Malaysia: Volunteer Conservation breaks
with orangutans
Few places will capture the imagination quite like the jungles
of Malaysia. With dozens of places offering eco-friendly
accommodation, you can immerse yourself in the wilderness.
Sanctuaries such as the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
teach rescued orangutans how to live in the wild. Simply pay them a
visit or sign up for a volunteer placement.
Snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan
Learn how snow leopard populations are monitored
through tracking their trails, kills, and scat while
staying in an expedition-style base camp.
British wildlife
Get your hands dirty and get involved in a National Trust
working holiday. Take part in practical conservation
from planting trees to butterfly surveys and learn about
the problems British wildlife faces.
South Africa: Dive with sardines Whales in Tenerife
Keeping tabs on whale populations is an important part
On the coasts of southern Africa between and colour the waters shimmering silver ABOVE of checking marine health. Volunteer on a whale survey
May and July, you can witness one of as they gather in shoals large enough to Whale sharks boat and really make a difference while seeing whales
in the wild.
the world’s greatest natural phenomena. be seen from the sky. Watch the sardine are filter feeders,
Making their way to warmer waters, run from the shore or scuba dive to get a roaming the
ocean in search
billions of sardines surround the shoreline closer view. of plankton
India: Track
wild tigers
In central India, nestled deep in the Sand foxes in Dubai
hills of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger These creatures are not yet endangered, but as Dubai
is associated with such rapid developments there are
Reserve, lies the Tiger Trails Jungle projects underway to safeguard populations for the
Lodge, a colonial-style paradise and a future, which you can get involved in.
conservation success story. Around 30
years ago there were barely any tigers
seen here, but after years of hard work
and restoring the environment to a dry,
deciduous forest, there are now more
than 20 tiger sightings a day. Tigers
aren’t completely solitary, and play an
important role in their environment.
Here, you can track tigers on foot while
learning all about their ecosystem as a
whole. If you’re unsure about walking Lynx in Slovakia
through the jungle, spotting tigers from Trek up high into the Carpathian Mountains in search
the comfort of a Jeep is also possible. of lynxes, wolves, and bears. Join local scientists and
learn how to radio collar and set camera traps.
51
Explore the Earth
Uganda: Trek with
mountain gorillas
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda is the place
to go if you want to trek with mountain gorillas, as
it is home to more than half of the total population.
In order to protect them and limit the exposure
they have to humans, it’s necessary to buy a gorilla
trekking permit. This system allows some degree
of control over how many people are entering the
park at any given time.
There are ways of making your trip as eco-
friendly as can be, such as travelling in fuel-
efficient and well-maintained vehicles. It’s also
possible to organise your trip with a company
that donates money to local communities to have
a positive impact on projects such as building
schools and hospitals in neighbouring villages.
Belize: Take a boat
ride with manatees
Manatees are some of the most docile creatures in the
world. With no natural predators, they are able to take
their time, slowly cruising the oceans looking for tasty
aquatic plants. Belize has three protected manatee areas
where it’s possible to go on tours and see the gentle
giants in the wild. Most eco-friendly operators won’t allow
you to touch the manatees as it can cause damage to their
skin. It’s also better to opt for smaller, low-powered boats,
as incidences of collisions with manatees have increased
as tour guides switch to high-powered motor vessels.
52
Wildlife travel in 2016
Top tips for responsible trips
Planning Travel During your trip Volunteering Back at home
‘Green’ hotels are a good Choosing direct flights Small gestures like eating Sadly, not all organisations It’s possible to offset the
way to go. They often will reduce your carbon in local restaurants are a offer what they say they carbon from your trip,
employ staff from local footprint, as most emissions great way of supporting do, so it’s worth doing using a number of websites © freevectormaps.com; Thinkstock; Nature PL; Getty; Corbis; Alamy
villages, donate money to are made during takeoff local communities. Try to some homework about that can calculate how
the nearest nature reserve, and landing. Also getting tour with companies known which ones to support. For much you’ve used. Your
or have an environmentally to grips with the local to have a positive impact instance, breeding lions small donation often goes
friendly approach (such as transport once you’re there on the local wildlife and in captivity has limited towards planting trees,
recycling or not washing can be an adventurous way that are contributing to benefit, as they can never which will improve habitats
towels every day). of reducing your impact. long-term conservation. be released into the wild. for wildlife.
Who to travel with
Budget Mid-range Luxury
Naturetrek The Great Projects Steppes Travel
WWW.NATURETREK.CO.UK WWW.THEGREATPROJECTS.COM WWW.STEPPESTRAVEL.CO.UK
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Camp, Nepal Samboja Lestari Orangutan Volunteer Project Luxury Cruise with Chris Packham
£570 per person for seven nights, including From £1,195 per person for 12 nights, including £10,895 per person for 17 days, including
meals and airport transfers, excluding flights meals, excluding flights flights from Cairns to Papua New Guinea
53
L
L
L OST FOREVER
L
OST FOREVER
OST FOREVER
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Christmas Island
C C
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an
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pipistrelle
pipistrelle Once abundant on its island
home, numbers of this neglected
bat plummeted in the 1990s
Blind as a...
Blind as a...
Like most bats, it relied
Like most bats, it relied
completely on extremely
completely on extremely
sensitive hearing and its
sensitive hearing and its
supersonic vocalisations,
supersonic vocalisations,
which it used to pinpoint
which it used to pinpoint
prey like a submarine sonar.
Thumbnail-sized
T humbnail-siz ed prey like a submarine sonar.
This micro-bat was truly tiny,
This micro-bat was truly tiny,
weighing in at just 3-4g (0.11-
weighing in at just 3-4g (0.11-
0.14oz), with a forearm length
0.14oz), with a forearm length
of around 3cm (1.2in).
of around 3cm (1.2in).
Christmas
Island
Big appetite
It might have been small, but
a fast metabolism meant the
Christmas Island pipistrelle could
eat up to its entire body weight in
insects in a single night.
as
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Like its common British cousin, the Christmas this insectivore would have found no shortage Last seen…
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of its favourite foods, moths and beetles. The
Island pipistrelle was a small, nocturnal bat that
Island pipistrelle was a small, nocturnal bat that of its favourite foods, moths and beetles. The
Date: 26 August 2009
could easily have fit into the palm of your hand. It occasional cyclone would have posed some threat Date: 26 August 2009
occasional cyclone would have posed some threat
Location:
was native to the Australian territory of Christmas to the Christmas Island pipistrelle, but having Location: Western Christmas Island
to the Christmas Island pipistrelle, but having
Island, which is located in the Indian Ocean, just off survived these storms for hundreds of thousands B y J a n u a r y 2 0 0 9 , a t l e a s t 8 0 p e r c e n t o f t h e
survived these storms for hundreds of thousands
By January 2009, at least 80 per cent of the
the coast of the Indonesian island of Java. Up until of years, it’s unlikely that its sudden decline in Christmas Island pipistrelle’s population had
rel
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around 30 years ago, the population of this tiny numbers can be attributed to one or even several disappeared and they were now isolated to just
bat was relatively healthy. extreme weather events. a single, small colony on the west side of the
Females of the species would gather in huge In the early 90s, scientists began using bat island. Surveys showed that the species would
colonies that numbered in the dozens, while males detectors that recorded the Christmas Island be extinct before the year was out, unless
preferred a more solitary existence. Their favourite pipistrelle’s supersonic calls. Over successive years, the Australian government intervened with
roosting sites would be in trees, in the cavity they reported a 33 per cent decline in the bat’s suitable funding. But despite a meeting with
formed by exfoliating bark or underneath the activity that continued to a critical level by 2009. the environment minister where the Australian
withering fronds of dead palm trees, which should The reason why the Christmas Island pipistrelle’s Mammal Society emphasised the urgency of
give you an idea of just how small these creatures population took a sudden nosedive is still not clear the situation, the cogs of bureaucracy were
were. Their habitat was tropical, with dense – it could have been down to pesticides or attacks too slow to turn. By late August that year, just © freevectormaps.com; Alan Batley
rainforest along the plateau of the island, high from an invasive species, such as the yellow crazy a single, plaintive echolocation was recorded
humidity and temperatures that varied little from ant. It was the first Australian mammal to go above the canopy of a known roosting site, and
season to season. Along the edge of the canopy, extinct in 60 years. it has been silent ever since that night.
54
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Robins: heroes or villains?
56
ROBINS
HEROES OR VILLAINS?
Gardeners’ faithful companions, nature’s winter icon
and now officially Britain’s favourite bird. But behind the
sweet voice and red feathers, has the iconic songbird
been hiding a dark secret all along?
Words Adam Millward
EUROPEAN ROBIN
Erithacus rubecula
Class Aves
Territory Eurasia
Diet Insects, worms, berries,
seeds
Lifespan 13 months
Adult weight 16-22g (0.6-
0.8oz)
Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN
57
Robins: heroes or villains?
The little bird that
stole our hearts
On the same day as 2015’s UK general election, more than 224,000 Britons
took part in a poll to elect the nation’s favourite bird. The shortlist starred
many of our country’s avian icons, including the barn owl, the mute swan
and the puffin, but it was an everyday garden visitor, the robin, which flew
away with the top spot, securing 34 per cent of the votes.
What is it about robins that so captures our imagination? With a range
spanning from Siberia, throughout Europe, to as far south as northern
Africa, it’s not as if they’re exclusively ‘ours’. In fact, virtually every continent
has its own ‘robin’, though for the most part, these are not related species
– the one thing they have in common is that distinctive reddish chest.
To so decisively thrash the other contenders, you can only assume that
our love affair with this peppy bird goes beyond the colour of its plumage,
though. The truth is, this little songbird has been earning our affections for
centuries. As in all politics, it comes down to the best all-round campaign:
building trust by getting closer than most garden birds; tirelessly broadcasting
from sunrise to sunset with their bright, confident song; and, of course, scoring
a huge PR victory by becoming the bird that represents Christmas.
But there’s another far less wholesome side to this candidate. When it comes
to defending its turf, the robin will go to any lengths to keep out rivals. It will try
to out-sing, and then to out-dazzle. But if all else fails, it’s not afraid to resort to
violence or even murder. Which leads to the question: do we really know our favourite
bird as well as we thought?
