Autumn term 2013
ife
n a t u r e
m a g a z i n e
From
Dusk Until Dawn New in science
Feature
Photo Sequence
Experience
Night-time navigation
Urban foxes
Nocturnal moths
The eagles of the night
A big THANKS!
We’re looking for a new team to join Life, so here’s a massive thank you to everyone who KDV FUHDWHG RXU ȴUVW IHZ LVVXHV
Editor in Chief: Roz Evans Creative Director: Emma Simpson-Wells Sub-Creative Directors: Georgia Cass & Andy Jackson Picture Editors: Samuel Jay & Charlotte Sams Great thanks for input and ongoing advice is owed to: Felix Smith, Feargus Cooney, Owen Greenwood, Jennifer Weller, Matt Bjerregaard and Claire Young.
Gemma Malenoir is a 20 year old student, studying
in her third year of BA (Hons) Marine and Natural History Photography, at Falmouth University, Cornwall. Check out her work at:
www.gemmamalenoir.carbonmade.com 2
FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
From Dusk Until Dawn...
Contents Life
The third issue of is themed ‘Dusk until Dawn’. These times are to me, some of the most exciting to experience wildlife. When I can make it out of bed in time for dawn, the chorus of birds chattering and singing above me makes the wrestle with my tiredness all worth it. As sun sets, some of the most secretive animals come out of their day time hiding places. Foxes and badgers can be seen by the lucky, and bats’ sonar can be heard with a handy bat detector. The time between dusk and dawn is fascinating too. Whilst most of us are tucked up in bed asleep, many animals are exploiting this quieter period, with multitudes of adaptations allowing them to use the darkness to their advantage. From this issue, many of the original team, including myself, are ‘phasing out’. We’re looking for new team members – see the careers section for more information on how to get involved. Whilst some of us will still be involved in the next issue, we’ll be taking less on, so we’d like to thank \RX DOO IRU UHFHLYLQJ RXU ࣇUVW few issues so warmly. We’ve had an amazing time making it and we hope that it continues from strength to strength!
Enjoy!
Roz Evans, Editior in Chief
4
Image of the issue
20 Eagle owls up close
Exeter Research 6
Experience
Garden snails go viral
Feature 22 Urban foxes
New in science 8 Iron beaks and magnetic eyes 10 Swiftly rising at dawn and dusk
Evolution 12 Coevolution of bats and moths
Photograph sequence of the issue
Opinion 24 Light pollution 25 An Exeter SWAN
News & Reviews 26 News & events
Careers
14 Moths at twilight
28 Careers & volunteering
,Q WKH ȴHOG
2Q \RXU GRRUVWHS
18 Ageing badgers
30 Mammal tracks ID
Want more Life over the christmas break? Keep up to date with the latest in nature... facebook.com/pages/ Life-Nature-Magazine twitter.com/LifeNatureMag Also keep an eye out for our new website www.lifenaturemagazine.co.uk ...coming soon! 3
Image of the Issue: Tim Hunt, www.timhuntphotography.co.uk
EXETER RESEARCH FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Speedy snails shot to fame
T
he lungworm species Angiostrongylus vasorum, is a type of parasitic QHPDWRGH DࣆHFWLQJ GRJV DQG foxes. It causes illness in dogs and if left untreated, it can be fatal. It is suspected that the larvae are inadvertently ingested by canines through consumption of these unappetising gastropods from grass or on chew-toys; the lungworm life cycle completes when eggs are passed from the dog in fecal matter ready to be taken on by the intermediary garden hosts once again. The research commissioned by Bayer as part of their ‘Be Lungworm Aware’ campaign aimed to understand the distribution, movement and habits of snails within a typical garden environment in order to develop better protection for dogs from this now endemic problem. Over 450 snails were collected on the Penryn campus or within 30km of the
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surrounding area. They were numbered, then either marked with UV paint or ࣇ[HG ZLWK D VPDOO /(' DQG EDWWHU\ WR their shell. Those from campus had their initial collection location GPS tagged to see if they were able to return ‘home’ at a later date. The snails were then released at dusk from one location and a professional ࣇOP FUHZ FDSWXUHG WKHLU PRYHPHQWV LQ WKH GDUN RYHU D ࣇYH KRXU WLPH SHULRG XVLQJ time-lapse photography and a UV cannon. Measurements were taken every 30 minutes to determine the distance and direction of the snails movement, with further data collected over the ensuing hours and in the following weeks. The visual results were stunning; see the video on YouTube under ‘Lungworm snail experiment’. More interestingly, insights into their speed and distribution became apparent. With speed records for land-snails only previously
On a chilly night in May, in the walled garden at the Penryn campus, the temporal and spatial movements of garden snails were recorded by University of Exeter undergraduate researches, led by Assosiate Professor of Ecology Dave Hodgson. The study reached international fame and became a youtube sensation, thanks to the glowing garden snails that took part.
found within the Guinness Book of World Records, the team discovered that snails move at a blistering pace‌ of approximately 32cm per hour, with top speeds of 100cm per hour. Okay, so it may not be blistering but it’s faster than it seems when watching these slippery invertebrates IRU ࣇYH KRXUV ,W DOVR PHDQV WKDW WKH ORZO\ snail can easily cover the entire distance of the average UK garden in one night, ZKHWKHU LWŐžV WR UHWXUQ KRPH ࣇQG IRRG RU D mate, or seek refuge inside a pet’s beloved squeaky toy. After releasing the snails at dusk, they PRYHG WKH PRVW GXULQJ WKH ࣇUVW KRXUV of the study and it was within this time frame that the greatest speeds were recorded. It’s possible that keeping the VQDLOV LQ D FRQࣇQHG VSDFH EHIRUH UHOHDVH LQGXFHG D ŕŁˆLJKW UHVSRQVH RU LW FRXOG
EXETER RESEARCH FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Images: First two from the left: Dan Blumgart, Right: Emma Simpson-Wells, Cut-out: Kieran Hollingsworth.
be due to the onset of daylight hours stimulating the snails to retreat into their shells to avoid predation or dehydration and thereby slowing down in the morning. Interestingly, a small number of snails moved at much greater speeds than others and were more likely to create their own PXFXV WUDLO ZKLOH D VLJQLࣇFDQW QXPEHU of other snails showed preference to crawling upon slime already laid down
by another. Exploratory behaviour was noted across the group, pointing towards a preference for snails to hide at the base of trees, in long grass, or near to a water source – indicating that it is important to be aware of outside water sources that your dog drinks from, or long grasses that it explores. Snails were often seen to change direction often, meaning the average garden could harbour hundreds of possibly
eliminating all snails from your garden, but be aware of what your dog is picking up, and check their toys and bowls for any signs of snails. Clean these items often, and don’t leave them out overnight for inquisitive snails to hide underneath. Pick up your dog’s poo – if a dog is infected, you might not know it, and leaving poo can help the spread of the lungworm. Moving forward with the observations
infected snails. Very few snails ‘returned home’, not being recorded back at their initial collection site. A lack of returning snails may not put paid to the homing instinct H[SHFWHG DV VRPH GLࣉFXOWLHV were encountered relocating snails in daylight and rapidly growing foliage.
made so far, Dr. Hodgson hopes to look into the re-use of slime trails by snails to minimise energy costs, and to look into the W\SHV RI FKHPLFDO VLJQDOV JLYHQ Rࣆ ZLWKLQ the mucus itself. Watch this space. Slowly.
Dr Hodgson’s favourite moments from the media frenzy include: 1. Whilst being interviewed on BBC Breakfast being asked by a viewer whether snail slime was hallucinogenic and whether she should take her snaillicking daughter to hospital. 2. Seeing a German newspaper with the headline “Schnelle Schnecken!� 3. Earning a Drivetime car sticker from Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 show.
Written by Linday Leyden, Alumnus at The University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.
