Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i BBC Wildlife Magazine

Is there any creature quite so curious as the hippopotamus? They’re so familiar from cartoons, children’s games, even programme breaks on the BBC, and yet how much do we really know about them even if we have been lucky enough to see one in the wild, if not in a zoo? Until the copy for our article on p44 arrived, I had no idea that the models for the blimp-like ballerinas in Fantasia and inspiration for the famous Flanders and Swann mud-wallowing song were so important to maintaining a healthy ecosystem in their native habitat. I also wasn’t aware that they had a reputation for being the most dangerous animal on the continent which, I’m glad to say, turns out to be unjustified. Now that I know more about them,…

WHERE Creebridge, Dumfries & Galloway, DG8 6AJ DARK SKY RANGER Matthew McFadzean WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT It is Britain’s largest forest park, created in 1947 and covering 777km2 , and it was the first Dark Sky Park in the UK, where full views of the heavens can be had without the interference of man-made light or environmental pollution. It is a great place to see shooting stars and to observe the evening behaviour of nightjars, barn owls and tawny owls. WHAT YOU CAN SEE Apart from smaller mammals, there is a red deer range in the park where you can get close views of the animals from a hide and learn all about them from the rangers. Nearby there’s a chance of seeing the ancient breed of British primitive goats…

A peacock’s display is not only about colour – it is about sound and motion too. And a collaborative study between biologists and physicists suggests that the birds’ famous train feathers are built to move so as to accentuate the colours. The team used high-speed video to analyse the motion of the rattling train. “The feathers move as standing waves, like the strings of a guitar,” said Roslyn Dakin of Canada’s University of British Columbia, who led the research. Their calculations revealed that the feathers are vibrated in such a way as to create maximum movement for minimal energy expenditure, depending on their length, weight and thickness. What’s more, while the feathers are vibrating back and forth, the eyespots remain almost stationary. That’s because the feather barbs in the eyespots…

FICTION! Adder bites are a big danger in the countryside. Contrary to media hype, adder bites are incredibly rare – no one in the UK has died from one for 40 years, and there were just 14 UK fatalities in 1876–1975. FACT! If you are unlucky enough to be bitten, seek medical help. Though seldom fatal, adder bites can have nasty e ects, including swelling, drowsiness, vomiting and diarrhoea, so you should always see a doctor straightaway. FICTION! Adders are aggressive. These are very timid snakes that bite only in self-defence during attempted capture or handling or if actually stepped on. A Scottish National Heritage survey found that over 50 per cent of adder bites were to the hand, compared with 38 per cent to the feet. FACT! Respect these…

THE ISLE OF WIGHT RED SQUIRREL TRUST Ryde, not just the gateway to the island but to seeing red squirrels as well Visiting Ryde this summer holiday with the kids? Why not get them outside and help us save the red squirrels. Free guided walks taking place July to end of September, are advertised on the website below. This year we are focusing on Ryde but need lots of beady eyes to let us know of any red squirrel sightings anywhere on the Isle of Wight whether they be alive or dead. Report sightings online at: www.wightsquirrels.co.uk. Project funded by Ryde Town Council. Charity No: 1112374 www.iowredsquirreltrust.co.uk wightsquirrels@hotmail.com WILDWOOD What better way to engage children and adults alike in the wonders of the natural world on our doorstep, than a…

For the first time in 12 years Marwell Zoo in Hampshire is celebrating the birth of Amur tiger cubs. Guests can watch the adorable triplets find their feet as they emerge from their den during the summer holiday. A ‘zeal’ of 150 Marwell’s Zany Zebras will also gallop through the streets of Southampton for 10 weeks from 16 July creating a fun, family friendly sculpture trail for all to enjoy. A miniature replica trail will be hosted at Marwell Zoo to find out fun facts about the Grevy’s zebra, and support Marwell Wildlife’s conservation in Northern Kenya. While at the zoo, experience the African Wilderness first hand at their newest and biggest ever exhibit – Wild Explorers! Home to white rhino, Grevy’s zebra and scimitar-horned oryx. You’ll enjoy a cracking…

