ENGLAND
From the fastest bird in the world to a species that’s made an incredible comeback, England is home to a whole host of amazing animals. Hold on tight as we venture into the country’s rivers, woodlands, coastal cliffs and even cities to meet some wonderful wildlife...
Eurasian otter!
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Hazel dormouse!
This cute, cuddly critter is found in woodlands and hedgerows in central and southern England. A super-skilled climber, the hazel dormouse spends its time up in the branches, where there’s plenty of food, and it only comes down to the ground to hibernate. “Loss of habitat has meant that areas where these incredible creatures were once found has halved,” explains Nida Al-Fulaij, wildlife expert at the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). “So to improve populations, we’re reintroducing them back into woodlands across England.” Yay!
A lotta otter
Pictures © Getty Images UK.
If it’s speed that impresses you, then prepare to be amazed! Feeding mostly on other birds, the Peregrine falcon swoops down to catch its prey at up to 360kmph. Whoosh! Whilst these brilliant birds are mostly found along coastal cliffs, they’re increasingly setting up home in cities like London, where they nest on tall buildings. Due to illegal hunting and harmful pesticides the Peregrine falcon was once seriously endangered. But, fortunately, legal protection and safer pesticides means the population of these feathered friends is now on the rise!
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If you explore the banks of England’s rivers and lakes, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of the nation’s super swimmers — the Eurasian otter! With its streamlined body, webbed feet and thick fur that keep it warm, this semi-aquatic mammal is well adapted for life on the water. Otters have strong populations in south-western and northern counties of England, where they live in burrows known as ‘holts’ and feed on fish, waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. Sadly, 40 years ago these incredible creatures almost disappeared in England due to hunting, habitat loss and the use of harmful pesticides. But Eurasian otters are now recognised as a symbol of success for wildlife conservationists. Since being protected by law in 1978, they’ve made a splashing comeback and they’re now living in every county in England! “Today, otters are doing well,” says otter expert Dr Daniel Allen. “There are now around 1,600 of them in England and the number is increasing steadily.” Great news! Splash over to otter.org now to find out how you can help!
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Peregrine falcon
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DID YOU KNOW...? Eurasian otters also live in coastal regions. But they must always have access to fresh water sources for drinking and cleaning.
Wild things to do in
ENGLAND!
Find a fossil!
Jurassic Coast, Devon/Dorset Fancy a trip back in time? Well, this stretch of coastline, running from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland in Dorset, will take you back almost 185 million years! As you’re exploring the beautiful beaches and craggy coves, be sure to keep your eyes peeled — because you may well find fossils hidden amongst the ancient rocks! jurassiccoast.org
Size up Stonehenge!
Wiltshire This ghostly circle of massive stones has towered above England’s Salisbury Plain for 4,500 years! Exactly why ancient people hauled the six-metre high stones into a circle, and what this prehistoric monument means, remains a mystery to this day. But one thing’s for sure — it’s well worth a visit! stonehenge.co.uk
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Stag beetle!
A close-up look at this fierce-looking bug might give you a fright! But don’t worry, gang — it won’t harm you! Stag beetles get their name from the male’s antler-like jaws, which it uses for fighting off rival males over territory and food. They’re mostly found in woodland areas of south-east England, but they also live in parks, gardens and hedgerows. Sadly, due to habitat loss, populations have become seriously threatened. So why don’t YOU help them out? Encourage these minibeasts into your garden by creating a happy bug home with logs, stones and compost heaps!
Explore the Lakes!
Lake District, Cumbria With glistening lakes, stunning coastline and mighty mountains, the Lake District is the perfect place to enjoy the great outdoors! Located in north-west England, this region is home to loads of amazing wildlife, too. Whether you trek, cycle or even sail, you’ll have loads of fun getting up close with nature here! ngkids.co.uk 19 lakedistrict.gov.uk
THE ISLAND OF IRELAND Wherever you are on the island of Ireland, you’re never far away from amazing wildlife. Join us as we head off on an adventure to discover the best this island has to offer, from colourful birds and loud amphibians to some very unusual goats. Let’s go, gang!
Puffins swallow their food underwater, but can carry up to 30 small fish at once when bringing food home to their young!
Natterjack toad
Nicknamed ‘sea parrots’ because of their brightly-coloured bills, puffins are frequent visitors to the coast of Ireland in the summer months, particularly in the west. These colourful seabirds spend most of their time swimming, feeding and even resting at sea. They use their wings to glide underwater where they catch and gobble up a mixture of fish, crustaceans, squid and marine worms. They can dive down more than 60m!