Our love affair with this peppy bird goes
“Our love affair with this peppy bird goes
beyond the colour of its plumage”
beyond the colour of its plumage”
e
Adult robinin
o
n
bi
r
J
A d ult r o b Juvenile robin poll, a campaign is now underway to
uv
e
i
l
n
ABOVE Following the result of the
have the robin offi cially recognised as
Britain’s national bird, akin to France’s
Eye Beak rooster or the US’s bald eagle
Although our understanding The thin bill is well-adapted for
of magnetoreception – winkling out insects from the
using Earth’s magnetic ground, catching flying bugs in the Feathers
fields to navigate – is far air or picking berries and seeds. The plumage of young robins is brown
from complete, the robin’s and speckled to help camouflage
built-in compass is thought them from potential predators, while
to be centred around light- downy fluff helps to keep them warm.
sensitive cells in its right eye.
Red breast
Shared by males and
females, the bird’s
most famous feature is
primarily displayed as a
deterrent to other robins.
No red
The lack of red/orange feathers reduces
the chances of disputes with other
robins. These start to appear during the
Legs first molt, a few months a er fledging.
Relatively long, spindly
legs are helpful for hopping
through grass or leaf litter
when foraging on the ground.
58
Robins: heroes or villains?
Finding a mate
Robin behaviour The breeding season generally starts
around March, though this can be earlier
if it’s been a mild winter. Both male and
female robins sing to find one another
Family splits and to stake their claim to a territory.
In the winter, the male will oen
drive out the female and offspring
from his territory. Some robins
stay in the UK all year round, but
others migrate for the winter.
Setting up home
The female takes responsibility for
building the nest, typically in nooks
and crannies near the ground, such
as tree roots, hedges and walls.
The nest is mostly comprised of
leaves, moss and hair.
Staking a claim
Both robins will fiercely defend
Raising the kids their territory, which covers around
Aer roughly 13 days of half a hectare (1.2 acres). If singing
incubation by the mother, and bearing their fiery feathers are
the eggs hatch. Now not enough to see off rivals, they
both parents take turns will fly at intruders. Sometimes
to gather food and keep they will even fight to the death!
the chicks warm. They Breadwinner
will fledge aer about While the female is
two weeks, though the homemaking, the male isn’t
parents – particularly being idle; he will provide
dad – will continue to about a third of his mate’s food
care for them for several during this period of courtship.
weeks aer that. The
female, meanwhile,
starts preparing a nest
for a second brood.
Laying eggs
A normal clutch consists of four to six
eggs, one laid each day. They are pale Molt
blue in colour, owing to a pigment called By the end of the summer, both adults and
biliverdin. Studies suggest that the juveniles will be noticeably quieter and less
vibrancy of the blue indicates the health visible. This is because they are undergoing the
of the female, and brighter eggs will be annual molt, an energy-draining event where
cared for more tenderly by males. old feathers are replaced with new ones.
Split personality
When it comes to behaviour, robins really are the Jekyll
and Hyde of British birds. Around humans, they are some
of the most sociable and inquisitive birds to visit our
gardens, often venturing surprisingly close to pick up bugs
from freshly turned earth. They are attentive partners
and hard-working parents, rearing as many as four or five
clutches of chicks over a season.
But when it comes to rival robins, these sweet birds
see red. Throughout the year, what we hear as cheerful
chirping is, in fact, a curt message telling others, in no
uncertain terms, to keep away. If this is ignored, robins will
find a prominent perch, lift their head and present their
bright plumage as a final warning; usually at this point,
one will defer to the other. If singing and posturing doesn’t
scare off the competitor, robins revert to violence. Flying
at their adversary, they will peck and scratch with their
talons until one concedes defeat or, in extreme cases, is
killed – often by the severing of the spinal cord. Indeed, an
estimated 10 per cent of adult robin deaths are committed
by members of their own species.
“The cheerful chirping is in
fact a curt message telling The instinct to protect their territory
is so hardwired that robins have
others to keep away” been known to attack stuffed toys or
even their own reflections
59
Robins: heroes or villains?
Ro b i n s: h e r o e s o r vi l l a i n s ?
Singing for their life
If there were an X Factor-style contest for songbirds, robins
would have a good chance of winning based on endurance
alone. Unlike a lot of ‘fair-weather crooners’, robins are among
the few species which sing throughout the year. What’s more,
they are some of the earliest risers and the latest to retire –
especially in urban areas with lots of streetlights.
These birds aren’t just chirruping because they like the
sound of their own voices. What we might hear as the white
noise of nature is, in fact, vital to a robin’s survival. Firstly, it’s
a way of enticing a mate to come into their territory, and
secondly, it’s a warning to potential trespassers.
Interestingly, the tone of the robin’s song differs
according to the season. As ornithologist Bill Oddie
explains, “It’s not a strong change but it would be if you
heard both songs against the other, like adjacent tracks
on an album. The winter song is thinner and more
wistful. Then when you get to spring, it gets richer
and louder, and there are more notes to it.
“In autumn, they also have ‘sub-songs’ which
are almost inaudible – just tiny little chattering
notes. Then there’s also a hard, metallic ticking
noise they make. Like most birds, they’ve got
several calls.”
What’s in a name?
The earliest records refer to this bird as
the ‘redbreast’. However, during the 15th
century, a trend arose for christening
animals with human names, resulting
in the emergence of ‘robin redbreast’.
Subsequently this was shortened to
‘robin’, though ‘robinet’ and ‘ruddock’ are
also documented.
From a modern perspective, we’d
probably say the robin’s distinctive chest
plumage is closer to orange than red, but
the word ‘orange’ didn’t enter the English
language until the fruit arrived in Britain
in the 16th century, and by that time the
bird’s association with red had stuck, as
it does to this day.
For centuries, this strong connection
with scarlet has seen the bird
appropriated by various groups. As far
back as the 18th century, British postal
workers donned a red coat or tunic,
hence Victorian postmen gaining the
nickname ‘robins’. Nowadays, several
sports squads have adopted the moniker
owing to their kit colour, including football
teams Bristol City and Cheltenham Town,
and rugby side Hull Kingston Rovers.
60 60
Robins in our culture Animals in culture
Meet the other animals that feature in our
stories, sayings, names and festivities
For such a little bird, the robin has a surprisingly Robins have played starring roles in numerous
long and complex history entwined with our own stories and poems too, from the 16th-century
culture. In Norse legend, the bird is believed to Babes in the Wood, where they use leaves to
have been sacred to the god of thunder, Thor. In cover the bodies of two children, to the 18th-
Christian folklore, the robin is supposed to have century nursery rhyme, Who Killed Cock Robin?
gained its red breast from Jesus’s blood while Today, the robin is best known for its association
comforting him during the crucifixion, or from with Christmas, appearing in everything from cards
venturing too close to the flames of hell where and wrapping paper to movies and advertising.
it was carrying water to those in purgatory; this The connection most likely arose from their close
latter explanation is also reflected in the bird’s ties to British postmen, when the custom of
Welsh name, ‘brou-rhuddyn’, which translates as sending Christmas cards became popular in the Santa’s high flyers
‘burnt breast’. mid-19th century. Reindeer have been helping Santa deliver presents
around the world since they first appeared in the poem
A Visit from St Nicholas by Clement Moore in 1823.
Easter ambassador
Beyond chocolate and eggs, nothing says Easter more
than the rabbit. Hares and rabbits have long been
symbols of fertility, going back to the Ancient Greeks.
Signs of the times
British pubs are oen named aer animals – some real,
such as white horses and swans, and others fantastical,
such as red lions and unicorns. These names come from
the coats of arms worn by wealthy medieval families.
A real howler
Although no longer a native resident of the British Isles,
the wolf has played the ‘baddie’ in many a fairy tale,
from Little Red Riding Hood to Three Little Pigs.
One for sorrow, two for joy…
The magpie lends its name to anyone easily distracted
by sparkly objects, and stars in a superstitious rhyme
that predicts your future based on the number you see.
61 61
Robins: heroes or villains?
Bill’s top
three tips for
“In the pecking order, there are not encouraging robins
into your garden:
many that will take on robins – even • Mealworms (also great for
feeding them by hand)
great tits and chaffinches stand back” • Open nest boxes, with a slot
rather than a hole
• A patch of climbing
ivy left to grow
wild
Robins: the good, of youngsters is very high. It’s lovely seeing the juveniles growing up, learning to fly and
the bad and the ugly their red breast appearing before your eyes. The other side of robins, of course, is that
they don’t like one another!
Former Goodies star, writer and broadcaster Bill Oddie is one of Britain’s
best-loved ornithologists. As well as hosting many wildlife programmes Tell us more about their darker side…
over his career, he is an ambassador for numerous birding and conservation societies. Well, they don’t like anybody except the person feeding them. Presumably they like their
partner for a couple of weeks but they don’t exactly hang around. And they don’t like their
Why do you think the robin was voted Britain’s favourite bird? kids for long either. So, most of the time – and I think people who voted for them need to
It shows how egocentric we humans are really: we only like things that like us! The understand this – they don’t set a good example. They are crazy possessives! As soon as
robin is the garden bird that comes to you – quite literally. Plus many people think you’ve gone past that breeding stage, they’ll be chasing one another. Particularly come
they’ve got the same robin for years on end; I hate to disillusion you, but I don’t think you autumn, they will not sit and share food. In the pecking order, there are not many that will
have! It’s a curious fact about the biology of robins that females and males are virtually take on robins – even great tits and chaffinches stand back.
indistinguishable. Not only do they look the same, but unlike most songbirds, the female
also sings. So I can understand why people might think they’ve got the same robin So they’re intolerant of other birds too?
coming back. They’re intolerant of everything. Even when it comes to their own kids. Once you’ve got
Something I don’t think everyone realises is that some robins aren’t even faithful to past the stage of “Okay, you can fly now”, they seem determined to boot them out. I don’t
one country. We get a fair number from Scandinavia and the continent. So though it’s think they have a magnanimous bone in their little bodies!
been voted Britain’s favourite bird, your garden robin may not actually be British! It was two robins locked in mortal combat. One had pinned another on its back and was
The other day, I was watching telly and suddenly there was a great scuffling outside.
© Dreamstime; Corbis; Alamy; Thinkstock I’m fortunate to have robins permanently in my garden, so I get to see their lifestyle close place. I think it was only because I got up that they stopped and flew off – probably to
How much interaction do you have with robins?
pecking away at its face and scratching with its talons. There were feathers all over the
up. I’ve got a whole series of plaques around my garden, saying ‘Robins 2006’ and ‘Robins carry on elsewhere.