The study went viral and appeared in 32 UK national newspapers and magazines, 155 national and international TV and radio stations, 276 news websites, reaching global audiences in the millions; the last count on YouTube showed more than 43,500 hits! We aren’t advocating 7
Images: Pond dipping, Kevin Murphy; Kieth Leeves, http://www.cornwallwhaleanddolphinwatching.co.uk
CAREERS THE WEIRD & WONDERFUL SUMMER ISSUE
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NEW IN SCIENCE FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Magnetic eyes and iron beaks: Ⱦ\LQJ LQ WKH GDUN Finding your way in the dark is always a challenge. Whether you’re a bat catching insects in a dense tropical rainforest, or a badger digging your sett in an English woodland, sensitivity in darkness is essential to your survival.
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xploitation of the darkest hours has led to a huge range of adaptations designed to increase an animal’s ability to navigate at night. Purely nocturnal creatures tend to sport more obvious adaptations to living in darkness; the giant eyes of the bush baby are a prime example. However, for those who need to be active night and day, migrating birds for example, the transition can be tricky.
In addition, an area in the front of the brain, known as ‘Cluster-N’ has been shown to be highly active when birds are orientating through night-time migration. The lightdependent information is transmitted from the retina in the eye to Cluster-N, which is activated under low light intensities. Studies on European robins have shown that deactivation of this cluster renders their magnetic compass useless.
Initial research suggested that birds, such as homing pigeons, use landmarks imprinted IURP WKHLU ࣇUVW PLJUDWLRQ WR JXLGH WKHP Other birds like European robins are known to use a combination of landmarks and the position of the sun and stars as a guide. Recent studies have had some fascinating insights into how birds on the wing navigate at night. It has now been suggested that the retinas in the eyes of migratory birds are in fact able to not only detect light, but WKH GLUHFWLRQ RI WKH HDUWK՞V PDJQHWLF ࣇHOG DQG FDQ XVH WKLV WR ࣇQG WKHLU ZD\ WR WKHLU wintering and breeding grounds. Such an anatomical feature requires incredible levels of sensitivity and detection of light at low levels, and unfortunately, doesn’t come with a simple explanation. How can the retina detect the magnetic pull of the earth? Two main theories have developed.
Magnetite-based navigation
Image: Lauren Stevens, 2013; Diagrams: Georgia Cass, 2013.
Light-dependent navigation One such theory involves blue-light-sensitive photoproteins known as cryptochromes. Some scientists believe these molecules to be key in the detection of the earth’s magnetic ࣇHOG DQG PD\ EH WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW magnetoreceptors at a bird’s disposal. The cryptochromes, of which birds are known WR KDYH IRXU GLࣆHUHQW W\SHV ZLWKLQ WKHLU H\HV send the information along ganglion nerve cells to the brain, where it can be processed into directional information that the bird can respond to. These ganglion cells have been found to be particularly active in migratory birds such as garden warblers and European robins when tested under moonlightstrength white light. Although this ‘compass’ is dependent on the presence of light, it is extremely sensitive and has been found to function at light intensities equivalent to that of a ‘partly clouded moonless night’. Impressive, when you consider your RZQ FDSDELOLWLHV RI ࣇQGLQJ \RXU ZD\ LQ unfamiliar, lightless expanses.
Another theory on the ability of migratory birds to navigate at night involves iron deposits, found in the upper beak of several bird species. The migration distance of these birds range widely from year-round residents such as pigeons, to long-distance transequatorial migrants like garden warblers, and it is therefore thought that iron deposits will occur in most bird species. The iron-rich mineral structures were initially thought to act literally as magnets, with the metal aligning with the magnetic pull of the earth. This information was thought to then be relayed to the brain by the trigeminal nerve; a primary nerve connecting the face and brain. Despite this, experiments severing the trigeminal nerve found that the birds’ sense of GLUHFWLRQ ZDV XQDࣆHFWHG +RZHYHU PRUH recent experiments have severed the nerve and subsequently relocated the birds up to 1000km east of their original starting point. This study showed that cutting the FRQQHFWLRQ IURP WKH EHDN WR WKH EUDLQ DࣆHFWV their sense of location; birds would continue as if they had never been moved, and end up lost, rather than readjusting their course. It seems therefore that the iron-deposits DQG WULJHPLQDO QHUYH KDYH QR HࣆHFW RQ WKH ‘compass sense’ - sense of direction, of a bird, EXW GR VLJQLࣇFDQWO\ DࣆHFW WKH Ő?PDS VHQVHŐž Ő™ their sense of location. Neither of these theories provides a complete explanation of how birds navigate at night. As with many aspects of biology, it is likely that no one theory can explain all of the variation in the adaptations that we see. Essentially it seems probable that both the light-dependent and magnetite-based theories work together; depending on the light available both mechanisms will work to send directional information to the brain, with the iron-based clusters only activated at low light intensities.
The avian eye and the magnet effect Directional information provided by WKH HDUWKȇV PDJQHWLF ȴHOG LV GHWHFWHG LQ the bird’s eye by chryptochromes. It is thought that light absorption generates radical pairs within chryptochromes in the retina which are determined by molecule orientation in relation to the PDJHQWLF ȴHOG YHFWRU
retina
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The earth’s PDJQHWLF Č´HOG gives migrating birds their sense of direction, or ‘compass sense’.
So next time you’re following your Sat-Nav in the dark, or wandering home from the pub late at night, spare a thought for these IHDWKHUHG ŕŁˆ\HUV WUDYHOOLQJ WKRXVDQGV RI miles a year whilst using nothing but their fantastically clever, built-in GPS.
Georgia Cass, Alumnus of the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus
9
NEW IN SCIENCE FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Swiftly rising at dusk and dawn Common swifts (Apus apus) rarely settle on the ground. So rarely, that their family was named ‘apodidae’, from the ancient Greek ‘without feet’. $V D QRQ VWRS Čľ\HU LQ D YDVW GLPHQVLRQDO KDELWDW PRYHPHQW GHFLVLRQV are rapid and constant. It is therefore vital for their survival to gather as PXFK LQIRUPDWLRQ DV SRVVLEOH ZLWKRXW VDFULČ´FLQJ SUHFLRXV IRUDJLQJ WLPH Without Google maps and the weather forecast on your smart phone, how would you understand the day ahead?