Experience the North West’s wildest day out with a trip to family favourite, Knowsley Safari. You can kick start your day with a tour of the 550 acre Safari Drive and get acquainted with over 700 wild animals, from baboons to camels, wildebeest to tigers, all from the comfort of your own car. The drive-through lion enclosure is a real highlight of the safari drive although for many visitors the baboons are the stars of the show. Whether up close, on the Baboon Bus or by taking the car friendly route, you’ll get a great view of the monkey madness; the boisterous baboons that have become Knowsley’s trademark. An all-day destination, the fun doesn’t end with the Safari Drive, on the Walkaround Area you can take a walk on the…

The Shingle Street Biodiversity Survey came about because our part of Suffolk is threatened by coastal erosion, and there were various meetings about what we could do to protect our properties. At one of these meetings I said. "Your houses aren't worth a row of beans, but if we were to do a wildlife survey, you'd find it was incredibly rich:' So everyone else said, "0K. you do it:' I raised £12,000 from charities and grant-giving bodies. I'm a lifelong naturalist and have plenty of contacts. so I hired an ecologist to do much of the work. Some of the money also went on traps for small mammals and resources for training. I wanted to get residents involved. so I set up local survey teams - I got 15 people…

1 CORKWING WRASSE The male has flashy breeding colours and builds a large nest from carefully selected pieces of seaweed. Some nests are so shallow that they are exposed at low tide. 2 BLACK-FACED BLENNY When he is actively courting, the male’s yellow becomes especially vibrant. But outside the breeding season he has cryptic coloration similar to the female’s (visible at bottom right). 3 TOPKNOT This is an unusual flatfish in that it lives among rocks rather than in open sandy areas. Able to enter narrow crevices, the species may be a significant predator of young fish such as blennies. 4 LONG-SPINED SEA SCORPION To help it ambush prey, this member of the sculpin family matches the colour of its surroundings, which can include bright pink and orange among encrusting…

What was the most challenging shoot? Filming glowworms in the forests of Fiordland, South Island. They are very light-shy, so we had to set up in pitch blackness. It was also a real technical challenge – it’s easy to see the worms phosphoresce with the human eye, but such weak light is hard to capture on camera. Added to that, all of the equipment had to be ferried through virgin forest, with the wild, wet weather frequently stopping play. Which species was the most interesting to film? The kiwi. Males are incredibly dutiful parents – the one we filmed never let his chick out of beak range. I had no idea that a kiwi’s specialised bill could serve as a toddler’s reins. How did you film the hatching tuataras? Tuataras…

Animal Park TV BBC One Due to air in July. See RT for details It’s 50 years since the 6th Marquess of Bath decided to allow the public to motor through fields of lions at his Longleat home, turning the estate into the UK’s first drive-through safari park. To celebrate, the BBC is making the 10th series of Animal Park , which goes behind the scenes at this famous British attraction. Presented by Kate Humble and Ben Fogle, the five episodes will reflect on the history of Longleat as well as what’s going on today, with a new generation of keepers looking after more than 1,000 animals.…

OUR EXPERTS JULES HOWARD is a zoologist and author, and a patron of the charity Froglife. RICHARD JONES is a writer and entomologist with a fondness for dung beetles. STUART BLACKMAN is a science writer who is mildly obsessed with evolution. PHIL GATES is a naturalist who has been writing for BBC Wildlife Magazine since 1987. BEN GARROD is an evolutionary biologist who specialises in both primates and skeletons. MIKE TOMS is an author and associate director at the British Trust for Ornithology. CONSERVATION Q What are Judas animals? A Judas animals are invasive species that, like the infamous apostle, betray their own kind. Their reward, however, is not 30 pieces of silver but the safeguarding of native biodiversity. The procedure is simple: the Judas animal is caught, radio-tagged and…

What does the charity do? We work to save red squirrels from extinction in south Cumbria by controlling invasive greys. They are outcompeting our native reds for food and habitat, and spread the lethal squirrelpox virus. How do your volunteers help? Until a non-lethal way of controlling grey squirrels is devised, much of our work focuses on trapping and shooting. Our volunteers also manage our website and social-media accounts, file records, write blogs and newsletters, and raise funds. One member even designs knitting patterns that we sell online. Which months are you busiest? Trapping takes place between January and July, but we need help monitoring both reds and greys year-round. In winter volunteers also make feeders and give talks; in summer they attend shows. Do volunteers need to have any…