2007’ because they never nest in the same place twice. Once, I found a very young robin
Do you think robins deserve to be our national bird?
in my shed that could barely fly – it just managed to flutter up to one of the beams and
stayed there for two days. It was such a beautiful little thing. Apart from being all plump
I personally put a plea in for the red grouse which is actually indigenous to Britain. I
and speckled, they’ve also got those little tus of fluff which make them so endearing.
thought it would be a very good idea if the red grouse were our official national bird,
I’m always excited to see when robins have had a reasonable year, because the mortality
62 because then it wouldn’t be so easy for people to hunt them. But they didn’t go for that.
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20
Fantastic Some goats faint when they’re scared
facts
act
f
facts
s
When fainting goats feel threatened, they will collapse to the ground with
s
G G
Goats hereditary condition also found in humans and other mammals, which
s
o
o
at
at
stiffened legs. This amusing reaction is caused by myotonia congenita, a
causes the chemical message to get ready for danger to fire over and over
again, meaning their body tenses up for too long. Some goats are bred to
have myotonia congenita, as the fainting makes them easier to control.
We’ve all come across
goats, whether domestic
or wild, but these familiar
friends have hidden depths...
Goats gave us coffee
Goats could be responsible for discovering the effects of one of humanity’s
favourite substances – coffee. The legend of Kaldi, a goat herder in ancient
Mountain goats cling Ethiopia, tells that his herd of goats would get so excited aer eating the
to the sides of cliffs beans from the coffee plants growing throughout the Ethiopian highlands
with their cloven that they couldn’t sleep. Kaldi took the beans to the local monastery, where
an abbot made a drink with them, creating what we now know as coffee.
hooves, made of
keratin. They also have
a special traction pad
extending beyond the
hoof for extra grip. There are legendary goats Goats eat quickly
Goats are social animals Goats have appeared in mythology throughout Goats are ruminants, meaning
history. Perhaps the most famous is the Capricorn
and live in herds of goat of the zodiac, whose sure-footed nature and they have four-chambered
around 20. For most of agility are defining traits. Pan, the Greek god of nature, stomachs and two-toed feet.
the year, one female is had goat horns and feet, as did satyrs, characters that Ruminants eat quickly, store
dominant in the herd, appeared throughout Greek art and theatre. food in the first chamber of
until mating season, their stomach, then regurgitate
when a male takes over. it and chew it again as cud.
Cattle, sheep and camels are all
According to reports ruminant mammals too.
from National
Geographic, mountain
goats have been Goats, like many
known to leap up to
3.5 metres (12 feet) in other ungulates,
the air. have rectangular
Nigerian dwarf goats pupils in their eyes
are one of the smallest that give them
breeds in the world.
They grow to be 50 340-degree vision,
centimetres (1.6 feet) tall up to twice the
and weigh around 34
kilograms (75 pounds). range of humans
64
Goats
Their wool is historic
The wools of the angora and cashmere breeds
of goat are prized for their softness. Angora
goats have been bred and their mohair fleece
harvested since the 14th century BCE. Any
goat can produce a cashmere coat, but those
that produce a downy winter fur in high
quantities are known as cashmere goats.
One goat is not a goat
The mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) is
not a true goat, and is not part of the Capra
genus. Mountain goats fall into a different genus
for many reasons; their mountain homes call for
an extra woollen layer, and a different type of
fur to defend against the cold, and both males
They are really and females are crowned with pointy horns.
not-so-silly billies
Despite their often vacant facial You can tell their age
expressions, goats are intelligent The rings on the horns of some goat breeds can
creatures. They can be trained to give away their age, in much the same way as a
answer to a name and complete an tree trunk. Horns have one ring fewer than the
obstacle course, much like dogs. years of the goat’s life. The rate of feeding can
change horn renewal times, so it is less accurate
for domestic goats.
Baby goats
are called kids
Goats usually breed in the
autumn, and the gestation
period lasts around five
or six months. It is most
common for the nanny
(female) goat to give birth
to one or two baby goats,
known as kids. Newborn
kids weigh around 3.6
kilograms (eight pounds)
and learn to walk within a
day or two of birth. Goats can climb trees
Goats in Morocco o en climb
the native argan tree to
snack on its nuts and leaves.
They are popular with argan
farmers as they help fertilise
the ground underneath.
They’re some of our Egyptian Pharaoh
oldest friends Cephranes was
Goats were one of the first animals buried with 2,234
to be domesticated. Archaeological goats, evidence
evidence shows the first domestic
goats were kept 10,000 years ago. of our ancient
Neolithic farmers in ancient Turkey and relationship with
Iran kept goats not just for milk and
meat, but also used their dung as fuel. the animals
Boer is the biggest
The largest breed of goat is the Boer. There are over
This breed, often characterised by its 300 breeds of
red and white neck, gains weight at an
Goats dig their homes alarming rate to reach its fully-grown domestic goat in
Goats graze across a ‘home’ size of 135 kilograms (300 pounds) for existence and an
area of some 23 square a male and 90 kilograms (200 pounds)
kilometres (14 square miles), estimated 920 © Thinkstock; Dreamstime; Alamy
and will dig an inch into the for a female. The Boer is most often
ground to make a space for bred for its lean meat and is desirable million goats on
dust baths and rest. to farmers because of its docility, high © Thinkstock
fertility rate and fast growth. the planet
65
Amazing animal hearing
66
LL
A
ALL EARS
Did you hear that? Chances are you didn’t –
D i d y o u he a r t ? C h a n c e s a r e y o u d i d n ’ t –
h
a
t
but your dog did. Many creatures in the animal
kingdom put us to shame with their highly
adapted hearing skills
Words Sanne de Boer
An animal’s senses are crucial to its way of life, It’s not exactly a hidden talent, considering
and ultimately, to its survival. A heightened the size of its ears, but a fennec fox’s sense
sense of smell means the shark can track of hearing is incredible in the way it is put to
down its prey based on a single drop of blood, use. They are the smallest foxes in the world,
a hawk’s incredibly sharp eyesight means it but have the biggest ears relative to body size.
can spot a tiny dormouse from high up in the Their extremely sensitive hearing apparatus is
sky, and a rabbit knows it’s time to run when used to listen for small prey scurrying in the
it senses the vibrations of its group stomping sand. The ears stand to attention at all times,
the ground with their hind legs. A creature’s reaching 15 centimetres (six inches) in length.
hearing is just as vital to its survival, and The auditory bullae, the hollow structure of the
plays a large part in both hunting prey and middle ear, is enlarged in fennec foxes, allowing
escaping predators, but also aids unique ways them to rely mostly on their bat-like ears for
of communicating with its companions and hunting and locating prey, communicating with
creates awareness of its environment. each other, and evading predation.
67
Amazing animal hearing
The dolphin uses
echolocation to
find its prey
The friendly-looking dolphin is known for its
intelligence and approachability. It has long
fascinated researchers because of its social
behaviour, and its large, highly developed
brain. Its auditory cortex, in particular, is
highly complex and allows for a hearing range
between 30,000 and 160,000 hertz. Dolphins
are also quick at processing sounds, and
use a technique called echolocation, which
works like a biological sonar. Dolphins emit
high-pitched noises and interpret the echoes
bouncing off nearby objects to understand
their environment. They use this skill to locate
and identify nearby prey, even detecting
creatures buried in sand. Dolphins also have
intricate communication techniques, and can
produce and discern a wide range of noises
and vocalisations.
Dogs are always aware
of their environment
Dogs aren’t just good at hearing the words ‘walkies’ and ‘treats’
– they have an incredible hearing range of 60 to 45,000
hertz compared to our 20 to 20,000 hertz. This is why
dog whistles produce an ultrasonic sound that’s not
detectable to humans as it’s too high, exceeding our
maximum of 20,000 hertz. It’s not just the range of
sounds that sets dogs’ hearing apart; they can hear
things from a maximum distance that beats ours by four
times. This is why Fido is already at the door when you
get home while your partner is still oblivious of your return –
he could hear your car coming a block away.
In addition, dogs can move their ears to better localise a
sound, thanks to the fact that they have 18 muscles in the part of
their ears called the pinna, or ear flap. You may have seen Fido flex
these muscles when he’s trying to decide whether he’s going to
listen to your command, or keep rolling around in the mud.
“Dogs can move their ears to
better localise a sound, thanks
to 18 muscles in each ear flap”
68
Extraordinary ears
The elephant can hear Conservation breaks
Five animals with unusual hearing gear
infrasonic sound waves
An elephant’s sense of hertz. However, they’re capable of
hearing is incredible. They are recognising calls and voices from other
capable of hearing infrasonic elephants, and use their hearing in a
sound waves, which are too social manner. They can also use their
low for us to detect. Their enormous ears to funnel in sound
range isn’t all that impressive – waves, the way you would if you
roughly between 16 and 12,000 cupped your hand around your ear, G a la go
Snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan
hertz, compared to our 20 to 20,000 but on a much larger scale. T Learn how snow leopard populations are monitored
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Bats will spend almost their entire lives dolphins’ as they mainly feed on insects,
living in the dark, so like owls, they have so their hunting techniques require far
adapted their hearing to hunt effectively more precision. They can deduce the
at night. But instead of the owl’s tactic, location of an insect from as far as ten
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they use echolocation like dolphins, and metres (33 feet) away. The spotted bat, British wildlifex moth
emit high-pitched noises to deduce the in particular, has incredible hearing, Get your hands dirty and get involved in a National Trust
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Ever wondered how it was possible the wizards and
witches at Hogwarts could just call for their owls and
they’d appear on their arms within a matter Sand foxes in Dubai
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Unlike the other animals mentioned you can get involved in. p towards its nose.
here, the owl’s hearing range is not
all that different from a human’s – it is
their precision that sets them apart. They
can discern the position of their prey by
deducing what ear the sound they’re hearing
reaches first, and how long it takes for that
sound to reach the other ear. They measure
this time with extreme precision, down to
30 millionths of a second. Based on this
calculation, they turn their head Lynx in Slovakia
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simultaneously, and then swoop of lynxes, wolves, and bears. Join local scientists and
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69
Amazing animal hearing
How’s your hearing?