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ou’ve probably seen swifts darting around our summer skies and heard their loud screaming calls in the evenings and early mornings, these elements are all generally part of social ŕŁˆLJKWV ,W KDV EHHQ NQRZQ IRU VRPH WLPH that towards the end of these nighttime ‘screaming parties’, swifts climb WR VLJQLࣇFDQWO\ KLJKHU DOWLWXGHV ,W ZDV originally assumed the ascent was to locate RSWLPDO DOWLWXGHV IRU LQ ŕŁˆLJKW QRFWXUQDO sleep, but developments show that swifts do not appear to select optimal windIUHH DOWLWXGHV IRU D JRRG QLJKWŐžV UHVW Additionally, a secondary, identical ascent has been discovered at dawn, when they DUH SUHSDULQJ WR KXQW Ő™ QRW VOHHS
Image: Kostya Pazyuk
An ascent at dusk to locate optimal sleeping altitudes now seems unlikely; an identical ascent happens again at dawn. So what is this costly climb all about? ,PDJLQH \RXŐžUH ORVW LQ D ZRRG ZKDW would you do to get a better look at where you are? Climbing a tree would give \RX D EHWWHU UDQJH RI YLVLRQ ,V WKH VDPH true of swifts? Adriaan Dokter and his team decided it was time to answer these TXHVWLRQV
Doppler weather radars are typically used to measure the movements and intensity RI UDLQ GURSOHWV +RZHYHU VZLIWV DQG RWKHU birds leave characteristic signatures from WKHLU ZLQJ EHDWV LQ WKH UDGDU GDWD 7KLV allowed Dokter to investigate the timing DQG DWPRVSKHULF FRQGLWLRQV RI ŕŁˆLJKW altitudes in order to uncover the purpose RI WKH VZLIWVŐž DVFHQWV $OWKRXJK WKH KHLJKW RI ŕŁˆLJKWV YDULHG GD\ WR GD\ RQH DVSHFW RI WKH ŕŁˆLJKWV ZDV FOHDU WKH\ DOZD\V RFFXUUHG at twilight, isochronally from sunset and VXQULVH According to Google, twilight is a cult vampire-romance novel, but in its original context it’s a rather unique and useful WLPH RI WKH GD\ (YHQ ZKHQ WKH VXQ LV no longer visible in the sky at dusk, or just before it becomes visible at dawn, sunlight still scatters through the upper atmosphere, illuminating the lower for a SHULRG RI WLPH EHIRUH QLJKWIDOO 7KLV SHULRG of illumination provides crucial cues for a P\ULDG RI DQLPDOV IRU WKH GLXUQDO WR VHHN cover, the nocturnal to start foraging and even for zooplankton to alter their position in the water column to account for FKDQJLQJ OLJKW OHYHOV 7KH WZLOLJKW KRXUV however, hold potential for more than an DODUP FORFN WKH VLPXOWDQHRXV GHWHFWLRQ RI landscape features, light polarization and stars makes it an information rich period of time, with the visual cues of both day DQG QLJKW RYHUODLG RQ RQH DQRWKHU Unable to link the height of the ascent to environmental parameters, Dokter suggests that these ascents are akin to looking up
the weather forecast online before deciding WR KDYH D EDUEHFXH WKDW HYHQLQJ 6ZLIWV FDQ create their very own weather forecast and map linked to distant landmarks, helping them to locate suitable areas for foraging or sleeping and to navigate within them IRU WKH KRXU VWUHWFK DKHDG 7KH DELOLW\ to accurately assess weather conditions where you are currently and where you will be in the next few hours is clearly very useful when relying heavily on a diet RI ZHDWKHU VHQVLWLYH DLUERUQH LQYHUWHEUDWHV When whizzing around as swiftly as a swift, building a picture of the best directions prevents them from travelling WRR IDU Rࣆ FRXUVH ,PSUHVVLYHO\ WKH VZLIW needs just two trips to higher altitudes to get a good look around, leaving more WLPH IRU GD\ WR GD\ DFWLYLWLHV
Swifts can create their very own weather forecast linked to distant landmarks, helping them to locate suitable areas for foraging. 7KLV LVVXH ZH KDYH OHDUQW KRZ ELUGV navigate when their sight is hindered by darkness, and you may remember the dung beetle’s nighttime escapades using the milky-way as a compass from the ODVW LVVXH RI /LIH %XW QDYLJDWLRQ LV MXVW RQH HOHPHQW RI LQIRUPDWLRQ XVH +RZ GLࣆHUHQW VSHFLHV FROOHFW SURFHVV DQG VKDUH LQIRUPDWLRQ LV D EXUJHRQLQJ ࣇHOG with discoveries like these pushing the boundaries of animal senses beyond our OLPLWHG H[SHFWDWLRQV RI WKHLU DELOLWLHV Dokter and his team have plans to more closely link individual behaviour with the daily variation in visibility in order to better understand the vertical movement SDWWHUQV RI WKHVH IDU WUDYHOOLQJ ELUGV
Emma Simpson-Wells, Alumnus of the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.
Moths: by Laura Richardson
White ermine (Diaphora mendica) – This moth was found during one of EcoSocs Moth Monitoring mornings and was a highlight for all. One of the most glamorous looking of all the moths, it is as if it is wearing Cruella Deville’s coat. During the early hours of the morning moths are docile creatures and are only fully active once they are warmed. They achieve this quickly by shivering WKHLU ZLQJV DQG PDQ\ Ⱦ\ DZD\ VRRQ DIWHU EHLQJ UHOHDVHG
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Peach blossom (Thyatira batis) – Peach blossoms are easily one of our most attractive moth species because of their wonderful pink blotches. This individual (along with the Puss moth pictured below) was found during the Bioblitz that took place on Tremough campus and at Argal and College Reservoirs in June. Collecting them from the traps was a mad rush that morning; as the heavens opened and the thunder and lightning commenced, it felt more like a rescue mission! I’m happy to report there were no casualties.
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Poplar hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) - When opening a moth trap or over turning an egg box (which are placed in the traps to give the moths something to rest on and shelter in) you never NQRZ ZKDW \RX DUH JRLQJ WR Č´QG 7KH\ FDQ EH EURZQ WKH FDQ be beautiful, and sometimes they can be gigantic! With a 70mm wings span, poplar hawkmoths are one of the great gems of the moth trap treasure chest.
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Puss moth (Cerura vinula) – For this photograph I chose a low angle to put me on the same level as the moth and put two of its best features in the frame; puss moths have incredible, long, furry legs that stretch out in front of them when they rest on branches. The fur that covers them is what inspired their cat-like name. The second feature shown is the SDLU RI IHDWKHU OLNH DQWHQQDH ZKLFK PRWKV XVH WR ȴQG IRRG DQG sometimes potential mates.
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Peppered moth (Biston betularia) – This species is often used as an example of natural selection and also as a pollution indicator. In areas where pollution is high the bark of trees and walls are darker and so darker Peppered PRWKV VXUYLYH DQG SDVV RQ WKHLU GDUN JHQHV ZKLOH WKH SDOHU RQHV DUH OHVV FDPRXȾDJHG UHVXOWLQJ LQ WKHP EHLQJ PRUH exposed to predators. This is the opposite in less polluted areas (such as Cornwall). As an areas air quality changes over time so does the colour of the local peppered moth population.
IN THE FIELD FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Old timers: ,Q WKH Č´HOG ZLWK Chris Beirne I
’m suddenly startled by a rasping bark ringing out across the wooded valley, in the semi-darkness of this warm summers evening. The call sounds like it might belong to a large and vicious predator and if you believed the local tales, you would know that a ‘big cat’ stalks this area of forest. Thankfully, my common sense intervenes. I am not in a wild and isolated fragment of the Amazonian rainforest but sat on a fallen beech tree just three and a half kilometres from the M5 in Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire, and the vicious caller is in fact, a roe deer. I am trying to catch a glimpse of the notorious nocturnal mammal that is present here in abundance - the European badger. Badgers live in large underground networks of tunnels called setts; in this location and many others in the south of
strains of rats and mice. Such organisms are highly inbred to ensure that each individual is as genetically identical to each other as possible and they are reared in exactly the VDPH FRQGLWLRQV WR HQVXUH WKDW VFLHQWLࣇF experiments are repeatable. However, it’s the variation in ageing rates that make it VXFK D IDVFLQDWLQJ ࣇHOG WR ZRUN LQ $IWHU all, everyone gets old, but why do some people get old faster than others? Working on a wild population of mammals - such as badgers - embraces the variation that might be important in determining how long an individual lives and how fast it ages.
badgers in and around Woodchester Park for over thirty seven years in order to understand how bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a disease particularly damaging to the cattle farming industry, spreads between groups of badgers under natural conditions. 7KH ࣇUVW WLPH D EDGJHU LV FDXJKW LW LV given a unique tattoo in order to identify each individual and on each subsequent occasion the badger is caught, it is tested for bTB. I also take a small blood sample from each badger in order to take back to the University’s Molecular Genetics Lab and measure each badgers telomere length. A telomere is a region of repeating ‘TTAGGG’ nucleotide sequence at the end of each chromosome which protects the vital gene coding regions of DNA from degradation. In humans, and some species of birds, telomeres are at their longest at birth then steadily reduce in length as they are eroded by cell division and the ‘wear and tear’ of everyday life. Telomere length is positively associated with the number of times a cell can divide, the longer they are the more times a cell can divide in culture. As such telomere length has been suggested to act as a molecular clock which determines your biological age. However most of the telomere research conducted to date has been performed on animals grown in controlled conditions. I DP WU\LQJ WR ࣇQG RXW LI WHORPHUHV DUH important determinants of longevity in wild populations under natural conditions.
Images: Clare Greenwood, 2013. Illustration: Chris Beirne, 2013.