WE HAD TO ACT QUICKLY. THE ANIMAL COULD EASILY BECOME STRANDED THERE BECAUSE THE TIDE WAS DROPPING RAPIDLY. WHO? HANNAH JONES lives in Penzance in Cornwall, and with her husband Duncan runs Marine Discovery, a company that specialises in wildlife-watching sailing trips. WHAT? A MYSTERY MARINE MAMMAL WHERE? PENZANCE, CORNWALL HANNAH REGULARLY SPOTS MAMMALS OFF THE CORNISH COAST, BUT NEVER ONE LIKE THIS SO FAR FROM HOME. During a season we tend to record harbour porpoises, common dolphins and the odd minke whale. We sometimes get more unusual sightings, such as a dwarf sperm whale in 2011, a sei whale in 2014 and – since last summer – an increasing number of humpbacks. Bowheads, however, do not feature on the ‘Possible Cornish Sightings’ poster on our office wall, or even…

MARK ELBROCH Mark is a natural-history author and scientist for Panthera, which conserves the world’s wild cats. He says, “Promoting peace among ranchers and pumas in Patagonia is a cause worthy of a lifetime ” See p20 RICHARD FORTEY Richard is a palaeontologist who worked at the Natural History Museum for 30 years. “The purchase of a Chiltern beech wood allowed me to free my hidden naturalist ” he says. See p30 HANNAH JONES Hannah runs a marine wildlife-watching firm in Penzance, Cornwall. She says, “Spotting a bowhead whale at our local beach definitely won the award for most unexpected sighting ever” See p114 GET YOUR DIGITAL COPY Buy a digital edition of BBC Wildlife Magazine for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, PC or Mac. Visit iTunes, the Google Play store,…

“CUTTLEFISH CAN ADJUST THE VOLUME OF FLUID AND GAS IN THEIR SHELL” 18 CUTTLEFISH BONE As Apple’s Steve Jobs once said, “Simple can be harder than complex”, but honing purity of form out of inherent complexity is something nature does exceptionally well. The first cuttlefish bone I saw was in a cage where it served as a calcium supplement for a bored budgie. Nothing about its pristine simplicity or dry, soft-sheen texture called to mind the colour-shifting bullet of tentacled flesh that is a cuttlefish. Cuttlefish are cephalopod molluscs, like octopuses and squid, but unlike them have a shell – an internal one. There’s another surprise when you pick up a cuttlefish bone. It looks solid yet it’s airily light thanks to a structure that comprises thousands of chambers separated…

There are two reasons why a male nursery web spider shouldn’t court a female empty-handed. If he fails to present a silk-wrapped fly, he will be rejected outright; and, according to new research, he won’t have anything to defend himself with if she tries to eat him. Female nursery webs rarely attack suitors. But when they do, the male loses everything. Unlike other cannibalistic spiders, such as black widows, females attack before mating not after it. The male doesn’t even get the consolation that his body will nourish a female bearing his offspring. Happily, the male can use the offering as a handy shield to ward off the female’s fangs if she does attack. “The male holds it in his jaws, keeping it between himself and the female,” said Søren…

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION After a disturbance, such as a wildfire, a roadcutting or volcanic eruption, plants and animals recolonise in a fairly predictable sequence as each arrival modifies the habitat, making it suitable for others. A fresh lava flow, for example, may first be colonised by encrusting plants, which create a topsoil that can support herbs and grasses, then shrubs and woodland. The result is a stable ‘climax community’ such as oak woodland – stable, that is, until the next disturbance.…

FOXED FOX SQUIRRELS Fox squirrels express frustration with their tails, according to the Journal of Comparative Psychology. When squirrels that have learned to open boxes to obtain nuts find a box is locked, they give a characteristic tail-flick before exploring other methods of entry. TWISTED INSEMINATION Wingless female strepsipterans, or twisted-winged parasites, live in the bodies of other insects, leaving just their heads protruding from their host. That might make mating with the free-flying males di cult, but an article in Scientific Reports reveals that a male inserts his penis into the female’s neck, injecting sperm directly into her body cavity. SNEAKY SEBA’S Male Seba’s short-tailed bats without a harem can salvage some reproductive success by nipping in to copulate with females behind dominant males’ backs. Research in the Journal…

