World of Animals 58 (Sampler) by Future PLC

unicorns are Real! Uncover the one-horned wonders of the world that really exist

Return of the

SNOW tiger

Rewilding the Amur 70 years on

Cats is your pet wilder than you think?

Plus

Crabs meerkats Bears crows Bats

Play fighting Marking their territory Ambush tactics Stalking their prey

the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest frog

Animal armies Meet the creatures that

Meet the Goliath of Africa on page 60

BANNING animal circuses

use war-like strategies

The fight to end animal entertainment

saving the island wolf

Yellowstone national park

exploring the galApagos

madagascan mystery

Chasing dolphins

Issue 058

The ultimate guide to seeing dolphins

Welcome

Zara Gaspar Editor

Lauren Debono-Elliot

Senior Designer Yellowstone National Park has breathtaking natural beauty, from acid pools and geysers to an amazing variety of American wildlife. It’s definitely on the must visit list! (page 20). Charlie Ginger

Production Editor I’m always intrigued by examples of animals displaying human traits, so I found this month’s Animal Armies feature a fascinating read. March to page 12 to find out more! ir

3 things we learnt this issue... Crows are known to hold a grudge. A pregnant or nursing cat is known as a queen. Special glands help marine iguanas expel excess salt.

@WorldAnimalsMag

worldofanimalsmag

Victoria Williams

Staff Writer You’d be lucky to catch even a glimpse of a fossa in the wild, so we’re shedding some light on this mysterious Madagascan predator (page 68).

Cats are amazing companions, and while they love to be pampered, they still display the same behaviours as their wild cousins. Discover how your cat struts a fine line between favourite pet and fierce predator over on page 50. Cats may have been domesticated over the years, but for most animals, the wild is where they belong. This issue we speak to Animal Defenders International about their work to ban circuses using wild animals. Find out how they do it on page 38. Also in this issue, we learn how Amur tigers are being reintroduced into Kazakhstan after a 70year absence and explore the best places to spot dolphins in their natural habitat. Enjoy the issue!

Meet the team…

What’s inside... 06 Amazing animals 12 H ow do animals wage war? The beasts that do battle

19 L ifecycle of the blue crab

Find out how this hardy survivor tackles life

20 Wildlife of Yellowstone

Wander the wilds of America’s first national park

28 E xplore the Earth: dolphins

Discover the best spots to see these friendly marine mammals

36 20 Amazing Facts: Crows

Meet this remarkable group of crafty birds that never forget

62 Lost forever: Sloane’s urania

Learn about the beautiful moth that was discovered too late

64 The bats are back in town 68 Madagascan mystery

Discover the truth about the elusive fossa

74 Striving to save the island wolf

What’s being done to ensure this arachnid isn’t lost forever?

80 Exploring the Galápagos

Travel writer Daniel Allen tells us about his evolutionary experience in the Galápagos

84 Return of the snow tiger

44 R eal-life unicorns

92 Behind the lens

50 A ll about the domestic cat

94 Readers’ Q&A

Take a look at the one-horned wonders of the world

How wild is your favourite pet?

60 Endangered: Goliath frog

Meet the world’s biggest frog

Extinct Extinct in the wild Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Near threatened Least concern

Subscribe to WOA now

The mission to bring the Amur tiger back to Kazakhstan

Head over to page 26 for great deals!

Will Nicolls shares the story behind The Golden Ghost

96 Bizarre: red handfish

The rare fish with hands for fins

98 Quiz

Test your animal knowledge!

The IUCN red list Throughout World of Animals you will see symbols like the ones you see here. These are from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of animal species in the world. Here’s what they mean:

Page 50

How the barbastelle bat is making a comeback

38 Should we ban circuses?

How ADI are campaigning to bring circus suffering to an end

“Different breeds with distinct characteristics emerged, but they all retained a streak of wildness”

Future PLC Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ

Editorial Editor Zara Gaspar

zara.gaspar@futurenet.com 01202 586220

Senior Designer Lauren Debono-Elliot Production Editor Charlie Ginger Staff Writer Victoria Williams Group Editor-in-Chief James Hoare Senior Art Editor Duncan Crook Photographer James Sheppard

Cover Feature

Contributors Daniel Allen, Matt Ayres, Mark Bushell (Bristol Zoo Gardens), Ella Carter, Kirsty Cathrine, Amy Grisdale, Naomi Harding, Laura Mears, Suze Rowe (The Deep), Mike Simpson

