Hi Everyone!
Welcome to the first monthly fact file! We are going to share a news article from last month as well as animals and more!
Welcome to the first monthly fact file! We are going to share a news article from last month as well as animals and more!
News
You might have heard that the UK has authorised the use of a pesticide harmful
to bees. It has been authorised for use on sugar beet with their excuse being
to do with the virus yellows disease.
But bees are in serious decline and this is not going to help. It is authorised for emergency use and only in specific conditions but, in our eyes, that doesn't make it okay. Farmers need bees to pollinate crops and now they are killing them with a horrible pesticide. What do you think? We would love your opinions below! For more information on bees in our honey bee post click here.
But bees are in serious decline and this is not going to help. It is authorised for emergency use and only in specific conditions but, in our eyes, that doesn't make it okay. Farmers need bees to pollinate crops and now they are killing them with a horrible pesticide. What do you think? We would love your opinions below! For more information on bees in our honey bee post click here.
We have also found an article about some Indonesian monkeys from the island of
Bali who steal anything expensive, that tourists have because they know they
will get a reward! They know which items have the most value and will often
not accept the first offer and will hold out their hands for more!
They steal things like phones and wallets and the people nearby have some of their favourite treats to give in exchange! Sometimes they can negotiate for a long time over holidaymakers' belongings!
They steal things like phones and wallets and the people nearby have some of their favourite treats to give in exchange! Sometimes they can negotiate for a long time over holidaymakers' belongings!
Animals of the month
Air animal - European robin
Robins are birds that you have probably all heard of. They are a common sight
in gardens and parks, especially at this time of year. European robins are
easily identified because of the bright orange-red breasts and faces visible
on both male and female birds. However, males have much more distinctively
coloured breasts than females. This is so that the females can blend in with
the environment and protect the nest and their eggs.
Although robins look quite peaceful and gentle, males will fight and sometimes kill their rivals. Their redbreasts act like red warning flags. Robins do not mate for life. They pair for a single breeding season.
Robins are quite small. They measure about 12-15cm. That's about the width of an A5 book.
Robins are territorial. A breeding pair will own a territory of about 1600 m² to 8300 m² (2000-10000 square yards). In the winter, when the robins are alone, their territories are about 650 m² to 5000 m² (800-6000 square yards) large. That's pretty big for such a small bird. A robin will only attack another robin if the latter is in the first robin's territory. Robins often trespass into the territory of others while feeding.
Although robins look quite peaceful and gentle, males will fight and sometimes kill their rivals. Their redbreasts act like red warning flags. Robins do not mate for life. They pair for a single breeding season.
Robins are quite small. They measure about 12-15cm. That's about the width of an A5 book.
Robins are territorial. A breeding pair will own a territory of about 1600 m² to 8300 m² (2000-10000 square yards). In the winter, when the robins are alone, their territories are about 650 m² to 5000 m² (800-6000 square yards) large. That's pretty big for such a small bird. A robin will only attack another robin if the latter is in the first robin's territory. Robins often trespass into the territory of others while feeding.
Land animal - lizard
Lizards are a very widespread group from all around the world, except
Antarctica. There are over 6,000 species and they are very different from each
other. Some, like geckos, are only a few centimetres long and others, like the
Komodo Dragon, can be around three meters long!
They are carnivorous and many have the 'sit and wait' tactic. What they eat
also varies hugely from the smaller species eating insects to the large eating
mammals as large as a water buffalo! They can regrow their tales and,
depending on the species, they can have other interesting skills too, like the
use of venom. There are, however, only a few venomous types of lizard.
The common lizard's lifespan is about 5-6 years, but this can vary hugely
depending on the breed. They mainly breed in spring and it is like many
animals a fascinating season.
A breed of lizard was discovered in the Mojave Desert that gave birth to live
young and stayed in a family! Most lizards do not do this and tend to stay
away from other lizards when it is not mating season and lay eggs. I find this
really interesting and you can read about it all more here!
Lizards are fascinating creatures!
Waterdwelling animal - seal;
Seals can be found on nearly every continent on earth, although most live in
cold-water environments. They are carnivores and most rely on eating fish to
survive, however, some species like leopard seals eat larger animals and
sometimes even other seals. With so much of their time spent in water, some
types of seals have evolved to be able to hold their breath for up to 2 and a
half hours at one time!
Hunters have targeted seals for hundreds of years for their fur. Due to this
many types of seals, like the Caribbean Monk Seal are now extinct. However,
climate change is the largest threat to seals, especially the ones who live on
sea ice.
Unlike many animals, seals only give birth to one pup at a time. During the
mating period, males get very aggressive and fight each other for territory.
For this reason, male seals often don't mate until they are eight years old
and strong enough to win the fights.
The average lifespan for seals in the wild is 30 years, and some of the
largest seals can measure up to 30 feet and weigh 4.4 tons!
Eco Tip Of The Month!
Make the most of your leftovers by reheating food or making sure it goes in
the compost for certain things!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post and we will be back soon
(hopefully more than in January!) with another post!
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/09/pesticide-believed-kill-bees-authorised-use-england-eu-farmers
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jan/14/balis-thieving-monkeys-seek-bigger-ransoms-for-high-value-swag-study
https://animalia.bio/european-robin
https://ebird.org/species/eurrob1
https://www.britannica.com/animal/lizard
https://animalcorner.org/animals/lizards/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/seals
https://www.britannica.com/animal/seal-mammal
Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
King Bee, owned by Glyn Humphrey (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Bali Monkeys 2, owned by Rex Boggs (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
European Robin, owned by Sergey Yeliseev (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Spiny Lizard, owned by (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Harbor seal, owned by Thomas Haeusler (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/09/pesticide-believed-kill-bees-authorised-use-england-eu-farmers
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jan/14/balis-thieving-monkeys-seek-bigger-ransoms-for-high-value-swag-study
https://animalia.bio/european-robin
https://ebird.org/species/eurrob1
https://www.britannica.com/animal/lizard
https://animalcorner.org/animals/lizards/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/seals
https://www.britannica.com/animal/seal-mammal
Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
King Bee, owned by Glyn Humphrey (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Bali Monkeys 2, owned by Rex Boggs (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
European Robin, owned by Sergey Yeliseev (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Spiny Lizard, owned by (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Harbor seal, owned by Thomas Haeusler (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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