• When defecating, hippos switch their tails back and forth, scattering their droppings like a muck-spreader. The resulting slapping noise echoes downstream and helps proclaim territory. • Hippos, along with other megafauna such as lions and elephants, would have been a common sight in prehistoric Britain – their remains have been found underneath Trafalgar Square. • Male hippos weigh 1,600–3,200kg, and females 650–2,350kg. Despite their size they eat just 1–1.5 per cent of their body weight every day. • Hippos sink in water. They run along the river bottom instead of swimming. • The international ban on trade in elephant ivory led to an increase of 530 per cent in the annual export of hippo teeth within two years. The animal’s canines measure upwards of 50cm in length. • A…

Located in the beautiful seaside town of North Berwick, only 30 minutes from Edinburgh, the Scottish Seabird Centre is privileged to have the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets on the Bass Rock and the biggest puffin colony on the east coast of Britain on the Isle of May, right on its doorstep. In the Discovery Centre, control the interactive live cameras located on the local islands to zoom in on the amazing wildlife without any disturbance. There’s different wildlife to see throughout the seasons and at different stages of the breeding season. See puffins from April to late July, seal pups being born over the winter and gannets from February to October, with chicks then gugas on screen from early summer. Little ones can also enjoy the soft play;…

Join Gilbert White & The Oates Collections as we discover nature this summer. Our Family activities include a wide range of activities from wildlife themed arts and crafts days, to butterfly hunts in our wild meadow, pond dipping in the naturalist pond, finding out about Bats or building bird boxes. All our activities are great value for money and are the perfect way for families to explore the great outdoors together. The Museum and home of naturalist Gilbert White and two explorers of the natural world is a great place to explore yourself with plenty to do and see for all ages. All the information about the Museum and events are on our website... www.gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk  info@gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk 01420 511275…

The deaths of three snow leopards - a mother and her two cubs - in a poacher’s snare have highlighted the threats to the Asian big cat. The animals were caught and died in snares in the Altai Nature Reserve in southern Russia, close to the border with Mongolia. Dr Charudutt Mishra, of the Snow Leopard Trust, said that the illegal killing of snow leopards was not new but other threats were growing. "Snow leopard landscapes were once considered remote, but now we are dealing with developments such as mining, roads and railroads,” he said. “And these new threats - including the impact of climate change - are coming when the old ones haven’t gone away.”…

“WITHOUT VULTURES TO DISPOSE OF CARCASSES, DISEASE RAN RAMPANT” FACT FILE EURASIAN GRIFFON GYPS FULVUS HABITAT Expansive open areas in a wide array of environments, from mountains to semi-desert, at altitudes from sea level to 3,000m DIET Almost exclusively carrion – mainly large mammal carcasses THREATS Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and collisions with the blades of wind turbines IUCN RED LIST STATUS LEAST CONCERN During the 1990s three species of vulture – Indian, Asian white-backed and slender-billed – were virtually wiped out from the Indian subcontinent. The culprit was the veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac: vultures that fed on the carcasses of treated livestock died of kidney failure. This had a catastrophic effect on ecosystems. Without vultures to dispose of livestock carcasses, disease ran rampant, including rabies. In 2013 Spain, which…

• Many birds on New Zealand, from the wrybill to the rifleman, kea and blue duck, live nowhere else. Of its flightless land birds, the weka can be easily seen across North and South Islands, while the other 10 species are mostly confined to reserves or small o shore islands. New Zealand is also famous for its penguins and albatrosses. • Two stunning o shore islands to visit are Tiritiri Matangi (which hosts 12 endemic birds, including the takah – and little spotted kiwi) and Stewart Island (home to the brown kiwi, or tokoeka). • Tour operators include UK companies Travelling Naturalist (01305 267994, www.naturalist.co.uk/tours/new-zealand-naturalhistory) and Naturetrek (01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk), local firm Wrybill Birding Tours (www.wrybill-tours.com) and South Africa’s Rockjumper (www.rockjumperbirding.com). See www.birdingnz.co.nz/birding-operators for other New Zealand companies.…