20 Hz – 20,000 Hz Man
Despite being the ‘boss’ of the
house, humans typically have
a hearing range under half of
19,980 Hz range that of most household pets.
60 Hz – 45,000 Hz Dog
This shows exactly why your dog can
hear the postman approaching from
44,940 Hz range down the road, and why it is so good
at alerting you to any intruders.
50 Hz – 80,000 Hz Cat
How do you think cats can
hear birds and mice so easily
79,950 Hz range and proceed to bring them
into your house as a present?
Mouse
2,000 Hz – 100,000 Hz Even if a mouse and a turtle found a
language they could both speak, they
wouldn’t be able to hear each other! Mice
have great hearing, but can’t hear the lower
98,000 Hz range sounds that most animals can hear.
Bat
2,000 Hz – 110,000 Hz Because of their poor eyesight, bats rely on
their hearing to find their way around. By
using ‘echolocation’ they can work out when
108,000 Hz range walls and other objects are in their way.
Beluga whale
1,000 Hz – 123,000 Hz Most sound reception
in a beluga whale
happens in the fat-
122,000 Hz range filled lower jawbone,
which conducts
sound waves through
the jaw to bones in
the middle ears.
30,000 Hz – 160,000 Hz Dolphin
Dolphins are incredibly intelligent animals
that use their lower jawbone to assist with
130,000 Hz range hearing, as well as using their antenna- © Thinkstock; Nature PL; Getty; FLPA; Corbis; Alamy; Independent Hearing Professionals
like teeth for echolocation.
Porpoise
Related to dolphins
and whales, the
75 Hz – 150,000 Hz porpoise has the
one of the largest
hearing ranges on
the planet.
149,925 Hz range
70
Bizarre!
The strange creature that STAR-NOSED MOLE
Condylura cristata
Class Mammalia
looks like a cross between
a shrew and an octopus Territory Southeastern Canada
and northeastern United States
Diet Terrestrial and aquatic
invertebrates
The star-nosed mole has tentacles on its face, lives life Lifespan 3-4 years
Adult weight 35-75g (1-3oz)
underground, and has an unusual talent for speed eating Conservation status
LEAST CONCERN
It’s virtually blind A star-shaped nose A long, thick tail
As they spend so much time underground, A rosette of 22 fleshy tentacles surround the The star-nosed mole’s fleshy tail changes
the moles have no need for acute vision and snout and form the ‘star’ that give the mole with the seasons, swelling in the winter to
so they have small and beady eyes with weak its name. The strange appendages have serve as a fat storage organ. It’s covered
eyesight. Their small size also means they nothing to do with smell and actually assist in short, coarse hairs and concentric rings
are less likely to sustain an injury or suffer with touch. Comprising more than 25,000 and is nearly as long as the head and body
irritation from soil entering the eyes, which receptors, they can pick up electrical impulses length combined. As these moles are prolific
is especially important in their cramped given off by prey and allow the mole to sense swimmers, the large tail is also used as a
underground habitat. its surroundings. rudder when they are underwater.
They have large,
scaled feet
Disproportionately large feet come
in handy when you mostly live
underground. The moles use
their pink, scaled feet much like
shovels, giving them the ability
to excavate two to three
metres (seven to ten feet) of
soil per hour! These large
feet are also the perfect
shape to act as paddles
while swimming.
The fastest eating Well-adapted, It can smell
mammal on Earth sharp teeth underwater
How long does it take you to eat lunch? These moles have 44 teeth in total, including The star-nosed mole has developed a clever
This creature has landed itself a place in the tweezer-like front teeth they use to pluck small way of sniffing out prey underwater without
Guinness World Records book for speed insects from the ground with ease. These drowning. Quickly re-inhaling the air bubbles
eating, taking only 230 milliseconds to find are so important that 30 per cent of the that leave their nostrils after exhaling, they are
and consume prey, on average. That’s less moles’ brain cortex is dedicated to handling able to continuously blow bubbles and sniff at © Nature PL
than a quarter of a second! information from their front dentures. a rate of five to ten times per second.
71
Living light
72
LIVING
LIGHT
In a world without sun, the animals of the deep
sea have no choice other than to illuminate
their own lives and glow in the dark
Words Amy Grisdale
73
Living light
Light in the abyss
Sunlight only penetrates the top 100 metres (330 feet) of the depths that it’s almost unsurprising that some have evolved to
ocean, and animals that live below the reach of the Sun’s rays generate their own light.
experience constant darkness. There are several zones to the Bioluminescence, a natural glow produced by an organism, is a
ocean from the sunlight or photic zone at the surface all the way chemical process involving a substance called luciferin. When this BELOW Comb
down through the twilight and midnight zones to the abyssal molecule comes into contact with oxygen it produces a chemical jellyfi sh use
zone at 4,000 to 6,000 metres (13,100 to 19,700 feet) deep. This called oxyluciferin and the by-product is light. While only a bioluminescence
as a defence
water is completely devoid of light, but is home to hundreds of handful of terrestrial animals have this capability, it’s relatively mechanism
weird and wonderful marine species that humans have had to common in the sea, where it has evolved numerous times. This by surprising
develop highly specialised equipment to even glimpse. Animals demonstrates how crucial it is to be able to produce light, and for predators with
flashing light
have even been found living below the abyssal zone, at such dark some species it’s the difference between survival and death.
“At such dark depths it’s almost
unsurprising that animals have
evolved to generate their own light”
74
Living light
Who glows there?
From recycling the Sun’s rays to complex chemical reactions, there are various types of glow
Bioluminescence
Creating light from darkness
The term bioluminescence is used to which is why deep-sea creatures like
describe light that is produced by a anglerfish can use it to lure their prey.
chemical reaction inside an organism. There are at least four different types
The vital substance in this reaction is of luciferin in animals, each with
luciferin, which can react with oxygen a corresponding luciferase. Some
to produce light. The process is aided bioluminescent species rely on a
by the enzyme luciferase, but doesn’t supply of these molecules within their
need an external source of light, diet, as they are unable to create them.
Oxygen 1. Luciferin binds
1 2 Photons of light to oxygen, aided
by the enzyme
luciferase.
Luciferase 2. Luciferin reacts
Luciferin with oxygen,
producing
photons, or
light particles.
Fluorescence
Simple light exchange
Unlike bioluminescence, this process reflected, the photons lose energy,
relies on an external light source. meaning the visible glow differs in
The light is absorbed by atoms and colour to the light source. Butterfly
re-emitted again almost immediately. wings contain fluorescent pigments
If the light source disappears, so that intensify their colour, to attract
does the fluorescence. While being mates or repel predators.
Blue light Green light 1. Light is absorbed into the
Electrons fluorescent molecule
1 2 3 4 2. The electrons gain energy and
become excited
3. The electrons return to their
original state, and re-emit the light
Atomic nuclei 4. The emitted light is a different
colour, as it has lost energy
Phosphorescence
The light that lingers
Like a glow-in-the-dark sticker, source, such as the Sun. However, the
phosphorescent animals absorb light electrons become excited to a higher
and use it to give off an eerie glow. degree than in fluorescence and they
The process is similar to fluorescence, release light slowly, at a lower intensity.
but phosphorescent animals can ‘save Animals like jellyfish absorb light at the
up’ light and then release it slowly. Like water’s surface, giving them a glow
fluorescence, this depends on a light that alarms and repels predators.
Electrons 1. Light hits electrons in
phosphorescent molecules
2. This causes the electrons
to enter a high-energy state.
3. The electrons return to
1 2 3 their normal energy state
Atomic nucleus slowly, releasing a soft glow
as they do so.
75
Living light
L i v i n g l i g ht
“Prey species cannot
BARBELED
BARBELED
DRA
DRAGONFISH
GONFISH
omiidae
t
S Stomiidae see the predatory
Clas s A ctinopt ery gii
Class Actinopterygii
dragonfish coming”
Barbeled dragonfi sh
B a r be l ed d r a gon fi h
s
use invisible light Territory Southern Pacific
use invisible light
ory
T T T
ory
errit
errit
errit
ory
acifi
c
c
Southern P
Southern P
acifi
Ocean
i
n t
g
h
e
e l
i
s fi
h
ro
s
h p
s i
e
s o
h
u
d
t t
c
h
T
The light this fish produces is on the Ocean
Diet Fish
Diet Fish
c
e
e
o
p
r
u
m
t
r o
e i
a
r
n
f
r
border of the infrared spectrum. This is Lifespan Unknown
f t
b
h
e
d s
d
i
s
r
h
s i
. T
Lifespan Unknown
outside the visible spectrum of most fish,
o u t s i d e t h e v i s i b l e s p e c t r u m o f m o s t fi s h , Adult weight Unknown
Adult weight Unknown
Conservation status
y
so prey species cannot see the predatory Conservation status
t s
a
t
a
o p
c
n
s
o
n
d
e
p
e
e
e
e p
o
h
y s
r
r
e
s c
r
e t
i
dragonfish coming. Along with hunting
n
i
n
o
m
a
g
g
. A
t
g
fi
h h
g w
i
u
n
n
r
h c
o
l
d
i
o
n
t
s
b y i n v i s i b l e l i g h t , t h e d r a g o n fi s h u s e s i t
by invisible light, the dragonfish uses it
NOT EVALUATED
e
o r
d
g
n
i
g
. T
s
a
s
e
n
e f
o
t to recognise friends. The dangling barbel l NOT EV ALUA TED
e
i
l
c
n
h
i
n
g b
e d
b
r
r
a
r
e p
d
n
e
c
t
fi
a
c
t
o
n
u
i
i
u
t
r
s a ro
a
y
t
e i
l
l
s structure plays a role in identification, ,
n i
e
n d
n
s
a
g
t
r
n
f a s
s o
and members of a shoal can distinguish
e
i
a
b
i
m
d m
o
h
l c
a
h
s
i
u
o n e a n o t h e r s i m p l y b y s e e i n g t h e l i g h t .
one another simply by seeing the light.
