April 2021 Factfile - some news from the past month and animals that you voted for

Hi Everyone!

In this factfile we are bringing you some more news from the past month, animals you voted for, an exciting announcement and more!

News:

The Guardian reports that 'the new research shows that since the 1990s, the loss of hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice a year into the oceans resulting from the climate crisis has caused the poles to move in new directions.'

Previously, the poles could only move due to ocean currents and other natural factors. Apparently, glacial losses accounted for most of the change but some were also due to the pumping of groundwater which once pumped up by humans isn't replaced.

This shows just how much climate change is having an impact on our beautiful planet.

You may have heard about M&S's plans to release 30 million honey bees to the countryside. It has faced many complaints from experts saying that this could damage the balance of natural pollinators. It is important to have a range of pollinators and releasing honey bees on that scale could push other pollinators off the edge. These other insects are in sharper decline and this could put even more pressure on an already strained system.

Matt Shardlow, who is head of a conservation charity called Buglife, told The Guardian that 'It’s about creating a better countryside for pollinators, not chucking more pollinators out into the countryside – we need to get more pollen and nectar into the countryside'

We get that M&S was just trying to do something good but now let's hope they listen and take action to change their plans.

Animals Of The Month:

Land- Gorilla

Gorillas are a type of primate and share 98.3% of their DNA with us. The largest of the great apes, Gorillas can grow to 4 and 6 ft and weigh up to 440 pounds. Gorillas live in family groups of usually about 5-10. They are led by a dominant male, or silverback, who holds his position for several years.

Females only give birth to one baby every 4-6 years, which means she'll probably only have 3 or 4 over her entire lifetime. This means that it is especially hard for gorillas to recover from a drop in population.

Gorillas have been reducing in numbers for decades and according to a United Nations report, they may disappear from the Congo Basin in the Republic of Congo, where they live in forests, by the mid-2020s. However, a new protected area designed for gorillas has meant that they have gone down from being listed as critically endangered to being listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Water- Platypus

The platypus is a rather peculiar creature that lives in freshwater creeks and slow-moving rivers. They often build a simple burrow in a river bank among a tangle of roots and undergrowth.

Platypus reproduction is pretty unique. They are one of only two mammals (the echidna is the other one) that lay eggs. With a tail like a beaver, a body like an otter and a bill like a duck, the platypus is a really special creature. So unique that the first scientists to analyse them thought they were a hoax!

They eat small water insects and rely on a sensitive bill which can detect electrical currents in the water and help to find food.

However, the duck-billed platypus produces venom, but no one really pays it attention because you probably won't ever see one. Their venom can be lethal, but there are no recorded cases of them killing humans. Both males and females have a spur on either hind foot that excretes venom but females fall off at adulthood.

Air- Red Kite

The red kite (Milvus milvus) can be recognised by its red-brown body, angled wings and forked tail. It was once on the brink of extinction but a huge protection movement saved it and it has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland.

They mainly eat worms and will occasionally be small mammals. They live in woodland, wetland and valleys. They can lay 1-3 and occasionally 4 eggs. They eat primarily dead animals but also sometimes rats, mice and voles. It's wingspan can reach 170cm! They usually live about 4 or 5 years but can live up to 26!

A TV program recommendation:

I recently watched Ade On The Frontline- an incredible documentary series. It follows presenter Ade as he explores the massive impact climate change is having around the world and what different communities are doing to combat it. He travels to many different places and I really love the way he explored these issues and what he covers- highly recommend it!

Announcement:

We are starting a new section to these factfiles with a plant of the month as well! Animal of the week which we did last year and now Animals of the month has been a great opportunity to find out more about a variety of animals and we want to broaden our research and learn more about plants too. Look out for it in next month's post! Click here to vote for next month's animals and plant!

Thank you so much for reading this post and we will be back VERY soon with another post (promise to not leave it as long!).

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/23/climate-crisis-has-shifted-the-earths-axis-study-shows
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/16/marks-spencer-honeybee-project-threat-biodiversity-conservationists-aoe
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/gorilla
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/platypus
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/birds-prey/red-kite

Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
Glacier, owned by Joseph (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Gorilla, owned by Richard Ashurst (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Platypus, owned by Vern (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Red Kite, owned by nick ford (on flickr.com), is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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