Easily recognised by the yellow stripe that runs down its back, the natterjack is the only toad species in Ireland! It also has short legs, which means that rather than hopping like other toads, this warty character runs along the ground! In the spring, you’d know if you were near a male natterjack because of its super-loud croaking call which can be heard from up to 1km away! The male’s call is amplified by a large vocal sac found under its chin, which expands like a balloon with each call. Cool, huh?!
Bilberry goat © Joe Cashin. All other pictures © Getty Images UK.
Flocking together
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Reaching speeds of more than 50kmph and jumping up to two metres into the air, this special creature is unique to the island of Ireland and is arguably Ireland’s oldest surviving mammal. It’s believed to have been living on the island since before the last Ice Age, which ended around 10,000 years ago! Look out for these hares roaming the hills or even grazing on seaweed by the coast. However, you’re most likely to see one if you keep your eyes peeled in areas rich with tall plants, such as rushes. These helpful plants provide food, shelter and a good hiding place from the Irish hare’s pesky predators — foxes and birds of prey.
DID YOU KNOW...?
Puffin
But each spring and summer puffins come ashore to breed, nesting in colonies that can number thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of birds! Each pair of puffins digs a burrow, about 90cm long, into a soft slope near the sea. If that’s not possible, they’ll sometimes burrow into crevices or cracks in cliffs. Once inside, the male bird builds a nest and the female lays an egg. Both parents take turns looking after the egg and even share the feeding duties until the chick is ready to fly the nest. Cute! Fly over to birdwatchireland.ie to find out more!
Irish hare
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Wild things to do ON THE ISLAND OF
IRELAND!
Giddy up for a wild ride! County Antrim At Sheans Horse Farm you can jump on a horse and ride into the hills to enjoy breathtaking views of Northern Ireland’s countryside — including the Giant’s Causeway, Lough Foyle and the Sperrin mountains. You’ll ride across quiet streams, hills and hollows — it’s the perfect adventure for animal lovers! sheanshorsefarm.com
Have an island adventure!
County Sligo Hop on a boat to Coney Island and you’ll have loads of fun hillwalking, cycling and spotting wildlife. This awesome island got its name because it’s home to a huge number of rabbits — ‘coney’ means rabbit fur! How many you can spot?! Then relax with a picnic or swim in Coney’s crystal-clear waters. Splash! sligoboatcharters.com
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Bilberry goat
These shaggy-haired beauties are the only feral goat herd to be found in the centre of a city anywhere in the world! The Bilberry goat herd was formed when French Protestants came to Waterford, south-east Ireland, in around 1700. When they arrived, they brought the goats that they had on board their ship up to Bilberry Rock to graze — and they’ve been there ever since! However, over the years the land the goats need to graze has been eroded by development and in 2000 there were only seven animals left! Visit bilberrygoatheritagetrust.com to help these unique animals!
Take a mystery tour!
County Wicklow Join this tour in ‘The Garden of Ireland’ and you’ll spend the day having a magical adventure, as you explore the beautiful county of Wicklow. From rolling hills to historic sights, you’ll have a great time as you find out loads of fascinating facts, discover Irish culture and uncover some mysteries along the way, too! ngkids.co.uk 23 wildwicklow.ie
SCOTLAND
Home to snow-capped mountains, 31,000 lochs and a stunning coastline that stretches for 13,000km, Scotland is alive with incredible wildlife! NG Kids jumped aboard the Caledonian Sleeper train and woke up in the Scottish Highlands to check out the region’s wonderful species...
Red squirrel
Wild things to do in
Pine marten
Some 6,500 years ago, when Britain and Ireland were still covered in forest, pine martens were the second most common meat-eaters on these islands. But these elusive members of the weasel family have suffered ever since from the clearance of woodlands and hunting by humans. Today, there are very few remaining in England and Wales, but in the Highlands of Scotland, and in parts of Ireland, they’re thriving! Scientists believe that the cute critters have helped boost the red squirrel population in parts of Scotland — because they love a good game of chase — pursuing and eating grey squirrels! Natural pest control. Yay!
Hands up if you love red squirrels! Well, these cute, cuddly critters really need your help. One hundred years ago there were several million red squirrels in the UK and Ireland — now there are just over 160,000, 75% of which are found in Scotland. Sadly, our native squirrels have been ‘out-muscled’ by larger non-native grey squirrels, which were introduced from North America to the UK in the late 19th Century and into Ireland in 1911. As well as competing with reds for food and having twice as many young, greys also carry a disease called squirrelpox virus, which is deadly to reds.
Pictures © Getty Images UK, apart from pine marten © Steve Knell; Loch Shiel © Tim Herbert; Sea kayaking © Steve Macfarlane.