Page 50

Cover images F1online digitale Bildagentur GmbH, BIOSPHOTO, Alamy, Thinkstock, Emanuele Biggi, The Deep Photography Alamy, Alan Batley, Daniel Allen, FLPA, Getty, Nature PL, Thinkstock, The Art Agency, Peter Scott, Sandra Doyle, Shutterstock, Will Nicholls All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com Regional Advertising Director Mark Wright mark.wright@futurenet.com Advertising Manager John Butters john.butters@futurenet.com 01225 687 170 International World of Animals is available for licensing. Contact the International department to discuss partnership opportunities International Licensing Director Matt Ellis matt.ellis@futurenet.com Subscriptions Email enquiries contact@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk UK orderline & enquiries 0344 848 2852 Overseas order line and enquiries +44 (0) 344 848 2852 Online orders & enquiries www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Head of subscriptions Sharon Todd Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Manager Vivienne Calvert Management Managing Director Aaron Asadi Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham Editorial Director Paul Newman Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker

Next issue on sale 10/05 Editor’s pick Amur tigers are such elusive animals, so I was particularly interested to read about the project aiming to give them a new home

Printed by Wyndeham Peterborough, Storey’s Bar Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE1 5YS Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9060 ISSN 2053-7727 We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/ or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for

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The amazing world of animals

This red squirrel isn’t the victim of a snowball ambush – it’s searching through the snow for some tasty winter snacks Squirrels don’t hibernate – their bodies can’t build up the energy reserves necessary to survive winter without eating. During the colder months they largely rely on food stores they’ve accumulated through the autumn, but they’ll forage if they come across fallen nuts or seeds.

The amazing world of animals

With eyes bigger than its stomach, this ambitious heron struggles to keep hold of the unfortunate blue gill it’s just caught This great blue heron – the largest of all the North American herons – was seen spearing this huge fish with its sharp beak at a freshwater lake in Nashville, Tennessee. After a bit of trouble handling the catch, the bird swallowed its meal whole.

A feisty blue tit tirelessly defends his territory against any rivals, including his own reflection in a carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wing mirror Without the small patch heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claimed this male blue tit stands little chance of mating, so he must do everything he can to hold onto it. When he sees something he thinks is another male, he makes himself as big as he can and tries to scare the intruder away.

ÂŠ Fredrik Schlyter/Solent News/REX/Shutterstock

The amazing world of animals

Using its small size to its advantage, a vole shelters from a rainstorm under the canopy of a mushroom in southwest Russia For small mammals, rain can be a big problem. While we may barely notice a light shower, wet fur means a little animal like this vole has to carry around much more weight than when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dry and put more energy into keeping itself warm, a vital resource that could be put to better use.

ÂŠ Vadim Trunov/Solent News/REX/Shutterstock

The amazing world of animals

how do animals wage war? Battles between beasts are an unavoidable part of the natural world. These animals have evolved war-like strategies to overcome their opponents Words Matt Ayres In nature, conflict is inevitable. In the fight for survival animals often have to fight with one another. Whether it’s a case of defending territory, battling for breeding rights or killing prey, there are millions of miniature wars raging across the natural world at any given time. Some creatures are more predisposed to life on the battlefield than others. Indeed, the animals that are most revered by humans – intelligent apes, wily wolves, proud lions and endearing dolphins – are among the most impressive examples when it comes to collaborative hunting. It’s probably no coincidence that we hold these species in such high regard: as the most intelligent species on Earth, it’s natural for humans to relate to creatures

that display similarly smart survival strategies and social skills. Yet mammals are by no means the only examples of teamwork in nature’s ongoing conflicts. Alliances can be observed in almost every order of the animal kingdom. Insects such as ants and termites conduct raids on the nests of their enemies, razing forests for resources as they march dutifully in the name of their queens. Birds scout the skies and perform ruthless aerial attacks on their land-borne prey, with species such as Harris’ hawks kookaburras collaborating to ensure success. Even fish are at war with one another, forming unlikely partnerships to secure meals. These animals are proof of evolution’s ability to mimic the human arms race.

“As the most intelligent species on Earth, it’s natural for humans to relate to creatures that display similar strategies” 12

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