Everyone gets old, but why do some people get old faster than others? Working on a wild population of mammals - such as badgers - embraces the variation that might be important in determining how long an individual lives
16
England, they live communally with other badgers in social groups. As the barking roe deer moves away all is quiet and my mind begins to wander again. I have been studying badgers for the last two years in order to understand the aging process. On the surface of it, that sounds pretty strange. Why would you study badgers in order to understand how things age? First and foremost, humans are far too long lived to collect data on during the timescale of a normal PhD (3 to 4 years), so I would be looking at less than 5% of an individual’s lifespan. Secondly, most of what we have learnt about ageing comes from laboratory
As badgers have a highly tuned sense of smell I have positioned myself downwind from one of the larger setts within the aptly named ‘Beech social group’. After such a warm summer, the leaf litter is tinder dry, so if there are badgers on the move I should hear them well before I see them. Sure HQRXJK DIWHU ࣇIWHHQ PLQXWHV RU VR , VWDUW to hear the rustling of leaves further up the VORSH 7KH QRLVH LQWHQVLࣇHV WKHUH LVQŐžW MXVW one badger up there, there’s a whole group of them! Despite the proximity of the noise, the darkness leaves me sightless. The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) have been trapping the
Just as I am starting to lose all hope of spotting a badger, I hear a rustle to my left. A solitary badger ambles out of the darkness and takes me by surprise. It stops MXVW LQ IURQW RI PH VQLࣉQJ WKLV way and that, searching for earthworms. It is impossible to tell in the half light but I hope it is badger “L54â€? or his brother “L56â€? who have been captured every year here since they were born in the year 2000. I know for a fact they both have cataracts, and most likely arthritis to boot. Before my 3K' LV XS , ZDQW WR ࣇQG RXW ZKDW makes them live so long. Is it super long telomeres, good genes, or have they simply ridden out their luck for the last thirteen years?
Suddenly the wind shifts and the badger stops in its tracks. As soon as it catches a ZKLࣆ RI WKH VWUDQJH FUHDWXUH VDW MXVW D IHZ IHHW DZD\ LW VWXPEOHV Rࣆ LQWR WKH GDUNQHVV from whence it came. Chris Beirne uses his knowledge of molecular techniques to understand the proccesses which cause the individual differences in ageing rates, working with the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter Cornwall Campus.
EVOLUTION FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
)LJKW DQG ╚╡LJKW LQ WKH night sky: WKH HYROXWLRQDU\ ZDU EHWZHHQ EDWV DQG PRWKV
The discovery that bats use sonar тАУ a process of producing sound and using the echoes bouncing back from objects to RULHQWDWH LQ WLPH DQG VSDFH ╚В LV D WDOH RI FXULRVLW\ FUHDWLYLW\ DQG PLVGLUHFWLRQ XOWLPDWHO\ ZRQ RXW E\ VFLHQWL╚┤F SHUVLVWHQFH
Illustrations: left: Aimee Jewitt Harris , right: Samuel Jay Chessel
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EVOLUTION FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Bats have evolved many different adaptations, their skull shape determines their ability to produce sonar either orally or nasally. S
S Jamaican fruit bat Artibeus jamaicensis (nasal sonar)
S Greater mouse eared bat Myotis myotis (oral sonar)
The pressure for both bats and moths to be highly effective at their own game has escalated into an evolutionary arms race, with each party continually updating and fine-tuning their biological weapons.
organism to a hunting bat must surely go to the Tiger moth (Bertholdia trigona), which produces a series of ultrasonic clicks that serve to ‘jam’ the signals of hunting bats. This is an exceptionally tricky and precision piece of defence as the moth clicks must
ࣇW ZLWKLQ D PV ZLQGRZ EHWZHHQ WKH HFKRHV UHWXUQLQJ WR WKH EDW WR EH HࣆHFWLYH If successful, moths can disrupt the auditory QHXUDO ࣇULQJ WKDW DOORZV WKH EDW WR UHFHLYH the returning echoes and so ‘jam’ the sonar signal. Biologists from Wake Forest
University, US, have recently VKRZQ IRU WKH ࣇUVW WLPH WKDW VRQDU MDPPLQJ LV HࣆHFWLYH against at least four species of Myotis spp. bats in their natural habitat in Arizona. Sonar jamming can give the moth those essential extra seconds it needs to escape and survive. The pressure for both bats and PRWKV WR EH KLJKO\ HࣆHFWLYH DW their own game has escalated into an evolutionary arms race, with each party continually XSGDWLQJ DQG ࣇQH WXQLQJ WKHLU biological weapons. Hunting with sonar in bats has selected on moths to avoid predation E\ XWLOLVLQJ D SUH H[LVWLQJ bias in the ability to detect ultrasound. In turn, the evasive PDQRHXYULQJ DQG FRXQWHU use of ultrasound against the KXQWHU KDV HOLFLWHG IXUWKHU ࣇQH tuning of sonar techniques in bats. The Palaearctic pond bat (Myotis dasycneme) can switch between the type of sonar that it uses, alternating the frequency and pitch of ultrasonic clicks in response to moth activity. It can also FKDQJH LWV ࣈLJKW SDWWHUQ IURP basic trawling along the water surface to a form of aerial hawking. Some bats even go into silent or ‘whispering’ mode when making their ࣇQDO DSSURDFK WR HࣆHFWLYHO\ sneak up on their target. With each escalation in biological weaponry, there must be a greater investment in energy, physiology and behaviour. Whether an evolutionary arms race between bats and moths will conclude with a winner or cycle continuously is hard to SUHGLFW PRWKV DUH RQO\ RQH group of insects that make up insectivorous bats’ diets and there are many others that make far easier prey items. In the meantime, there is plenty of entertaining research to be done for curious and creative biologists eager to follow the game. Written by Dr Michelle Taylor, Associate Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.
19
Asking for trouble In February this year a four-week old boy was taken to St ThomasтАЩ Hospital after a fox attack left him with a serious hand injury. Stories about how dangerous foxes are appeared in the papers almost LQVWDQWO\ SXEOLF ╚┤JXUHV VXFK DV %RULV Johnson went as far as to call them a тАЬmenaceтАЭ, and understandably, SHRSOH SDQLFNHG %XW DUH WKH IR[HV really at fault?
Images: Gemma Malenoir 2013
An urban retreat
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Life in the big city can be tough, and I donтАЩt just mean for us. Despite being one RI WKH PRVW GLргЙFXOW HQYLURQPHQWV WR OLYH LQ VRPH FDUQLYRUHV WDNH DGYDQWDJH RI WKH QRW VR QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV RXU FLWLHV KDYH WR RргЖHU $OWKRXJK PRVW FDUQLYRURXV VSHFLHV DYRLG XUEDQLVHG DUHDV VRPH SRSXODWLRQV KDYH QR FKRLFH EXW WR DGDSW DV WKHLU QDWXUDO KDELWDW LV UHSODFHG 2WKHUV DFWLYHO\ VHHN KXPDQ VHWWOHPHQW ZLWK WKH KRSH RI ргЗQGLQJ HDV\ IRRG DQG VKHOWHU 0HGLXP VL]HG FDUQLYRUHV such as coyotes, Eurasian badgers, raccoons DQG UHG IR[HV FDQ DFKLHYH KLJKHU SRSXODWLRQ GHQVLWLHV LQ XUEDQ HQYLURQPHQWV WKDQ WKH\ ZRXOG GR LQ QDWXUDO FRQGLWLRQV It has been suggested that Vulpes vulpes, RXU IDPLOLDU UHG IR[ LV RQH RI QDWXUH╒ЮV PRVW DGDSWLYH ZLOG FDUQLYRUHV GXH WR LWV H[SDQVLYH JHRJUDSKLFDO UDQJH 7KH\ KDYH EHHQ IRXQG LQ PDQ\ RI WKH ZRUOG╒ЮV KDUVKHVW
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A happy home 7R UHVLGH SHUPDQHQWO\ LQ WKH FLW\ IR[HV QHHG ERWK GD\ WLPH UHVWLQJ VLWHV DQG QHVWLQJ VLWHV FDOOHG HDUWKV 7KLV PDNHV VPDOO FRQFHQWUDWHG JDUGHQV VHHP DQ XQOLNHO\ KLGH EXW ROGHU LQWHU ZDU KRXVLQJ ргЗOOV WKH IR[HV UHTXLUHPHQWV 7KHVH KRXVHV RIWHQ KDYH HVWDEOLVKHG JDUGHQV ZLWK QDWXUDO FRYHU VXFK DV EXVKHV DQG VKUXEV DQG DUH RIWHQ RZQHG E\ ROGHU UHVLGHQWV PHDQLQJ IHZHU FKLOGUHQ DQG IHZHU GLVWXUEDQFHV (DUWKV KDYH DOVR EHHQ GLVFRYHUHG XQGHU WKH ргИRRUERDUGV RI ERWK GHUHOLFW DQG RFFXSLHG KRXVHV LQ %ULVWRO IR[HV DUH QR VWUDQJHUV ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR OLYLQJ LQ RXU SRFNHWV
Food glorious food 2QH RI WKH ELJJHVW EHQHргЗWV WR OLIH LQ WKH FLW\ LV WKH IRRG +XPDQ UHIXVH PDNHV HDV\ PHDOV IRU KXQJU\ IR[HV Urban foxes might dine on rodents, URDG NLOO fruit, pets, OLYHVWRFN or food RргЖHUHG in return for a JOLPSVH of these VWHDOWK\ creatures. Up to 60% of an DGXOW XUEDQ IR[╒ЮV GLHW FRXOG
The Telegraph has only managed to find five UK fox attacks within the last 11 years, none of which were fatal.