0
A
e
,
p
e
t
e
At depths of 2,000 metres (6,500 feet)
5
s o
h
)
,
e
e
s (
t d
t
0
0
t
f 2
6
r
0 m
0 f
a
u
l
e
t there are few other options for visual
s
h
r
r
o
w o
s f
e
n
e
t
p
i
e f
r o
h
t
r v
i
o
e a
c o m m u n i c a t i o n , a n d a s t h e i r l i g h t i s
communication, and as their light is
s
g
li
ht
Flashlight fish borrow
h
a
t
e
r s
h
e
i
n
p
invisible to other species, they F F l l a s h li g ht fi sh bo r r o w
c
, t
e t
h
s
i
v
e
y
b
i
s
l
i
e
o o
can shine to their friends
c a n s h i n e t o t h e i r f r i e n d s
bioluminescent bacteria
b
m
ol
ba
r
u
t
c
e
s
n
e
i
c
e
in
i
t
a
a s b r i g h t a s t h e y l i k e . bioluminescent bacteria
as bright as they like.
a
W
W i i t t h o u t t h e a b i i l l i i t t y t o t a l l k l i i k e h u m a n s s , fl a s s h h l l i i g h t fi s s h
t t
y t
k l
e h
k
a
h
o
o t
g
Without the ability to talk like humans, flashlight fish
n
t fi
h
h
, fl
u
h
a
u
m
b
e a
n
r w
c
e b
zl
e
y d
p
m
e
u
a
e
m
h r
a
o
d
n
communicate by dazzling one another with repeated
h
c c o m m u n i i c a t t e b y d a a z z zl i i n g o n e a n o t t h e r w i i t t h r e e p e a t t e d
e a
g o
n
n
o
c
ro
c
ro
s o
s o
e
. T
. T
f
t
f
t
t
s o
e
s o
a
i
f l
u
g
g
f l
t
t
e
i
e
c
h
a
e
e
s f
h
u
c
s f
i
i
t
i
b b
i
r g
m
bursts of light. Their glow actually comes from a species of
m
w a
e
w a
e
l
l
u
u
o
o
p
r g
p
o
o
l
s
m a s
m a s
h
h
l
s
l
y c
y c
l
r
r
e
h
g
h
h
a
n
s i
t l
t o
g
s l
e fi
a
h
n t
e
a
d b
e
n
e
o
a t
h
, l
bacteria that lives in the fish’s light organ, located beneath
a
b b a c c t t e r r i i a t h a t l i i v v e s i n t h e fi s s h ’ ’ s l i i g h t o r r g a n , l o c c a t t e e d b e n e a a t t h
r
e
h
e
s
e t
y c
a
c
each eye socket. They change the message they are
h
t
h
h e
y a
e
e
. T
n
s
g
e m
o
e t
a
c
y
e
a
e s
k
e
each eye socket. They change the message they are
g
h
conveying by increasing or decreasing the frequency of the
u
i
s
e
g o
n
r d
a
g t
s
conveying by increasing or decreasing the frequency of the
i
y o
n
c
a
e
n
e
o
f t
r
h
e
r
c
h
y
c
g b
e f
e
y i
i
n
n
e
r
c
q
v
n
e
flashes, covering or exposing the light organ by moving an
fl fl ashes, covering or exposing the light organ by moving an ashes, covering or exposing the light organ by moving an
i
y
k
e
e fl
e
eyelid-like fl ap. These headlights can also be used to escape ap. These headlights can also be used to escape
eyelid-like flap. These headlights can also be used to escape
-
i
d
l
l
g
t
’
s i
s
a
r
h
n
e
o
i
t
r
s
ro
c
i
n
g a
r
e
a
t
t o
h
n
y s
; b
k
f a p
i
n
u
attack; by shining at full brightness in front of a predator’s
l
l b
n f
attack; by shining at full brightness in front of a predator’s
t f
a
d
t
eyes, the fi
e y e s , t h e fi sh can then dart away while the hunter is stunned.sh can then dart away while the hunter is stunned.
eyes, the fish can then dart away while the hunter is stunned.
Light of their life
Sperm whales rely on ONE-FIN
ONE-FIN
bioluminescence for FLASHLIGHT FISH
FLA
SHLIGHT FISH
t
Pho
on
oblephar
their survival as this Photoblepharon
palpebratum
is how they locate palpebratum ery gii
s
s
ctinopt
A
Class Actinopterygii
Clas
Clas
their prey in the
ocean.
ory
ory
P
P
errit
errit
ory
ory
acifi
c Oc
c Oc
ean
ean
acifi
Territory Pacific Ocean
T T T T
errit
errit
Diet Z ooplank t on
Diet Zooplankton
Zooplankton
Lifespan Unkno
Lif
Unknown
Lifespan Unknown
espan
wn
Adult weight Unknown
dult w
A
wn
eight
Unkno
Adult weight Unknown
tus
ta
Conservation status
C
onserv
a
tion s
Conservation status
EV
TED
ALUA
NOT EVALUATED
NOT
CIGAR C
CIGAR COMB JELLY
Y
OMB JELL
Comb jellies reflect light like
Ber oe Co m b j e lli e s r e fl e c t li g ht li k e
Beroe
Class Nuda
Clas s Nuda
an underwater rainbow
an underwater rainbow
Also known as sea gooseberries, comb jellies aren’t
A l s o k n o w n a s s e a g o o s e b e r r i e s , c o m b j e l l i e s a r e n ’ t
d t
e
h
o j
t c
l
e
y t
l
t
a
l
e
y b
. T
h
e
n
g
l
o
h
l
l
e
a
y
s
fi
l
u
s
e
y r
c
t
o
l
a actually that closely related to jellyfish. They belong
a
s c
, k
m
p
a
n
e
o
n
y o
n
t
w
o
o a f
n a
h
l
e
i
t
r o
w
i
o
s
e
r
h
f t
errit
Open tr
ory
ory
ory
T T T
Open tr
Territory Open tropical seas to a family of their own, known as ctenophores. .
errit
opical seas
opical seas
errit
Glowing bright neon in the dark depths of the
Diet Other comb jellies G l o w i n g b r i g h t n e o n i n t h e d a r k d e p t h s o f t h e
Diet Other comb jellies
Lifespan 3-4 months ocean, these oval jellies propel themselves
Lifespan 3-4 months
, t
l j
m
ro
h
e
o
e o
h
e
c
a
l
e
e
v
e
s
l
a
v
e
e
l
l t
s
n
s p
p
s
i
e
Adult weight Unknown
Adult weight Unknown
g
ro
t
u
i
a
i
h
r u
h
h
s
t
f e
ro
g a g
t
p o
h t
n
u
g
e w
e
Conservation status through the water using a group of eight
Conservation status
p
e
h
t
combs, or cilia, which they operate like the
e
r
a
i
i
k
e t
l
e l
c
, o
h
h
y o
e
b
i
c
m
h t
a
o
s
r c
i
, w
s o
i
p
r
r i
paddles of an oar. The combs shimmer in all l
e c
m
s s
. T
d
b
m
a
h
e
o
a
e
n a
f a
l
n o
m
l
d
h
s
i
a
b
g
s l
h
f t
i
o
t h
n
i
t
w i
h
s o
k a
r
e r
h
o
e d
n t
l
u
o
r
a
NOT EVALUATED
NOT EV ALUA TED c colours of the rainbow in the dark as light hits
a and refracts from the surface. .
c
r
e
f
a
c
e
t
e s
s f
h
a
d r
u
ro
m t
r
f
n
76
g
g
i
l
ht
i
i
L
Living light
v
n
Unagi glows blue
The Japanese
eel was the first
vertebrate found
to be fluorescent.
It glows when blue
light is shone on it.
A
OCK
T
COCKATOO SQUID
C
OO SQUID
Cockatoo squids
eachia
eachia
L L Leachia Co c kat o o sq u i d s
Clas
Clas s s C ephalopoda
Class Cephalopoda
cast no shadow
cast no shadow
ephalopoda
C
e
e
lm
a
u
in
a
l
a
ib
e
d
r
e
r
t
These incredible creatures are almost
Th
e
cr
s
s
cr
t
e
s
e
o
completely transparent, but they have opaque
s
a
a
v
c
h
e a
a
e
r p
n g
e a
h
s t
i
y t
r
y
e
n
e
t c
s
i
e
w
errit
errit
errit
orldwide
W
orldwide
Territory Worldwide e eyes that can give away their presence as
ory
T T T
ory
W
ory
t a
n
e o
c
e
a
h
h
y s
n
w
h
v
h t
r
o p
e
e
t
ro
u
. T
i
n
y
e
g
m t
Diet Fish, plankton
Diet Fish, plankton they swim through the ocean. To prevent any
Lifespan Unknown
Lifespan Unknown shadows revealing them to predators passing
a
i
n
s p
r
o p
t
o
o
s
a
e
s
g t
i
n
d
s r
e
e
s
d
w
v
e
r
h
h
a
a
l
g
m t
Adult weight Unknown
Adult weight Unknown
s
a
, t
e s
i
q
u
s c
t a b
d
h
m
b
i
e
n
u
l
e
i
o
e
e
c
o
t b
n
w
l
s
l
u
Conservation status
Conservation status below, the squids cast a bioluminescent blue
w f
o
a
e
t
e
h t
l
h
p
i
s b
r e
y
l
ro
e
n
e
s
l
glow from U-shaped cells beneath their eyes. .
g
-
m U
e
h
d c
e
s
a
e
h
i
h
r
y t
t
e
s c
e
u
t
o
t
e
d b
r
e
a
e
t
s t
m
i
n
i
a
s e
i
This eliminates the silhouettes created by their
T
l
e s
h
l
h
i
r
o
l
i
e d
t f
o
c
fi
r a
u
f
h m
a
d m
s a
n
k
t m
u
s i
e
c
y
e
DA T A DEFICIENT e eyes and makes it much more difficult for a
DATA DEFICIENT
predator to detect their exact position.
p r e d a t o r t o d e t e c t t h e i r e x a c t p o s i t i o n .
“They have opaque eyes
that can give away their
presence as they swim”
BIGFIN REEF SQUID
BIGFIN REEF SQUID
Sepioteuthis lessoniana
Sepio t euthis les soniana
Clas s C ephalopoda
Class Cephalopoda
The bigfin reef squid has special
Th
Th e b i g fi n r e e f s q u i d h a s spe c i al
e
light-bending cells
light-bending cells
The bigfin reef squid is covered in special cells to make them
T T T errit ory Indo-P acifi c r egion T h e b i g fi n r e e f s q u i d i s c o v e r e d i n s p e c i a l c e l l s t o m a k e t h e m
Territory Indo-Pacific region
errit
egion
Indo-P
acifi
c r
ory
errit
ory
.
