout

other degenerative diseases indicating that Portugal and Spain has seen this figure rise and

they may have been looked aer by other there are now just over 300 living in the Iberian
individuals, meaning they must have had a Peninsula.
Which animals will Many animals
suffer most due to will suffer, but the polar

bear is undergoing
climate change?
climate change? severe population
declines now

All animals fulfil very specific ecological

niches and live in areas restricted by food
availability, temperature, precipitation,
humidity, wind, soil moisture etc.. As such,
any change in these parameters of an area
will impact the animals living there.
Animals that are sensitive to temperature
may move to cooler areas as the climate
warms. As a general rule, animals in the
Northern Hemisphere will begin to shi
their range further northwards. Plants are
also able to move their ranges, though not
consciously. Those that can disperse seeds
to a more favourable area will be more likely
to survive and colonise in the new habitat.
Animals are able to respond to changes
in temperature more quickly than plants.
This can mean there is less plant food and
it may even harm the animals’ chances of
survival or reproductive success, leading to
a reduced population.
So really, all animal species are at risk,
however there is a real concern for species
with no territory to move into. Polar bears,
Q.How do
for example, are already living in the Q. H ow d o
northernmost part of the planet and their
population figures have already suffered



significantly due to climate change. sloths give birth?
Find out at…
animalanswers.co.uk






094-095_Animal Answers.indd 95 24/05/2016 18:11

L
L
L OST FOREVER
L
OST FOREVER
OST FOREVER
Western


black rhino







The unbelievable story of how humans

managed to drive a once-widespread
managed to drive a once-widespread
species to extinction in just 100 years
species to extinction in just 100 years Camer oon
Cameroon
Camer
oon
oon
oon
Camer
Camer
Camer
Camer
Camer
oon
oon
oon
Desirable horns
Desirable horns Nearsighted
Nearsighted
It was thought western black rhinos were
The rhino grew two It was thought western black rhinos were
The rhino grew two
large horns made of nearsighted and o„ en relied on the sounds of
large horns made of
nearsighted and o„en relied on the sounds of

keratin, which was
keratin, which was nearby birds to alert them to danger.
nearby birds to alert them to danger.
desirable in the Asian
desirable in the Asian
medicine trade.
medicine trade.
Unique lips
Unique lips
Black rhinos have
Black rhinos have
small, hook-
small, hook-
shaped lips to help
shaped lips to help
grasp prickly plants
grasp prickly plants
and woody shrubs.
and woody shrubs.
Last seen…
l
a
e w
l
e
e
m
y f
e
a
r s
k
c
o
t
t
s a
r
p
r
o
d t
At the beginning of the 20th century, there
A t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y , t h e r e cleared to make way for settlements, crops and L as t s een …
d
n
e
o m
t
e
s
, c
a
n
c
a
h
n
a
s
e
. M
l
e
i
l
d a
e
y
s t
h
e k
h
i
n
y r
n
e
r
o
s w
c
k r
a
f b
l
i
n
h
o
e f
s o
b
s
u
r s
u
i
e
c
p
e
w
a
r
e
were four subspecies of black rhino and around cattle ranches. Many rhinos were killed as they Date: 2006
l
e r
t
t
r
o
u
o a
n
d a
c
d
n
850,000 of the gentle giants were found across were thought, like many large herbivores at the Location: Cameroon
the savannahs of Africa. Just over 100 years later, time, to be dangerous and a nuisance.
in 2011, there were 4,880 individuals left, and just After years of persecution, the final blow for A survey conducted by the WWF in 2001 found

three sub species. Within one century we lost the the already fragile population came when Mao there to be a total of five rhinos remaining,

western black rhino, a species now extinct and Zedong promoted the use of traditional Chinese with evidence of a further unconfirmed three


never to be seen again. medicine. This included finely ground rhino horn, rhinos living undetected. This was the last
The western black rhino was found in which was purported to cure almost anything known sighting of a western black rhino; no
Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, from headaches and colds to cancer. live animals have been seen since. Extensive
Sudan, and South Sudan. It had a relatively large By 1995 poachers had managed to kill 98 per surveys and studies have been carried out in
range across North Africa and was successful for cent of black rhinos and by 1989 the western the north of Cameroon in the hope of finding

a long time, breeding and sustaining a healthy black rhino was restricted to just two countries: one, but to no avail. In 2011 the IUCN finally

population for many centuries. Cameroon and Chad. It took only ten more years admitted defeat and listed the western black
Unfortunately developments in Africa led to for Chad’s 25 rhinos to disappear, leaving just 50 “It soon became a
rhino as extinct.
in Cameroon.
deadly consequences for the rhino, and at the
© freevectormaps.com; Alan Batley human greed and excessive hunting, mainly for across 25,000 square kilometres (9,653 square victim of human
turn of the century it quickly became a victim of
By 1997 there were just ten remaining, spread
miles) of parkland. There was an average of 60
sport. It wasn’t long before the number of rhinos
kilometres (37.3 miles) between each animal,
was dramatically reduced.
greed and