FEATURE FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
be made up of anthropogenic food. The availability of these food sources all year round makes it worth the risk of city living.
Are we asking for it? 7KH DWWDFN LQ )HEUXDU\ ZDV WKH ࣇUVW since 2010, where two 9-month old girls received arm and facial wounds. In fact, WKH 7HOHJUDSK KDV RQO\ PDQDJHG WR ࣇQG ࣇYH 8. IR[ DWWDFNV ZLWKLQ WKH ODVW \HDUV QRQH RI ZKLFK ZHUH IDWDO ([SHUWV VXJJHVW WKDW WKH ELWHV RQ H[WUHPLWLHV LQGLFDWH WKDW IR[HV ZHUH IHHOLQJ WKUHDWHQHG UDWKHU WKDQ EHLQJ DJJUHVVLYH DV D IR[ ORRNLQJ WR NLOO would go for the neck, not the hand, arm RU OHJ 7KH QXPEHU RI IR[ DWWDFNV SDOHV LQ comparison to the number of dog attacks, animals most of us would consider a part of the family. It is understandable that the victims’ families are upset, but can we really WDU DOO IR[HV ZLWK WKH VDPH EUXVK" 7KHUH DUH RYHU UHG IR[HV OLYLQJ LQ %ULWDLQ ZLWK only 13 - 14% living in urban areas. After the latest attack, the victim’s parents FDOOHG IRU D IR[ FXOO D QRWLRQ VXSSRUWHG by several politicians. However, wildlife H[SHUWV DUH GLVPLVVLYH RI WKH LGHD FDOOLQJ LW XQZRUNDEOH DQG H[SHQVLYH ,W PXVW DOVR EH considered that humans are not the only LQMXUHG SDUW\ LQ WKLV FRQŕŁˆLFW )R[HV DUH RIWHQ YLFWLPV RI URDG DFFLGHQWV DQG LQ WKH 86 XUEDQ UHG IR[HV DUH KXQWHG IRU WKHLU IXU Human conduct could be partly to blame for such attacks. Many households purposefully leave out food for their garden visitors, or try to entice them to eat from the hand. The availability of food so close to human dwelling is a tasty prospect for those brave enough to risk close encounters, but there is a wealth of food available to them in the urban environment, without residents providing additional sources. If the animals become habituated to our presence, they will no longer feel the need to keep WKHLU GLVWDQFH 6R GLVWDQFLQJ RXUVHOYHV could reduce the risk of confrontation. 7KH IDFW UHPDLQV WKDW WKHVH IR[HV DUH ZLOG FDUQLYRURXV DQLPDOV 2XU H[SDQGLQJ metropolises approach upon their territories without stopping to consider the consequences. Our cities don’t stop growing and when faced with the prospect of die or adapt, we must surely realise that animals that can adapt, will.
Written by Jennifer Weller, second year zoology student at the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.
21
EXPERIENCE FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Eagle of the night The unexpected roughness of a branch grazing my cheek was a reminder that I should have worn my glasses. I’m short sighted and when the light fades it makes it even harder to differentiate between upcoming objects and simple darkness. We followed on behind Pete, the most surprising birder I have come across so far.
I
t was only a few days previously, sitting around a very French farm house table in the very French farm hamlet that my family has been visiting since I was 9 months old, that I noticed a tattoo of a barn swallow on his chunky forearm. “I don’t think you want to knowâ€?, he said in his very-unfrench-Essex-accent when I asked him what inspired it. He eventually relinquished the tale of how, as a young man, he used to shoot birds to pass the WLPH ZKHQ ZDLWLQJ IRU D ࣇVKLQJ FDWFK LQ his boat. He ended up shooting so many that he came to feel sorry for the feathered creatures, and decided to spend the rest of his life learning as much as he could about them as a sort of penance.
Image: Marcus Hoare (taken at the New Forest falconry display).
It was this conversation in which we learnt that there were Eurasian eagle owls nearby and that Pete had heard them calling whilst sitting quietly, waiting for a catch on his ࣇVKLQJ OLQH 0\ ER\IULHQG DOVR D Ő?ELUGHUŐž got really excited and I, unknowing, was a little confused. A plan was hatched nonetheless and a few nights later we were winding our way down to the Dordogne River in a red and white VW camper, part of the family since 1987, in pursuit of a sighting of this elusive eagle owl. As we followed Pete, he told us what they sounded like, and we all had a go at an impersonation, resulting in unsurprisingly poor attempts to mimic something unknown. When we reached the water’s edge we sat uncomfortably on precariously balanced rocks, and looked to the other side of the steep, tree lined ravine. We had binoculars, but as time went on we started to lose faith in our search, the trees were dense and where there were patches of open rock, the sheer width of the Dordogne made them too far away to pick RXW DQ\WKLQJ OHW DORQH D ZHOO FDPRXŕŁˆDJHG eagle owl sitting amongst the crevices. The grey-blue hues of dusk turned to black, and now my eyesight was only as useless as everybody else’s. We sat talking
in whispers, and joked to each other in hushed tones that we should try and call it out of the trees. I let out my best eagle owl impersonation, blowing through top teeth pushed against bottom lip, sounding something a bit like a mournful kazoo. , ODXJKHG VLOHQWO\ DW P\ SRRU HࣆRUW EXW then through the quiet came a distant “oh huuâ€? and we all gasped and fell into hushed giggles. I could barely believe it and thought it a coincidence, so I repeated my kazoo call and sure enough; “oh huuâ€? came the owl’s reply. I continued my conversation with the eagle owl for a while, calling out into the darkness and listening with anticipation for its replies to resonate through the trees. The others tried too, but perhaps something about the frequency of my voice hit the right note with my new friend. I heard it move from the left side of the forest to the right, and up to the top of the steep sides of the ravine, but it UHPDLQHG RXW RI VLJKW 7R ࣇOO WKH GDUNQHVV we started talking about stories of how one owl can take down a sheep or a young roe deer on their own, and I imagined the moment of such a giant animal swooping towards you, talons outstretched. I don’t feel shame in fearing them; it’s a form of respect that we can recognise when to keep our distance. As time went on its replies got shorter and sharper, it seemed annoyed, that I, another owl, was in its territory uninvited and communicating with it out of turn. I drew our conversation to a close. Our feet were cold and the hours left to pack up to return home were dwindling, so we got up, and with one last hooting goodbye, we scrambled our way back to the van. Written by Roz Evans, 3rd year Conservation Biology and Ecology student with the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.
OPINION FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
The fading night Some years ago, while hitchhiking around the sparsely populated landscape of Namibia, I was camping in a remote location in the north of the country. There was no moon that night, and leaving my tent to go to the toilet I was initially overwhelmed by the incredible display of stars arching overhead, but also by a deep fear. It was so dark, with barely any discernable background glow on the sky, that the only way to see where the horizon began was by the absence of stars. This was the deepest view of creation I’d ever had, and yet it felt more claustrophobic than ever, as though the universe was on the verge of collapsing on itself. It was a profound reminder of how adapted I am to the day, and how successfully we have banished the darkness of night from our experience in the developed world.
Image: NASA, 2013.