T
and
t
t
ou
h
o
c
e
v
e
e
a
ar
s
c
n
o
hr
i
r
m
d
e
s
ad
bod
and
e
i
e
h
r
p
h
t
o
o
i
s
r
e
Diet Crustaceans, prawns, fi sh s stand out. Their heads and bodies are covered in chromatophores, ,
Diet Crustaceans, prawns, fish
Lifespan Around one year
Lifespan Around one year w h i c h a r e l i g h t - r e fl e c t i n g c e l l s g i v i n g t h e m a m e t a l l i c i r i d e s c e n t
which are light-reflecting cells giving them a metallic iridescent
Adult weight 600g
Adult weight 600g
sheen. They are also one of the only squid species to possess
Conservation status
Conservation status sheen. They are also one of the only squid species to possess © Thinkstock; Getty; FLPA; Ardea; Alamy © Thinkstock; Getty; FLPA; Ardea; Alamy
leucophores, which are the cells responsible for refl ecting the
leucophores, which are the cells responsible for reflecting the
colour of the ambient light surrounding the squid. These two types
colour of the ambient light surrounding the squid. These two types
of cells work in unison meaning the squid is able to produce a
NOT EVALUATED of cells work in unison meaning the squid is able to produce a
variety of vivid colour combinations and visually striking patterns.
variety of vivid colour combinations and visually striking patterns.
77 77 77
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Conserving the chimpanzee
3 things
you should
know about
chimpanzees
Some of the only species
known to use tools,
chimpanzees will make
sponges from chewed up
leaves to drink water with.
They are known to medicate
themselves for various
ailments by eating certain
plants for medicinal value.
Chimps are able to walk on all
fours, called knuckle-walking;
however, they are also able
to walk on two legs for more
than 1km (0.6mi).
CHIMPANZEE
Pan troglodytes
Class Mammalia
Territory Equatorial Africa
Diet Fruit, leaves, insects
Lifespan 45-50 years
Adult weight 32-60kg (70-
130lb)
Conservation status
ENDANGERED
80
CONSERVING
THE CHIMPANZEE
Our closest living relatives
have suffered rapid
population declines – and
human activity is to blame
Words Naomi Harding
There are few animals that intrigue us quite as much as
the chimpanzee, and with good reason. We share 98
per cent of our genes with these intelligent primates,
making them our closest relatives. Affectionately known
as chimps, they live in groups of several dozen individuals
in the rainforests of Africa, where the thick canopy
towers high above the dark jungle. They spend their days
grooming each other on the forest floor or swinging from
branch to branch in search of food.
Sadly, chimpanzees have been listed as ‘Endangered’
by the IUCN for almost 20 years, and no conservation
effort as yet has been successful in getting them out of
the ‘danger zone’ and restoring populations to a safe level.
In fact, the number of chimpanzees left in the wild has
declined by at least 66 per cent over the last 30 years. It
is not known exactly how many chimpanzees there are
left in the wild, but estimates range from around 170,000
to 300,000 individuals.
By spending their days picking at their favourite fruits
and meandering through the forest, chimpanzees play an
important ecological role. They are able to disperse the
seeds that are too big for other animals to eat, helping to
shape their environment and maintain biodiversity.
As is the case with almost all endangered animals, the
impact of humans is to blame. Once abundant throughout
the rainforests and wet savannahs of Africa, human
activities have meant that chimpanzees are now extinct
in four African countries following high exploitation
and habitat destruction. The remaining populations
desperately need our help.
81
Conserving the chimpanzee
Just like us
Our primate relatives share
many traits with us, from making
friends to making their bed
Chimpanzees are charismatic and highly
intelligent beings that live in a similar way to
us. Studies have shown they develop intricate
social structures and are keen to make friends,
as well as climb the social ladder to gain
positions of authority within their groups.
In the same way humans make their
beds each day (or at least they should),
chimpanzees make a fresh sleeping nest high
up in the trees every evening, constructed
out of leaves. They also show emotional
intelligence and are very caring toward
members of their community, looking after
each other’s young should they become
orphaned or abandoned. Groups will form
bonds with neighbouring groups and share
food supplies in times of adversity.
There are four subspecies split by location:
central, west African, Nigeria-Cameroon, and
eastern chimpanzees. There is little physical
difference between them, but different
communities of chimpanzee have their
own cultures and habits that they
learn from their elders and pass on
to younger generations.
With such a striking
resemblance between man and
ape, in both personality and
looks, it is incredibly sad that
the demise of our primate
cousins is mainly down to
our actions.
Mothers and
their babies have
strong bonds; the
young will suckle
for fi ve years
82
An uncertain future Saving the chimpanzee
These three organisations are leading the way for
Numerous threats mean chimpanzees face danger from all angles chimpanzee conservation
Project Primate
Deforestation is arguably the leading cause of chimpanzees in the process. As a result, these Located in Guinea, West Africa, this
population declines; trees are being felled at an chimps can suffer from debilitating wounds or organisation has founded a dedicated
alarming rate and the land is being transformed even die from infection. Chimpanzee Conservation Centre. They
for agricultural use and development. A loss of As the human population increases, so does employ a three-step approach to help
habitat means less food for chimpanzees and the need for resources. In equatorial Africa the chimpanzees they work with. First,
fewer places for shelter, leaving them vulnerable many mining sites have opened, which have chimps are rescued either as orphans of
to predators and hunters. Logging can also lead drawn large numbers of workers to the area and the bushmeat trade or survivors of the
to fragmentation – the breaking up of habitats – increased human encroachment on the chimp’s pet trade. They then undertake a lengthy
isolating individuals and splitting up social groups. habitat. As they share so much of our DNA, rehabilitation process, which can take up
The demand for bushmeat has also been chimpanzees are highly susceptible to human to ten years. For the first several years, the
increasing, with local people hunting the diseases, so being in such close proximity to chimps need lots of care and are taken
primates as a source of protein. A high demand humans is hazardous. At Jane Goodall’s research out on daily bush walks by volunteers and
for juveniles within the illegal pet trade has camp in Tanzania, many chimps have lost their integrated with other chimps. Once this
also encouraged the killing of adults in order lives to polio and the outbreak of Ebola has had is complete, Project Primate releases the
to safely capture young chimps for sale on the a devastating impact on wild populations. A rise successfully rehabilitated individuals back
black market. Poachers with their sights set on in tourism has seen an increase in the number of into the wild. Lastly, the volunteers spend
larger animals will often set snares and traps people coming into contact with chimpanzees, time educating the local communities
throughout the forests, but inadvertently catch only increasing the risk of transmitting illness. about the important role chimpanzees
play within the environment.
Once chimps have been released, the
“A loss of habitat means less food and fewer Project Primate team have very little
places for shelter, leaving them vulnerable” contact, to minimise the risk of disease
transmission and increase their chance of
survival in the long term.
The Wild Chimpanzee Foundation
To ensure the chimpanzee’s survival, it is
vital to protect their habitat. That is exactly
what the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation is
doing in West Africa. Setting up eco-patrols
to help stop illegal deforestation by farmers
ensures the chimps have the best possible
chance, and also helps to deter poachers
from unlawfully taking the chimps. In
addition, the Foundation undertakes
regular bio-monitoring checks to form
up-to-date habitat management plans.
This means it can address any problems
that arise in the chimp’s environment and
ensure the quality of the habitat.
Knowledge is power, and this group is
dedicated to monitoring population trends
and primate activity regularly.
The Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) was
founded in the US in 1977, and continues
Dr Goodall’s pioneering studies on
chimpanzee behaviour — research that
has transformed scientific perceptions
of these endangered primates. Today
JGI is a global leader in the effort
to protect chimpanzees and their
habitats, and is widely recognised for
establishing innovative community-
centred conservation and development
programmes in Africa, as well as founding
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots, a global
environmental teaching programme for
young people that has groups in more
than 130 countries. JGI UK was founded
as a charity in 1988 with a mission to
ABOVE
Much of the prevent the extinction of chimpanzees
chimpanzee’s habitat through research and community-focused
is being cleared for conservation, alongside environmental and
growing crops
humanitarian education.
83
Conserving the chimpanzee
Tackling the chimpanzee challenge chimps are one of the most ecologically, economically and culturally important species
on our planet. Chimps are integral to maintaining biodiversity in Africa.
Donald Gow is the team leader for the Budongo Conservation Field Station, one
of Africa’s leading conservation projects, run by Edinburgh Zoo
What do you do to help?
Why do you think chimpanzees are so endearing? The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is celebrating ten years as the core
Chimpanzees are our nearest cousins, sharing over 95 per cent identical funder of the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS) in Uganda. One of Africa’s
DNA. Like us, chimps have a long childhood and maternal and sibling leading conservation projects and a world-leading centre for primate research, BCFS
bonds can persist through life. There are also close parallels between is also this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. BCFS is a unique conservation
chimpanzee and human infants – their appetite for play, learning through success story, which brings together scientists from all over the world, local people
observation and imitation, their need for reassurance and attention. Chimpanzees can and a community of nearly 700 chimpanzees. The station combines cutting-edge
also display a wide range of emotions like happiness and empathy and possess an research with practical action on the ground, all underpinned by local community
almost human-like enjoyment of physical contact, laughter and community. Chimp involvement. A holistic approach, the project provides alternative livelihoods, conducts
non-verbal communication – hugging, patting, touching and aggressive behaviour – forest edge planting research and works with local schools. And it remains to this day
also appear in similar contexts to which they are seen in humans. one of the very few places in the world where wild chimpanzees are observed at close
quarters in the wild.
What are the major threats they face?
Threats differ from country to country, but one of the main threats is bushmeat Do you think they can be saved for the future?
snares, set for smaller forest animals, accidentally injuring and harming chimps. The Conservation work can be an uphill struggle and the odds can seem overwhelmingly
species is also specifically targeted by poachers in some countries for the bushmeat stacked against a species. However, there are many dedicated people and
trade. Habitat loss, encroachment and forest fragmentation are significant threats to organisations who are wholly committed to changing that. RZSS is one of those
chimpanzees as there are ever-increasing demands for land from the rapidly growing organisations and, whether it be through our ex-situ work with our chimp group
human populations – Africa currently has one of the highest human growth rates in at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and our close cooperation with zoo colleagues throughout
the world. The pet trade, which involves the capture of infants and usually results in Europe, or in-situ work with chimps in Africa, we have the opportunity to really make a
the death of their mothers and other group members, is also a threat, as are infectious difference for this species. In the face of so many challenges there are success stories
diseases being spread from human to chimp populations – for example, Ebola is the too, such as the formation of protected national parks, rehabilitation and release
main issue in some areas currently. programs and the halting of hunting in particular areas.