“TO BE ABLE TO DIGEST GRASS I CREATED AN ARTIFICIAL RUMEN” Where did you get the idea? I was stressed out about aspects of my own life while sitting with my niece’s dog. The animal was totally happy in the moment with no concerns. I thought: “You’re so lucky! I wish I could be you for a bit.” I went to visit a shaman and she told me I should try to become a goat. An arts award gave me the opportunity to do so. How did you make the transformation? I approached the project from various angles. To change my soul I tried a shamanic journey to meet my ‘power animal’. For my brain I visited a neuroscientist who switched off my ability to speak using transcranial magnetic stimulation.…

If ever proof were needed that spiders can be beautiful, then this is surely it. The pelages of many tarantulas sparkle iridescent blue when viewed in the right light, but none come close to this beauty. The Gooty tarantula Poecilotheria metallica is named after the town in Andhra Pradesh, India, from where the first specimen was described in 1899. It has not been seen there since, though, and may have been transported to the area by train. In fact it was not seen again anywhere until 2001. The species is known only from patches of old-growth forest in a single reserve, which the IUCN describes as “completely degraded”. No wonder it is Critically Endangered.…

“KINGFISHER PARENTS WORK INCREDIBLY HARD - A PAIR WITH CHICKS TO FEED MAY CATCH 115 FISH A DAY” Everyone, it seems, wants to see or photograph kingfishers – or write about them. In her book Rain, Melissa Harrison describes how one whizzing past “unzips the air above the water. A blue dart, understood only in the inarticulate half-second after it passes…”, while in Wild Kingdom Stephen Moss points out that the species is “the James Dean of the bird world: it lives fast and dies young”. Most kingfishers live no more than two years, with the record – according to BTO ringing data – being just four-and-a-half years. Iced-over watercourses make populations plummet, but the recent run of mild winters in Britain has been kind to these sparrow-sized, azure-and-orange birds.…

Things looked bleak for this distinctive British species a century ago. Cool summers and the declining production of hops, its preferred larval foodplant, had reduced the comma’s range to the far southwest of England and Wales. But the distribution of many native butterflies is shifting in response to climate warming. The comma has responded faster than others – its range has bounded north since the turn of the millennium. A timely switch to nettles as a larval foodplant has greatly enhanced its recovery. This ‘pre-adaptation’ gives the species a potential nursery in almost every corner of lowland Britain.…

WHAT Happy International Tiger Day WHEN 3.30–4.45pm on Friday 29 July WHERE Chester Zoo Chester Zoo ranger Phil Blackburn and colleagues will be talking about the zoo’s Critically Endangered Sumatran tigers during this drop-in session. “The illegal wildlife trade is pushing the species closer to extinction each day” he said. This talk at the Sumatran tiger enclosure is a great opportunity to celebrate the important role that these big cats have in the ecosystem on International Tiger Day and hear the latest news from the field. A range of artefacts, including a tiger skull and skins, will be used to raise awareness of the threats that they face in the wild. When bought online weekday tickets cost £21.81 for adults and £18.18 for children; weekend tickets are £23.63 and £20…

“GEORGIA IS MY UNSUNG HERO AND A FIGUREHEAD FOR YOUNG NATURALISTS” Filming this year’s series of Springwatch Unsprung has been great. OK, our guest Deborah Meaden of Dragons’ Den fame didn’t buy into my Roadkill Bingo idea, but meeting people like Melanie and Alex, a BBC Wildlife Local Patch Reporter, was so reassuring. Both of them are enthusiastic and able young naturalists. Melanie is 14 years old and collects skulls. She has quite a collection, beautifully prepared, and kindly set our quiz during the programme’s first week. Thirteen-year-old Alex is a keen photographer and blogger who won the Mammal Society’s Young Photographer of the Year award for a cracking shot of a brown hare. I ‘discovered’ the pair on Twitter, where they share their enthusiasm with loads of others –…