Following this initial dent in the population, the
making it extremely difficult to protect all ten
rhino then suffered from widespread change in
from poachers and leaving very little chance that
excessive hunting”
land usage, as vast expanses of savannah were

96 they would find each other and begin breeding.
096_Lost Forever.indd 96 24/05/2016 17:41

DMRLS



Collectables & Curios




FRIENDLY ADVICE & WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS:
YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR OPTICAL GOODS
Wide range of binoculars, spotting scopes & tripods
for nature observers
Photographic accessories to take photos with your
spotting scope
spotting scope
Microscopes for students, science labs & amateur
oscopes for students, science labs & amateur
Microscopes for students, science labs & amateur
Micr
naturalists
naturalists
Acuter, APM, Barr & Stroud, Celestron, Celestron,
Barr & Stroud,
Delta Optical, Helios, Minox, Minox,
Olympus, Opticron, Yukon Yukon
and many more!
www.dmrls.co.uk
15% off rst order

Use promotional code at checkout
WOA616
Valid until 30/07/2016

Call 020 33 845 187 between 9am – 8pm 7 days a week.
Email: [email protected] www.365astronomy.com
























































Half Page.indd 1 23/05/2016 15:23

NEXT ISSUE Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx


Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ
Explore even more amazing animals in Imagine Publishing Ltd
☎ +44 (0) 1202 586200
Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
World of Animals Issue 35 www.greatdigitalmags.com
www.animalanswers.co.uk
Magazine team
Editor Zara Gaspar
[email protected]
☎ 01202 586220
Editor in Chief Dave Harfield
Designer Lauren Debono-Elliot
Senior Art Editor Duncan Crook
Staff Writer Naomi Harding
Assistant Designer Briony Duguid
Photographer James Sheppard
Picture Editor Tim Hunt
Publishing Director Aaron Asadi
Head of Design Ross Andrews
Contributors
Matt Ayres, Ella Carter, Amy Grisdale, Adam Millward, Amy Squibb,
Alex Dale, Sanne de Boer, Katy Sheen, Ross Hamilton, Hannah
Westlake, Fiona Hudson, Amelia Jones, Sarah Bankes
Cover image
Alamy, Dreamstime, Thinkstock
Images
Alamy, Ardea, Dreamstime, FLPA, Getty, Nature PL, Rex Features,
Thinkstock, Alan Batley, The Art Agency, Peter Scott, Sandra
Doyle, Sol90
Advertising
Digital or printed media packs are available on request.
Head of Sales Hang Deretz
☎ 01202 586442
[email protected]
Sales Executive Tom Lewis
☎ 01202 586436
[email protected]
International
World of Animals is available for licensing. Contact the
International department to discuss partnership opportunities.
Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman
☎ +44 (0) 1202 586401
[email protected]
Subscriptions
For all subscription enquiries:
[email protected]
☎ UK 0844 848 8410
ON www.imaginesubs.co.uk
☎ Overseas +44 (0)1795 414 611
PLUS Head of Subscriptions Sharon Todd
Circulation
CLOWNFISH SALE Circulation Director Darren Pearce
☎ 01202 586200
SHOEBILL Production
GUINEA PIG 7 JULY Production Director Jane Hawkins
☎ 01202 586200
TORTOISE Finance
Finance Director Marco Peroni
Founder
CHEEKY MONKEYS Printing & Distribution
Group Managing Director Damian Butt
Wyndeham, Peterborough, Storey’s Bar Rd, Peterborough,
Cambridgeshire, PE1 5YS
Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by:
Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU
☎ 0203 787 9060 www.marketforce.co.uk
Distributed in Australia by: Gordon & Gotch Australia Pty Ltd,
26 Rodborough Road, Frenchs Forest, New South Wales 2086,
Australia ☎ +61 2 9972 8800 www.gordongotch.com.au
DISCOVER WHY PRIMATES BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged
in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in
this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of
the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of
criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information
is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This magazine is fully
independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
If you submit material to Imagine Publishing via post, email, social network or any other
means, you grant Imagine Publishing an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free licence to
use the material across its entire portfolio, in print, online and digital, and to deliver the
material to existing and future clients, including but not limited to international licensees
for reproduction in international, licensed editions of Imagine products. Any material you
submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Imagine Publishing
nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for the loss or damage.
© Imagine Publishing Ltd 2016 ISSN 2053-7727
© Thinkstock EXPLORING LONGEST-LIVING WILDLIFE OF THE
ANIMALS
OKAVANGO DELTA
ECUADOR
98 PB



098_Next month_WOA34.indd 98 24/05/2016 18:18

Become A Wildlife



Volunteer In Borneo











































Volunteer with
Orangutans in the
wilds of Borneo for
a truly life chang-
ing experience. The
memories you
create will last a

lifetime for not
only you, but the
Orangutans too, so
why not help make
a di erence now?


www.thegreatprojects.com

Volunteer with
+44 (0)208 885 4887







full page.indd 1 20/05/2016 11:11

Full Page.indd 1 20/05/2016 09:48