If chimpanzees were to become extinct, what would be the ecological impacts? How can ordinary people get involved?
Staggeringly, only 15 years ago, two million chimps lived in the forests of 25 separate RZSS is a conservation charity and receives no government funding. Instead we rely
African countries; today only five countries have significant populations and chimps on money generated through our two visitor attractions – RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and
have totally disappeared from some countries. The total number of chimpanzees in RZSS Highland Wildlife Park – combined with fundraising activities, in order to connect
the wild is most recently estimated to be between 172,700 and 299,700; however there people to nature and safeguard species from extinction. Our achievements, including © Nature PL; Alamy; Donald Gow
is a lack of survey data in many regions. There are four subspecies and a wide range our work with chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest, are down to the generosity of
of behavioural differences exist between groups from different regions, so the loss of supporters just like you. Please consider a donation towards protecting endangered
any one group represents a loss of cultural and biological heritage. A priority species, species and their habitats by visiting www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/support-us.
84
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From the makers of TM
ers of
om the mak
In this collection of the year’s best content of World Of Animals,
In this collection of the year’s best content of World Of Animals,
discover the most amazing creatures, from the magic of
discover the most amazing creatures, from the magic of
ies to animal magnetism, from the myths about
dragon ies to animal magnetism, from the myths about
dragon
elephants t
elephants to the animal world’s pickiest eaters.
elephants to the animal world’s pickiest eaters.
ers
elephants t o the animal w or ld ’ ’ s pick iest eat ers . .
iest eat
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Also available…
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A world of content at your ngertips
Whether you love gaming, history,
animals, photography, Photoshop,
sci- or anything in between, every
magazine and bookazine from
Imagine Publishing is packed with
expert advice and fascinating facts.
BUY YOUR COPY TODAY
Print edition available at www.imagineshop.co.uk
Digital edition available at www.greatdigitalmags.com
Endangered
Atlantic bluefin tuna
The bluefin tuna was once the king of the seas.
ATLANTIC BLUEFIN
TUNA Living in large shoals and hunting together, Atlantic
Thunnus thynnus
Class Actinopterygii bluefin are long-lived and highly migratory fish
that can be found throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
Their only crime is that, to sushi eaters, they taste
Territory Atlantic Ocean, delicious. Before the 1960s, bluefin tuna was only
Arctic Ocean,
Mediterranean Sea fished in small quantities; however, demand rose
Diet Fish and invertebrates
Lifespan 15 years as the fish became a Japanese delicacy and was
Adult weight 250kg (550lb)
Conservation status soon targeted heavily by commercial fisheries.
Now it is on the brink of extinction, having been
ENDANGERED unsustainably fished for so long.
The causes
of extinction
Overfi shing
Over the past few decades, numbers of bluefin tuna
have declined due to commercial and also unregulated
fishing. Illegal fishing of this animal means that no data
is kept or analysed, and often even regulated fishery
numbers are misinterpreted, making it incredibly difficult
to gain the state of bluefin in the wild.
Habitat degradation
Key habitats such as spawning grounds are crucial to
species survival. When these fragile locations are hit by
pollution and mismanagement, such as the oil spill from
Deepwater Horizon in 2010, it can have huge knock-on
effects for tuna survival.
Taking young fish
It’s not just taking an excess of fish that is an issue; it’s Tuna statistics
removing the fish that are too young to have had a
chance to reproduce. Bluefin develop slowly, not reaching
sexual maturity until five to eight years of age. When
juvenile fish are removed from the water, the species has
no hope of recovery.
A single bluefin 80 per cent of the Bluefin fi shing It’s not all bad:
What you can do… tuna was sold world’s bluefin tuna was banned in the bluefi n spawning
in Tokyo for
is eaten in Japan,
stock in the
Gulf of Mexico in
WWW.WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG/TUNA £1.09 million where it is known 1982, but fisheries Mediterranean has
To help save the bluefin, be vigilant about what tuna you eat. Always ask ($2 million) in as ‘hon-maguro’ or still net tuna nearly doubled
restaurants and fishmongers where they get their fish, and boycott bluefin
sourced from the Mediterranean. Find out more at the link above. January 2013 ‘kuro-maguro’ as bycatch since the 1950s
86
Atlantic bluefi n tuna
Bluefin in the wild
Two stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna are present – the east and west populations – although much of their
range overlaps in the central Atlantic Ocean. This map highlights their range, and their declining numbers.
East/west range overlap Eastern population
Gulf of Mexico
spawning area
W es t ern popula tion
Western population
It is estimated
that for every
50 bluefin Mediterranean Sea
swimming in the spawning area
Atlantic Ocean in
1940 there was Experts approximate a 72 per cent
just one in 2010 decline in the western Atlantic
bluefin tuna population and a 46
per cent decline in the eastern stock
What’s being done?
Alongside educating people about the tuna they
eat, wildlife charities and trusts are working
with fishermen to manage tuna catches
The key management measures being
put in place to protect the Atlantic bluefin
involve setting sustainable fishing limits
and developing harvest control rules for
all main fishing stocks. At the moment, the
purse-seine net method of fishing is a major
issue; fisheries, particularly those in the
Mediterranean, use circular nets that encircle
Why save the a shoal of fish, and then pull the bottom of
bluefin tuna? the net together to trap them. This catches a
huge amount of fish, and although quotas are
set, until the fish are landed and counted, the
Bluefin tuna are warm-blooded,
and able to regulate their body quantity that has been caught is unknown.
temperature – this is very Bluefin tuna are now so valuable that illegal,
unusual for a fish. The bluefin is unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is
as comfortable in the icy waters rife, and it’s thought that fisheries will oen
of Iceland as in the warm waters sell on their excess catch and not declare it, or
of its tropical spawning grounds. simply not declare their catch at all, rendering
the whole process of setting quotas useless.
These ocean beasts can grow to Groups such as Pew Charitable Trusts and
a whopping two metres (6.6 feet) the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are devoted to
in length, and can live for up to 40 saving the bluefin tuna and are working with
years. The species grows slowly, fishermen and other tuna consumers to bring
and gets to such a large size by this fish back from the brink. Their aim is to
hunting other fish, crustaceans and reduce the amount of tuna taken from the sea,
eels voraciously, as well as feeding put limits on the size of fish that is removed
on smaller oceanic offerings such and to work with fisheries to find different and
as plankton. more sustainable methods of catching bluefin.
The bodies of bluefin tuna are
incredibly streamlined, and these “Bluefi n tuna are
fish are built for speed. They now so valuable
can even retract their fins to
reduce drag, and are capable
of reaching speeds of up to 70 that illegal
kilometres (43 miles) per hour as fishing is rife” © Nature PL
they dart through the water.
87
Animal
answers
Send your animal questions to us at: Sea lions can walk on
land using their long
front and rear flippers
[email protected]
There are several key
differences between
seals and sea lions
Seal
Hind
fl ippers
Claws/front
fl ippers
Sea lion
Ear fl ap
Hind
fl ippers
Front
fl ippers
What is the difference between seals and sea lions?
Seals and sea lions are members of a group of between the two families is their ears. True seals have their short arms and inflexible tails make them clumsy
mammals known as pinnipeds. There are three families no external ears, just one tiny hole on each side of their out of the water, but beneath the waves they move
within the group: true seals, eared seals and walruses. heads, while eared seals have small ear flaps. gracefully, using their front limbs to steer. Eared seals
True seals include species like the grey, spotted, However, there is a simpler way to tell seals and sea have longer front limbs, and can curl their back flippers
elephant and monk seals, while eared seals are not lions apart; they have completely different body shapes underneath their bodies. They use their front fins to pull
really seals at all, and include sea lions and fur seals. and ways of moving. True seals are much better adapted themselves through the water, and on land, they can
As the name suggests, one of the main differences for swimming than they are for moving around on land; walk on their limbs quite effectively.
Do all animals Snakes cannot blink –
each eye is protected
by a clear scale
have eyelids?
For humans, eyelids are crucial for keeping our eyeballs
clean and moist, but many animals have different solutions.
In the water, eyelids are not always necessary. Fish eyes
are constantly being moistened by their environment, so Insect eyes are made from
they don’t need eyelids. Aquatic mammals like dolphins and layers of cells, and do not
whales can blink, but they do so much less often than us. need to be kept moist
Back on land, reptiles often lack eyelids too. A snake’s
eyes are each covered with a thin, transparent scale,
connected directly to the rest of the skin. These scales are
fixed into position, keeping the eye safe but preventing any
blinking. Some geckos are also unable to blink, and use
their tongues to keep their eyes clear of debris.
Insects have compound eyes that are completely
© Thinkstock; Dreamstime Follow us at... @WorldAnimalsMag worldofanimalsmag
different to our own, and do not need to be kept wet to
function properly, so they have no need for eyelids at all.
88 88
Animal answers
Which birds are flightless bird is the ostrich,
The largest and fastest
unable to fly? which lives in Africa
There are a surprising number of flightless birds living
today, and even more than that have been lost to extinction.
Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have cassowaries, with
razor sharp claws and distinctive ‘casques’ on their heads,
and the Galapagos Islands are home to the only species
of cormorant that cannot fly. In Australia there are emus,
in South America there are rheas and in Africa there are
ostriches, the largest birds on the planet.
New Zealand is home to more flightless birds than any
other country, with 16 living species, including kiwis and a
type of flightless parrot called a kakapo. Then, of course,
there are the penguins, which are found along coastlines
across the Southern Hemisphere.
Do animals ever help each other?
Survival in the wild is tough, but many species have found that things are
easier when they work together, known to scientists as ‘biological altruism’.
This most o en happens among animals of the same species. For example,
if a herd of prey animals are eating and one individual spots danger, they
o en alert the rest of the group, risking drawing attention to themselves
in order to save the others. However, there are examples of animals aiding
one another in a completely different way, and some of the most widely
observed animal helpers are dolphins.