• The easiest place to see pumas in the Americas is the eastern border of Torres del Paine NP in Chilean Patagonia. Some of the cats remain skittish, but others are used to hikers and wildlife watchers. Groups must keep to specific trails, vehicles cannot go o -road and pumas must not be approached too closely. • Panthera and Torres del Paine authorities will be collaborating to create standards for tour operators over the next two years. Mark is currently working with South America’s SouthWild (contact@southwild.com, www.southwild.com) to assess puma responses to tourist intrusion. UK TOUR OPERATORS • Encounter the Wild (020 8432 6484, www.encounter thewild.com) • Naturetrek (01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk) • Steppes Travel (01258 601757, www.steppestravel.co.uk) • Wildlife Worldwide (01962 302086, www.wildlifeworldwide.com – the firm runs a puma tour…

• South Luangwa Valley NP in Zambia has Africa’s largest hippo population. Two Zambian operators visiting the area include Robin Pope Safaris (info@robinpopesafaris.net, www.robinpopesafaris.net) and Shenton Safaris (info@kaingo.com, www.kaingo.com); the latter has its own special hippo-viewing hide. • Mass hippo gatherings occur in Tanzania during the dry season: at Katavi NP and the Retina Hippo Pool in Serengeti NP. • Botswana’s Chobe NP o ers excellent hippo viewing from boat cruises, while the Zambezi Valley (especially Mana Pools NP in Zimbabwe and Lower Zambezi NP in Zambia) is the place for canoe safaris. Kruger NP, South Africa, has many hippos and is best for a DIY safari. • Visit the hippo hides at Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary (info@ghanahippos.com, www.ghanahippos.com) from December to August.…

Ardnamurchan Charters in conjunction with Carna Conservation is offering unique opportunities for guests to experience personalised encounters with both terrestrial and marine wildlife. Andy Jackson, with over 30 years of wildlife guiding will take you to explore the secrets of the secluded island of Carna and its conservation project. This includes looking for otters, exploring the meadows and scanning the skies for eagles. We also provide wildlife expeditions with our specialised partners Wild Intrigue. With access to all the wildlife of the island, starting with otters on your doorstep to eagles soaring the summit of the island of Carna, the two cottages provide unparalleled opportunities for observing wildlife in comfort. The cottages are so secluded with perfect dark skies you might forget the outside world. On the mainland we have…

“THE USA LEGALLY IMPORTS NO FEWER THAN 126,000 ANIMAL TROPHIES EVERY YEAR, AND THE EU SOME 11,000 -12,000” WHAT IS TROPHY HUNTING? Trophy hunting is the shooting of carefully selected animals – frequently big game such as rhinos, elephants, lions, pumas and bears – under official government licence, for pleasure. The trophy is the animal (or its head, skin or any other body part) that the hunter keeps as a souvenir. It is a booming industry and is legal, albeit with restrictions on the species that can be hunted, where and when the hunting can take place, and the weapons that can be used. IS IT THE SAME AS ‘CANNED’ HUNTING? Canned hunting is trophy hunting at its most indefensible – in which the animals (particularly lions) are bred on…

Few wild birds have their own Facebook page or Twitter account, but then Sirocco is no ordinary parrot. For one thing, he’s extremely rare – at the time of writing, there are just 159 others of his kind left. And for another, he is a global celebrity, memorably described by Stephen Fry as an “old-fashioned, big side-burned Victorian gentleman”. Sirocco made headlines around the world when he attempted to mate with the head of BBC Wildlife columnist Mark Carwardine during the filming of BBC Two series Last Chance to See . Not yet 20, Sirocco probably has plenty of TV and online appearances ahead of him – his species can survive to 100 years old.…

1 WHITE RHINO Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary White rhinos were reintroduced to Ziwa in 2005 and it is still the only location in Uganda where you can see them in the wild. The 7,000ha sanctuary is home to 17 individuals. 2 ROTHSCHILD’S GIRAFFE Murchison Falls NP One of the rarest gira e subspecies, Rothschild’s is the tallest animal in the world and has five horns – other gira es have two. 3 SHOEBILL Mabamba Wetlands With its shoe-like bill ending in a ferocious hook, this is one of the most extraordinary-looking birds in Africa, if not the world. The shoebill is frequently described as a stork, but it’s probably more closely related to pelicans. 4 LION Queen Elizabeth NP Lions in the Ishasha sector of the park are famous for climbing…