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ur remote ancestors in the Mesozoic were well adapted to nocturnal life, as many mammals and other animals are today. The daily cycle of light and dark are essential in regulating the circadian 24hour rhythms of most animals. Humans have EHHQ XVLQJ ࣇUH WR EDQLVK WKH GDUNQHVV IRU millennia, but over the past century there has been an explosion of night illumination with the advent of electric lighting. 7KH HࣆHFW WKLV KDV KDG RQ ZLOGOLIH LV SHUKDSV the most overlooked factor in the complex web of the causes of biodiversity decline. $UWLࣇFLDO OLJKWV DࣆHFW WKH EHKDYLRXU SDWWHUQV
to a reduction in visibility to predators. In a natural environment these moonless nights will be exploitable with each lunar cycle, EXW ZLWK DQ LQŕŁˆX[ RI DUWLࣇFLDO OLJKWLQJ WKH opportunities are lost. It’s apparent that FRQVWDQW DUWLࣇFLDO OLJKWLQJ ZLOO NHHS PDQ\ species in the shadows. A brief look at a satellite image of the world at night shows how seriously our densely SRSXODWHG OLWWOH LVODQG LV D࣊LFWHG DQG WKH 8. has seen serious declines in numerous animal populations over the last few decades. Moths DQG RWKHU QRFWXUQDO ŕŁˆ\LQJ LQVHFWV XVH WKH PRRQ DQG VWDUV WR RULHQWDWH EXW ZLWK DUWLࣇFLDO
7KLV LVVXH KDV EHHQ D JURZLQJ ࣇHOG IRU WKH last decade, and we are just beginning to understand the extent to which the problem DࣆHFWV RXU HFRV\VWHPV 2I FRXUVH RWKHU factors, particularly habitat destruction, DUH OLNHO\ WR EH WKH PRVW VLJQLࣇFDQW GULYHUV in most population declines, but this is something that would be so easy to address. Aside from the obvious issue of wasted energy, do we really need streetlights to be on all night, especially on weeknights in rural villages? It’s comforting for us, and it has been argued that accidents and crime rates are lower in areas that are brightly lit, but
of many animals, and there is evidence that they disrupt the rhythms of birds, insects, reptiles and numerous other nocturnal animals. One of the best-studied examples is that of turtle hatchlings on tropical beaches, ZKHUH OLJKWV IURP KRWHOV DQG UHVRUWV ŕŁˆRRG WKH horizon inland. Under normal circumstances, hatchlings instinctively orientate away from the dark silhouette of the horizon towards the brighter, starry sky, leading them to the RFHDQ :KHUH WKH KRUL]RQ LV ŕŁˆRRGHG ZLWK electric lights, the turtles often head inland, away from the sea, where they can become exhausted and disorientated, run over by YHKLFOHV RU SLFNHG Rࣆ E\ SUHGDWRUV WKDW XVH the extra illumination to their advantage.
lights being brighter than stars even at large distances, the insects become disorientated and unable to navigate in the darker areas QHDUE\ 7KH IDPLOLDU ŕŁˆXWWHULQJ RQ D VXPPHUŐžV night of moths around streetlamps saps the animals’ energy, and creates an aggregation of prey for nocturnal insectivorous predators such as bats, which in turn are more YXOQHUDEOH WR RWKHU SUHGDWRUV DQG WUDࣉF accidents. Moths escaping predation will often land nearby, unable to navigate in the dark surroundings, leading to a loss of opportunity for feeding. This process has been referred WR DV WKH Ő?YDFXXP FOHDQHU HࣆHFWŐž ZKHUHE\ insects are drawn out of suitable habitats for miles around the light source, leading to depleted populations in the surrounding countryside.
we need to spend more energy and money understanding which lighting types have the least ecological damage. Thankfully some local authorities are rolling out testing periods reducing the amount or type of lighting used, but this is largely focused on money saving rather than ecosystem regenerating.
Light pollution has been linked to population declines in snakes, disruptions of migrating birds and bats, amphibians, and invertebrates. Research suggests that invertebrate activity and small mammal distribution is increased on darker, moonless nights, probably due
The reduction in moth populations may also be a major factor in the current serious GHFOLQH LQ EDW SRSXODWLRQV LQ WKH 8. ZKLFK are heavily dependent on moths as prey.
$ IHZ KRXUV ZLWK WKH OLJKWV Rࣆ GXULQJ WKH quietest periods each night would give wildlife a chance to disperse and resume it’s normal rhythms of activity, and we PLJKW DOVR EHQHࣇW E\ UHGXFLQJ RXU HQHUJ\ consumption, enjoying richer biodiversity, and of course, re-acquainting ourselves with the darkness which is as much a part of our circadian rhythm as any other species. Written by Feargus Cooney, third year Conservation Biology and Ecology BSc with the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.University of Exeter,
WOMEN IN SCIENCE FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
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Get involved... Zeya Wagner and Liselle-Fae Jackson performing PCR technique in Tremough teaching lab
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7KH $WKHQD 6:$1 LV D FKDUWHU VHW XS WR WDFNOH JHQGHU LQHTXDOLWLHV LQ VFLHQFH HQJLQHHULQJ DQG WHFKQRORJ\ E\ FKDQJLQJ FXOWXUHV and attitudes towards women and removing REVWDFOHV WKDW VWRS WKHP SURJUHVVLQJ WR WRS SRVLWLRQV 8QLYHUVLWLHV FDQ DSSO\ IRU DZDUGV IRU JRRG SUDFWLFH LQ EURQ]H VLOYHU DQG JROG ([HWHU FXUUHQWO\ KROGV EURQ]H DQG &/(6 KDV MXVW VXEPLWWHG LWV DSSOLFDWLRQ IRU VLOYHU ZDWFK WKLV VSDFH IRU WKH UHVXOW
Claire Young, Student Engagement, Widening Participation and Internationalisation Coordinator at the University of Exeter.
25
NEWS FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Badger vaccine success in Cornwall A government-funded badger vaccination scheme worth ÂŁ2 million has been granted this month to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis in the Penwith area of west Cornwall. This has come as welcome news to nearly 200,000 people who signed an anti-badger cull petition as well large numbers of researchers, activists and land owners who have, for many years, been advocates of a vaccine over the cull. It has also been somewhat of a surprise given the recent culls, ordered by DEFRA, that have begun in Somerset and Gloucestershire with another in Dorset planned for next year.
Until recently the favoured course of action has been controversial culling of badgers in infected areas; despite extensive studies failing to show lasting or measurable HࣆHFWV LQ HUDGLFDWLQJ E7% ,Q IDFW WKH ,QGHSHQGHQW 6FLHQWLࣇF *URXS RQ &DWWOH TB concluded in 2007 that other than the systematic or virtual elimination of badgers over very extensive areas - a realistically impossible task - culling actually increases the spread of bTB. Once most badgers are removed from the cull area, a new territory is opened up that is exploited by badgers in surrounding areas. Immigrant badgers are infected from abandoned setts and surviving infected individuals increasing badger-badger and badger-cattle transmission rates. The lower badger density means that there is greater movement than before the cull and the original infection spreads to a larger area.
Image: Samuel Shrimpton 2013
As Simon King, President of the Wildlife Trusts, said in an interview on Newsnight in 2012, “Badgers are not the enemy here, bovine Tuberculosis is‌ The way of countering it is not to kill badgers, the way of countering it is to get rid of bTB through vaccination, both with the badgers and cattle.â€? Under current EU legislation, the vaccination of cattle against bTB is prohibited as a proportion of individuals treated with the BCG still test positive in TB diagnostic tests. This means they cannot be declared free of the disease for trading purposes. Although new diagnostic tests are being developed WKDW FDQ GLࣆHUHQWLDWH EHWZHHQ LQIHFWHG and vaccinated individuals, it is likely to be at least 10 years before any change in EU legislation will permit any these tests or any vaccination programmes to be implemented on cattle.
26
The treatment of the European badger (Meles meles) with regards to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) has long been a topic of great debate. For over 30 years it has been known that the badger may contract and carry the pathogen responsible for bTB, Mycobacterium bovis, with a subsequent enquiries instituted by the government showing transmission of the disease from cattle to badgers and, more worryingly for farmers, from badgers to cattle. The high level of their interaction with cattle makes the badger a key species in the eradication of bTB.