Reports of dolphins helping sailors date back to ancient times, and more
recently, there have been many occasions where dolphins have come to the
rescue when other animals are in trouble. They have been reported guiding
stranded whales back out to sea, nudging injured companions towards the
surface for air, and even protecting human divers from circling sharks.
Pinhole eyes are like
a primitive version
of our own eyes
Which animal has the to help other animals,
Dolphins are known
largest number of eyes? including humans
Spiders might seem like good contenders great for building up detailed pictures
for the title of ‘most eyes in the animal of the environment, but they can rapidly
kingdom’, but even with an impressive detect changes in light and shadow,
eight, they don’t come close to the record perfect for detecting movement nearby.
holders. If you’re looking for animals with Giant clams need this ability because
lots of eyes, the best place to search is they have colonies of photosynthesising
under the sea. algae living in their bodies. The clams
Nautiluses and giant clams have eyes open up to expose this algae to the light,
like pinhole cameras; rather than having allowing it to grow, but if something
a lens, they simply have a hole. This hole dangerous swims overhead, they need to Q.How can you tell
functions a little like a pupil, allowing the snap shut for protection. To do this, they
animals to vary how much light enters have not one or two, but thousands of giraffe species apart?
the eye. These primitive eyes are not tiny eyes lining each side of their mantle.
Find out at…
animalanswers.co.uk
Wildlife photography
All-weather wildlife
photography
Discover how to keep shooting in all conditions and get the best
wildlife photos you’ve ever taken
Shooting in dramatic
weather conditions
can lead to even more
Rainy day shooting dynamic shots
Capture atmospheric mist
Deal with bright sunlight
Essential kit to
help you shoot
in any weather
Rain cover
If you’re o en out on wet days, a weather-
sealed camera will be useful. A rain cover is a
must, though, to further protect your kit.
Warm clothing
In cold weather, layer up with a hat and a warm
jacket. Fingerless gloves will enable you to
easily operate your camera.
Spare batteries
In the cold, you need to keep your battery
warm or it drains quickly. In between shoots,
take batteries out and store them close to you.
It can be tempting to only go out on a photo shoot when
the weather is just right, but you may be missing out on
some fantastic image opportunities. We will show you
how to shoot on a bright, sunny day and get the best
results, but there are also ways to get lovely shots in the
rain or snow too, so there’s no need to avoid these times.
Incorporating the raindrops into your photo can add an
extra dimension, and mist can add a fantastic sense of Lens hood
atmosphere. Find out how to avoid dull captures while A lens hood will help stop the light hitting the
keeping your kit safe with the following tips and tricks for side of your lens on bright days. Without one
you could get flare and a lack of contrast.
shooting, whatever the weather.
90 90
Wildlife photography
Tip 1
Let it snow
Avoid dull, grey shots with this top advice
Snow is actually a very useful tool for wildlife
photography, as it helps you easily track
With the wrong white
animal footprints. It can also leave you with ✗ balance, this shot has
really captivating animal imagery, especially an unpleasant blue hue,
when combining the cool white tones with the and the snow is duller
warm glow of sunrise and sunset. than it is in real life
The difficulty of shooting in the snow,
however, is that shots can often appear murky,
or the whites can take on a blue colour cast.
Experiment with your white balance presets,
but you’ll likely need Cloudy or Shade to warm
up the tones. If you shoot in RAW you can
always go and tweak the colour temperature
later too. To stop the whites appearing grey,
check out ‘Get the right exposure’ below.
Protect your kit
Get the right exposure Be sure to acclimatise your
kit to warm temperatures
Learn how to overexpose snowy shots to make whites true to their colour again when you come
inside by placing it in a
ziplock bag for an hour,
otherwise condensation can
build up.
Use a semi-manual mode Compensate Spot meter
Set your camera to Aperture Priority (A or The brightness of snow can lead to the You can tell your camera to expose for the
Av) with a wide aperture (low f number) to wrong exposure, so use positive exposure animal and not the snow; use spot metering With the correct
create a nice blurry background. compensation of around +1 or +2EV. and place your focus point over the animal. white balance, the
colours are much
more true to life
91 91
Wildlife photography
Tip 2 If you are out in wet weather,
keep a lens cloth to hand to
Embrace the rain rain from the front of your lens
regularly wipe off any spots of
Make the most of rainy days and get even better results
Rainy day shots can actually look very To capture the rain in the shot, look for a
effective, and you’ll often capture different dark background for it to show up well against
animal behaviour during these times too. Keep and use a shutter speed of around 1/60sec for Give it a boost
yourself (and your kit) sheltered, though, by it to appear as blurry streaks across the image. If your colours have
using a hide, shooting from your car or even You’ll only be able to do this if the animal is still come out a little
just using an umbrella. though, otherwise they’ll be blurry too. dull on a rainy day
The light will be low when it’s raining, so Think about how much of the sky you want shoot, try boosting
raise your ISO to help the sensor be more to include in the shot, depending on how grey the saturation slightly
sensitive to the light, if need be. Alternatively, and cloudy it is. If it’s just one unattractive in an app or editing
wait for breaks in the cloud, when you can block of grey then you might want to crop in programme like
often get beautiful pools of light streaming into closer to the wildlife or compose so there is Adobe Photoshop.
your images. less sky in the shot.
Tip 3
To improve its stability, avoid
extending the centre column of
your tripod on a windy day Shoot in
strong wind
Avoid blurry shots caused by camera
shake with these tripod tricks
It’s not just the movement of your hands that
can blur your shots; wind can cause problems
too. When you’re using a tripod, wind can cause
vibrations that result in a loss of sharpness in the
image. When setting up the tripod, keep it as low
as possible. Extend the legs before the centre
column and hang a bag or another heavy item
from the hook in the middle to keep it sturdy.
Also, be sure to set up on solid ground if you can.
92
Wildlife photography
Meter for the background to
Tip 4 creating a dramatic, misty shot
make the animal a silhouette,
Misty marvels
Capture atmosphere by incorporating
misty weather into your photographs
Mist can really help to add a sense of
atmosphere to your animal images but it
can only be found when the air currents
and temperature are just right. Head out
late evening or early morning when the
temperature differences between night and
day are most extreme, and look for areas with
a body of water. The direction of light is key,
and shots look best when backlit. Position
yourself with the animal in between you and
the sun so beams of light shine through.
Bright days allow you to
freeze the action with really
Tip 5 fast shutter speeds
Work with
glaring sunlight
Embrace the Sun or block it out to
get great results on bright days
Sunny days are useful for wildlife
photography, as they allow you to
use faster shutter speeds to help
freeze the action. Near the middle
of the day you may even be able to
push your shutter up to speeds of
1/1500sec allowing you to capture
very rapid movements. However, you
may need to use spot metering to
tell your camera to meter from the
animal rather than include the bright
background in its reading.
Strong sunlight can cause harsh
shadows, however, so to deal with this
you may wish to move into a shaded
area for more even lighting. If you are
shooting macro subjects like insects,
use a diffuser to soften the look, or
even position yourself so your body
acts as a shield from the Sun. @ Thinkstock
93
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World of Animals magazine!
Hurry up!
Charles Kinsey
“This photo was taken in Svalbard. When we arrived at this particular ord,
there were a number of polar bears hanging around waiting for the tide Scooter blennies
to go out so that they could feed on an old whale carcass which was only Cat Neal
accessible at low tide. This photo was taken from a Zodiac.” “I am lucky enough to have my own little reef at home and this is where
my scooter blennies live. They are amazing at blending in to the reef!”
94
Your animals
Malayan horned frog
Sami Asad
“This grumpy-looking frog
comes with some of the best
dead leaf camouflage about!
The edges of the eyes and nose
are shaped like the tips of dead leaves and
protrusions on the back give the illusion of
fungus growing on the leaf!”
Face off
Charlie Debenham
“I was in Ecuador observing some
Galapagos tortoises when these
two started fighting. I caught this picture as
they were facing off with each other!”
95
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Editor in Chief Dave Harfield
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PLUS Peter Scott
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© Imagine Publishing Ltd 2015 ISSN 2053-7727
© Thinkstock WILDLIFE OF THE ALL ABOUT THE MEET THE
SWISS ALPS
CRAB FAMILY
ATLANTIC PUFFIN
96
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Animal trivia
Test your animal knowledge
1. HAVE YOU GOAT IT? 3. HARPING ON
How many breeds of domestic goat are Can you identify the seal?
there in the world?
a. Over 50 b. Over 100
c. Over 200 d. Over 300 a. b.
2. FINE FEATHERS 4. OUT OF AFRICA
Can you tell which crane is the tallest, smallest, How many countries does the tropical African
rarest and has the longest migration? rainforest habitat span?
a. 6 b. 5
c. 7 d. 4
a. b.
Whooping Demoiselle 5. AMAZING ARTHROPOD
Golden tortoise beetles are able to change what?
a. Their sex b. Their shell
c. d.
Siberian Sarus c. Their colour d. Their wings
6. CAN YOU ‘EAR THAT?
Match the animal to its hearing ability
a. b. c. d. e.
“My hearing “The large surface “I use
“My precision sets range is four area of my ears helps “My ears are echolocation to
my hearing apart” times better than regulate my body just decorative” find my prey”
a human’s” temperature”
Long-eared owl Dolphin Dog Fennec fox Green violetear
98 owl b) Dog c) Fennec fox d) Green violetear e) Dolphin Answers 1. d) Over 300 2. a) Rarest b) Smallest c) Longest migration d) Tallest 3. a) Grey seal b) Harp seal 4. a) 6 5. c) Their colour 6. a) Long-eared
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The perfect companion for anyone with a love of wildlife - World of Animals is the only magazine to offer a
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With breathtaking photography, captivating stories and stunning illustrations, each issue allows readers to
journey to all corners of the globe to discover the habitats, behaviours and extraordinary secrets of our
favourite animals.
A journey into nature like no other, World Of Animals allows its audience to learn the secrets to Earth’s weird and wonderful wildlife, offering a rich and wholesome educational experience. With spectacular photos,
stunning diagrams and captivating features, World Of Animals provides a rare opportunity for people of all
ages to enjoy their favourite creatures in a whole new way. It’s a brand that connects with audiences across
the world and across media as a celebration of one of the most enduring and beloved topics.
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