)RU WKH VFKHPH LQ &RUQZDOO WR EH HࣆHFWLYH it will need to be carried for at least the next 6 years at a cost of around £650 per badger. Not cheap, but with over 30,000 cattle slaughtered throughout the UK in HDFK RI WKH SDVW ࣇYH \HDUV DQG WKH QDWLRQDO cost of bTB to the UK taxpayer in the next decade predicted to be over £1 billion, the vaccination programme could be worth it in the long run.
Written by Will Priestley, Alumnus of the University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus.
The Feral Pigeon Project announces the launch of its new app for Android. Recently showcased on BBC2’s hugely popular Winterwatch show, Adam Rogers founded the Feral Pigeon Project with the hope of mapping the variation in feral pigeon plumage colours across the UK. Most feral animals are uniform in colour, yet feral pigeons come in a wide array of colours - this variation is thought to be key to this charismatic bird’s success. He is asking people to count the number of pigeons of various colours and to report them via the project’s website or with its new app. He said, “Pigeons may not be as glamorous as many of the exotic animals a person could choose to study but take the time to look beneath the feathers and they’re just as superbly adapted as any of the $IULFDQ ELJ Č´YH Č‹
The  Feral  Pigeon  Project  has  announced  the  launch  of  its  new  app  fo Android  TM  Recently  showcased  on  BBC2's  hugely  popular  Winterwatch  show,  Adam  Rogers  founded  the  Feral  Pigeon  Project  with  the  hope  of  mapping  the  variation  in  feral  pigeon  plumage  colours  across  the  UK. Â
Most  feral  animals  are  uniform  in  colour,  yet  feral  pigeons  come  in  a  wide  array  of  colours  -Ââ€? this  variation  is  thought  to  be  key  to  this  charismatic  bird's  success.   He  is  asking  people  to Â
count  the  number  of  pigeons  of  various  colours  and  to  report  them  via  the  project's  website The project hopes to uncover or  with  its  new  app.  how pigeons are adapting to He  said,  "Pigeons  may  not  be  as  glamorous  as  many  of  the  exotic  animals  a  person  could  choose  to  study  but  take  the  time  to  look  beneath  the  feathers  and  they're  just  as  superbly  WKH LQČľXHQFH RI RXU XUEDQ adapted  as  any  of  the  African  big  five."  The  project  hopes  to  uncover  how  pigeons  are  adapting  to  the  influence  of  our  urban  environment, as well as environment,  as  well  as  helping  to  spark  people's  interest  in  the  natural  world.  helping to spark people’s To  download  the  app  visit:   https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.hiafi.feralpigeon&hl=en_GB  or  scan  the  following  QR  code: Â
To download the app scan:
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www.feralpigeonproject.com
REVIEWS FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Hotspots of Cornwall recommended by the editors of Life "Tehidy Country Park makes for a sun-dappled leafy-green haze of a day. Leasuirely follow the PLOHV RI SDWKV DQG ZLWQHVV VRPH XQLTXH ȾRUD and fauna residing in the woodland. Keep an eye out for some natural wood carvings too! � - Samuel Jay Chessel, Picture Editor
Illustration: Emma Simpson-Wells 2013. Images: chough: Dave Jones, guillemot & tree canopy: Emma Simpson-Wells, bluebells: Roz Evans, dipper: Billy Heaney
"Hell’s Mouth is a beautiful coastal spot for bird watching. Fulmars, razorbills, guillemots and cormorants all nest there, and gannets can be seen out to sea. Lie on the grassy cliff and watch them swoop around below you! � - Emma SimpsonWells, Creative Director
“The Lizard, most southerly point, is amazing in winter storms but beautiful in the summer. The wildlife there is unique and you’re pretty much guaranteed something each time you visit!� - Charli Sams, Picture Editor
"Kennall Vale Nature Reserve is a great little woodland hideaway. Slightly inland, and with a big stream running through there’s SOHQW\ WR ȴQG from dippers, to woodland anemones and an impressive range of fungi!"
"I'm a bit in love with Enys gardens at the moment. Although it isn't wild, it's just stunning when you go in bluebell season, so keep it on your list as something to look forward to until spring. The whole place is really well managed for wildlife with ponds and a huge variety of vegetation. Students get in for £2 and there's a tea room to top it all off!� - Roz Evans, Editor in Chief
-Georgia Cass, SubCreative Director 27
CAREERS FROM DAWN UNTIL DUSK AUTUMN ISSUE
Claire Young: Careers Interview 4XDOLࢮFDWLRQ BSc Conservation Biology and Ecology -RE WLWOH I have the longest job title EVER. Such a mouthful: Student Engagement, Widening Participation and Internationalisation Coordinator for CLES Cornwall at the University of Exeter. And people still don’t know what it means after I’ve said it!
Image Credit: Dave Jones
:KDW \RX GR My job is so varied. Part of it involves working with current students to get them engaged in projects we’re running, as well as supporting them to set up their own. I also do a huge amount of outreach work with schools, developing lessons and teaching kids, trying to inspire them to get excited about science. :KDW \RX ORYH Having autonomy in my job and being able to tailor it to my strengths and what I enjoy. I’m supposed to be an intern but I’m treated like an H[SHULHQFHG PHPEHU RI VWDࣆ , ZDV WKURZQ into the deep end and it has been very FKDOOHQJLQJ EXW LW՞V KHOSHG PH WR ࣈRXULVK and I’ve achieved some great things. :KDWՒV QRW VR JUHDW Having to convince people to come to events and take part in
things that I’ve worked so hard on. At every event I’m always so worried no one will turn up! They usually do though! :KDW JRW \RX WKHUH I was an engaged student myself and did lots of volunteering. I was also a Student Ambassador which gave me a lot of experience working with
\RXQJ SHRSOH DQG ERRVWHG P\ FRQࣇGHQFH massively. :KHUH ZLOO LW KHOS \RX JHW I don’t really know! I’d love to do a PhD but I’m yet to ࣇQG DQ DUHD RI UHVHDUFK WKDW UHDOO\ FDSWLYDWHV me. I’m open to a most things but I need something that challenges me!
Want to be part of Life Nature Magazine? We are looking for a new team for a new year. So will be KROGLQJ LQWHUYLHZV WR ȴQG An Editor-in-chief Sub Editors Picture Editors Content Editors Layout Designers Either experienced or just keen to learn and put in the time! Must be pro-active! If you’re interested, e-mail life@exeter.ac.uk 28
VOLUNTEERING FROM DAWN UNTIL DUSK AUTUMN ISSUE
Sea Watch Foundation:
Blue Reef Aquarium:
New Quay
Newquay
Where & who? I am currently completing a seven week internship with Sea Watch Foundation in New Quay, Wales.
Where & who? I worked in Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium, with the volunteering being mainly run by Lee Charnock, one of the aquarium display team.
Tasks and responsibilities Land surveys consisted of sitting on New Quay pier and counting the dolphins seen in the bay. The boat surveys involved recording cetaceans and the environment, such as sea state, and GPS coordinates. If dolphins were VLJKWHG ZH WUDFNHG WKH GROSKLQV VORZO\ WR WDNH SKRWRV IRU LGHQWLࣇFDWLRQ When groups of dolphins were spotted, behaviour forms were also used, along with the use of the hydrophone to record the dolphins FRPPXQLFDWLQJ 2ࣉFH ZRUN LQFOXGHG RUJDQLVLQJ HTXLSPHQW VRUWLQJ through sightings and inputting data. Highlights I was able to hear the dolphins communicating through a variety of clicks and whistle through the hydrophone. This gave me an insight into the dolphin’s lives that not many people get. Lowlights I don’t really have a lowlight as I have never worked with marine mammals before. I was continuously learning not only about cetaceans, but also about the marine environment. Would you recommend it to others? , ZRXOG JR EDFN DQG ZRXOG GHࣇQLWHO\ UHFRPPHQG LW HVSHFLDOO\ LI \RX ZDQW to get involved with marine mammals.
Tasks and responsibilities My main tasks were to get the aquarium ready to receive visitors in the morning, which included soaping the octopus tank to keep it from fogging up with condensation. I would also run checks on the tanks including temperature and water quality. Feeding the GLŕŁ&#x2020;HUHQW LQKDELWDQFH RI WKH DTXDULXP ZDV DOVR TXLWH D main task, as well as going out to local rock pools and rivers to catch live food. Highlights It would have to be either feeding or playing with the octopus. Hand feeding cayman, logger head turtles and sharks was pretty cool, though having an octopus latching onto your arms is a pretty amazing feeling. Lowlights 7KDW KDV WR EH UXVKLQJ DURXQG ŕŁ&#x2021;UVW WKLQJ LQ WKH morning and having to clean the glass on over 50 tanks, especially the low glass, being 6 foot 5 tall. Would you recommend it to others? <HDK GHŕŁ&#x2021;QLWHO\ VR PXFK IXQ HVSHFLDOO\ ZKHQ LWV RQ D beach in Newquay, in the summer heat! Cost The only cost was petrol to and from where I was staying, so if you live close it would be all sweet. :HUH \RX FRQWULEXWLQJ DQG OHDUQLQJ VFLHQWLࢎFDOO\" Yeah to a certain extent, helping the aquarium is always JRLQJ WR KHOS WKHP LQ WKHLU FRQVHUYDWLRQ HŕŁ&#x2020;RUWV 7KH NQRZOHGJH , SLFNHG XS ZKLOVW ZRUNLQJ WKHUH GHŕŁ&#x2021;QLWHO\ helped me in my exploitation of the sea module in 2nd year.
Cost ,WŐ&#x17E;V e SZ IRU UHQW DW WKH KRXVH ,WŐ&#x17E;V FRPSOHWHO\ MXVWLŕŁ&#x2021;HG E\ HYHU\WKLQJ \RX GR DQG WKH DPRXQW \RX OHDUQ 7KH\ DOVR GR WKHLU EHVW WR KHOS \RX ŕŁ&#x2021;QG MREV around New Quay. :HUH \RX FRQWULEXWLQJ DQG OHDUQLQJ VFLHQWLࢎFDOO\" 'HŕŁ&#x2021;QLWHO\ 6HD :DWFK XVHV DOO WKH GDWD WKH\ FROOHFW IRU VFLHQWLŕŁ&#x2021;F SXUSRVHV There have been many papers published from data volunteers helped to FROOHFW <RX DOVR JDLQ PRUH NQRZOHGJH RI FROOHFWLQJ GDWD LQ WKH ŕŁ&#x2021;HOG Do you think it will be helpful for your future career prospects? I believe it will. You learn so much, not only how to collect data out in the ŕŁ&#x2021;HOG LQ GLŕŁ&#x2020;HUHQW HQYLURQPHQWV EXW DOVR ZKDW WR GR ZLWK WKDW GDWD DQG KRZ to input it onto databases. It also opens up opportunities to work in other ŕŁ&#x2021;HOGV RU ZLWK RWKHU FHWDFHDQV LQ RWKHU SDUWV RI WKH ZRUOG
Do you think it will be helpful for your future career prospects? Well Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m now working in another aquarium closer to home after telling them about my Newquay experience in the summer, so it looks like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helping already!
Jess Cripps
George Clayden
29
ON YOUR DOORSTEP FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Wildlife Watch October:
November:
Red Deer
Thrushes
October is the peak of the red deer Cervus elaphus rut. Usually segregated, congregating into large single sex herds in open country, in the breeding season the stags return to the home rage of the hind deer creating large mixed groups. Males compete to win access to a group of females and by protecting their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;haremâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the dominant male will receive exclusive rights to mate with them.
By November visiting thrushes can be seen in large PL[HG ŕŁ&#x2C6;RFNV IRUDJLQJ LQ RSHQ ŕŁ&#x2021;HOGV ZRRGODQG HGJHV DQG along hedgerows. Common migrants include redwing turdus iliacus DQG ŕŁ&#x2021;HOGIDUH turdus pilaris, most of the ones we see in Cornwall would have crossed the north sea, on passage from Scandinavia. They overwinter in the UK, departing in early spring. Redwings are easily spotted on the Tremough Campus, so keep your eyes peeled.
Seals
Image: red deer: Beth Arkwright, red wing, Hannah Walker; merveille du jour, Guy Freeman; seal pup, Liselle Fae Jackson; waxwing, Felix Smith; fungi, Charlotte Sams; moss, Claire Young.
By November grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) colonies are bustling with their ŕŁ&#x2021;UVW ZKLWH SXSV 2XU RWKHU FRPPRQ 8. VHDO WKH KDUERXU VHDO Phoca vitulina, pups much earlier in June-July. Grey seal pups moult their thick, white coat after three weeks, at this point their mothers will end their starvation period, leaving the pups to fend for themselves. Godrevy head in Hayle is a good place for seeing the new families interact.
Moths 2QH RI WKH 8.V ODWHU ŕŁ&#x2C6;\LQJ moths, the Merveille du Jour Dichonia aprilina can be seen on the wing from late September to October. Although scarce, it is widespread, often occurring in woodland, hedgerows and gardens around the UK, in particular those with high numbers of oaks - their larval food plant. It is one of our most beautiful moths, especially when newly emerged.
December: Waxwings During harsh winters, large ŕŁ&#x2C6;RFNV RI PLJUDWRU\ ZD[ZLQJV Bombycilla garrulous are forced south, leaving northern and central Europe where they overwinter and visit the UK. They often make it as far south as Cornwall, and can be seen frequenting gardens and car parks in Falmouth, foraging on hawthorn Crategus monogyna and rowan Sorbus aucuparia berries.
Fungi October is the month fungal diversity peaks, with the majority of the seasonal mushrooms fruiting. This is a great time to get into wild foraging as PDQ\ HGLEOH VSHFLHV RI SXŕŁ&#x2020;EDOOV SDUDVROV DQG ŕŁ&#x2021;HOG DQG ZRRG mushrooms emerge. But forage with caution; many poisonous species also thrive in October. These include the unmistakeable ŕŁ&#x2C6;\ DJDULF Amanita muscaria (pictured), as well as species which are confusingly similar to edible specimens; false chanterelle Hygrophoropis aurantiaca can cause some people serious harm and looks almost identical to other edible chanterelles.
Moss In December when the temperatures drop really low, water everywhere can freeze, causing quite a spectacle in some places. Moss has a high water content, and lives in damp spots. The soft moss beds we are used to are transformed in to crunchy, icicle laden, glistening green walls.
Written by Fraser Bell, MSc Applied Ecology Alumnus.
Illustration: Wynona Legg 2013
ON YOUR DOORSTEP FROM DUSK UNTIL DAWN AUTUMN ISSUE
Adaptations of a.... Nightjar *URXQG QHVWLQJ QLJKWMDUV DUH KLJKO\ FDPRXČľDJHG LQ DWWHPSWV WR GLVJXLVH WKHPVHOYHV IURP WKHLU SUHGDWRUV /LNH VRPH RZOV WKH\ Čľ\ FRPSOHWHO\ VLOHQWO\ to avoid detection by predators and insect prey.
$ UHČľHFWLYH PHPEUDQH EHKLQG WKH retina enhances the nightjarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vision at night by improving the light gathering ability of the eye.
The beak is wider than it is long, opening widely in both directions providing a wide JDSH WR VFRRS XS DHULDO LQVHFWV ZKLOVW Čľ\LQJ Image: Mozambique Nightjar, Jared Wilson-Aggarwal
Big white patches on the ends of malesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wings UHČľHFW WKH PRRQOLJKW DQG IRUP SDUW RI PDWLQJ DQG territorial displays. Enthusiasts might take two handkerchiefs and wave them at arms length, to attract the attention of a territorial male.
Their brown feathers create an illusion of a pile of leaves or a dead log, blending in perfectly with their FKRVHQ EDFNJURXQGV (YHQ WKHLU HJJV DUH FDPRXČľDJHG for the times when they leave their nests. 9
If you want to write for
ife
n a t u r e
m a g a z i n e
The theme for the spring termâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue is:
Anthropogenesis... Just send us a short summary of your idea for an article or a photographic sequence to: life@exeter.ac.uk
With thanks to our readers and supporters, The University of Exeter and University of Falmouth. Credit: Emma Simpson-Wells 2013