Hide and seek
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Sound of Arisaig, West Coast Fancy going for a paddle in the Atlantic? Well, grab a wetsuit and jump in a kayak! Sea kayaking is a fun-filled way to explore the ocean and see wildlife! If you’re lucky, you may get to see otters, seals, eagles and even dolphins, minkhe whales or basking sharks. Amazing! glenuig.com
With 300,000 red deer living wild and free in Scotland, you’re never too far away from one of these majestic beasts. Growing up to 137cm tall from floor to shoulder, these hardy heroes are the UK and Ireland’s largest land mammal, the world’s fourth largest deer species behind moose, elk and sambar deer. Making their homes in woodlands, marshes, moors and even mountains, adult males (called stags) shed their impressive antlers each spring, giving them enough time to grow back (at 2.5cm per day!) in time for autumn when they use them to attract females and fight off rivals. Super strong!
Go monster hunting!
Loch Shiel, Glenfinnan You probably know about Nessie, the famous Loch Ness Monster, but have you heard of Seilag, the elusive beast that’s said to live in Loch Shiel?! Well, cruise up this 30km loch for a look. Just in case she doesn’t show, keep your eyes peeled for red deer on the mountainsides, eagles in the sky and rare black-throated divers fishing near the shoreline. highlandcruises.co.uk
Golden eagle
DID YOU KNOW...? Red squirrels have four fingers on their front paws and five toes on their feet. They communicate with their tails!
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Be a cool kayaker!
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Red deer
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Thankfully, red squirrels are doing well in the Highlands of Scotland, but wildlife experts are trying their best to protect them in other parts of the country. In the south of Scotland conservation efforts are focussing on slowing down and halting the spread of the virus in an attempt to safeguard Scotland’s red squirrel population. By preserving their forest homes and controlling grey squirrel populations, there’s hope that these cheeky-looking creatures will grow in number. “Squirrelpox is the single biggest threat to the survival of our native red,” says Karen Ramoo, from conservation group Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. “So it’s really important to report both red and grey squirrels when you’re out and about or at home, as this helps in targeting efforts. Please keep your eyes peeled and report them via our website!” Scamper over to scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk or rsst.org.uk now!
SCOTLAND!
NG Kids visited the Wild Lochaber Festival (outdoorcapital.co.uk) in May, travelling to the Highlands on the Caledonian Sleeper train (scotrail.co.uk/caledoniansleeper). We stayed at the Moorings Hotel in Fort William (moorings-fortwilliam.co.uk) and toured the Highlands with Wild West (wildwestsafari.co.uk)
Soaring over the open moorlands and mountains of Scotland’s Highlands and islands, this breathtaking bird of prey scours the ground below, looking for rabbits, mountain hares, grouse and ptarmigans. Golden eagles’ large eyes are so good they can spot a rabbit 2km away! And with an incredible 2.3m wingspan, you’re in for a treat should you be lucky enough to spot one flying overhead. Their nests, called ‘eyries’, can be on cliffs or in trees and over the years they can become remarkable structures, measuring up to 3m across and 4m deep. Wow!
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Enjoy the beach life!
Scotland-wide There are hundreds of gorgeous sandy beaches to explore up in Scotland. Head to Dunnet Bay, near Thurso in the far north, for surfing, or St Andrews on the east coast for kite-surfing. But the gleaming white sandy beaches dotting the coastline between Arisaig and Morar in the west are some of the best in the UK! ngkids.co.uk 17 welcometoscotland.com
WALES
Brown long-eared bat
With its majestic mountains and breathtaking coastline, Wales has no shortage of incredible creatures and outdoor adventures! So hold your breath and cling on tight, gang, as we dive into the ocean to meet a super-playful swimmer, and soar through the sky to find some of the country’s fab flyers...
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Go wild for waterfalls!
Bottlenose dolphins
If you head to the Alun Valley, in South Wales, you may catch sight of this beautiful butterfly. The high brown fritillary is usually seen fluttering over the tops of bracken (a type of fern) and in open spaces around woodland. Fast flyers, they have orange and black wings with reddish-brown and silver markings on the the underside.
Battling for butterflies!
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Swimming, jumping and somersaulting out of the water off the coast of Wales, bottlenose dolphins travel in groups called ‘pods’, communicating with each other using squeaks and clicks. Cardigan Bay is thought to have a resident population of up to 200 of these incredibly social and intelligent creatures! Sadly, though, thousands die every year after accidentally getting caught in fishing nets. “Dolphins, whales and porpoises are all protected by law,” explains Danny Groves, from Whale and Dolphin Conservation. “But more work is needed so that we can protect these amazing animals.”
Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales Love exploring all that nature has to offer? Then this is the place for you! Located in the beautiful hills of South Wales, you’ll get to follow tree-lined rivers as they wind down deep gorges and plunge over fast-flowing waterfalls. It’s wild! breconbeacons.org
Have a crack at coasteering! Pembrokeshire, the Gower and Anglesey Are you a thrill-seeking young daredevil? If so, there’s no better way to explore the incredible Welsh coastline than by coasteering! In this exciting adventure sport, you get to climb rocks, swim through sea caves, jump into deep pools and discover hidden coves. Awesome! coasteeringwales.org.uk
Manx shearwater
Pictures: © Getty Images UK.
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WALES!
With its large ears that are almost as long as its body, this furry flyer certainly lives up to its name! Taking to the skies at night, the brown long-eared bat is a nocturnal mammal, mostly feeding on moths, midges and other flying insects. They like to live, or ‘roost’, in holes in trees, caves and even the roofs of old buildings. Sadly, one problem that these little guys face is that old barns — perfect for roosting, as they’re nice and dark — are increasingly being converted into homes for people.
High brown fritillary
Once common across England and Wales, this colourful critter is now the UK’s most endangered butterfly. “Loss of habitat has meant that the high brown fritillary can now only be found in 50 sites in the UK,” expert Sam Ellis tells NG Kids. “Conservation projects, such as those in the Alun Valley in Wales, have allowed populations to increase in certain areas. But, sadly, overall numbers are still in decline”. Visit butterfly-conservation.org to see what YOU can do to help save this brilliant bug!
Wild things to do in
These brilliant birds are well suited to life at sea. Fearless flyers with long, thin wings, they glide over the ocean’s surface and even skim through waves! Their feet are positioned far back on their bodies, making them super-efficient swimmers, too. But on land, Manx shearwaters are slow, clumsy movers and easy prey for pesky predators. Between February and July, these winged wonders can be found on offshore islands off Wales. But as autumn draws closer, they bid a chirpy ‘chao’ and migrate to South America, where they spend the winter!
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DID YOU KNOW...? The islands of Skomer and Skokholm, off the coast of Wales, are home to the world’s largest population of Manx shearwaters!
Travel back in time!
Conwy, North Wales This mighty stone fortress is a must-see for any budding young historian! Located on the Conwy Estuary on the north coast of Wales, Conwy Castle was built by King Edward I more than 700 years ago. Take a trip back in time as you walk round the soaring medieval walls and explore the castle’s majestic halls, chapel and haunting towers! ngkids.co.uk 21 conwy.com
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Only around 6% of Earth’s land surface is rainforest – BUT ABOUT HALF OF ALL ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES LIVE THERE.
A PRICK FROM THE TOXIC
GYMPIE-GYMPIE PLANT IN AUSTRALIAN AND INDONESIAN RAINFORESTS CAN STING FOR MONTHS.
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The Korowai people of New Guineaº live in tree houses as high as 45m off the ground.
GOLIATH BEETLES from Africa’s rainforests CAN WEIGH as much as a BAR OF CHOCOLATE.
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In Central American forests, rival STRAWBERRY POISON DART FROGS might WRESTLE for up to 20 MINUTES.
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flowers
IN SOUTH AMERICA IS SO BIG THAT IF IT WAS A COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE THE
in the Australian rainforests are
not found anywhere else in the world.
NINTH BIGGEST IN THE WORLD.
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DARWIN’S BARK SPIDERS IN MADAGASCAR’S FORESTS CAN WEAVE 25m-WIDE WEBS.
IT CAN TAKE TEN MINUTES FOR A FALLING RAINDROP TO TRAVEL FROM A RAINFOREST’S THICK CANOPY TO THE FLOOR.
9 80% of the
THE AMAZON
15
7
30 COOL RAINFOREST
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3
A QUARTER OF INGREDIENTS IN MODERN MEDICINES COME FROM RAINFOREST PLANTS.
WHEN PANGOLINS – SCALY MAMMALS FROM AFRICAN AND ASIAN RAINFORESTS – CURL UP, THEY RESEMBLE GIANT PINECONES.
THINGS ABOUT
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Latin American forests are home to black howler monkeys, whose calls can be heard almost 5km away.
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19
One ritual of the Sateré-Mawé tribe in the Amazon rainforest involves pulling on gloves filled with stinging ants.
17 MOST GOLDEN LION TAMARINS, WHICH LIVE IN RAINFORESTS IN BRAZIL, HAVE A TWIN.
A tree known as the IDIOT FRUIT grows in Australia’s DAINTREE RAINFOREST.
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VEILED STINKHORN
KINKAJOUS, WHICH LIVE IN CENTRAL AND
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In tropical rainforests, each canopy tree can release about ten bath tubs of water each year.
FUNGI, FOUND IN
India’s Jeypore-Dehing forest is home to
TROPICAL
RAINFORESTS, SMELL LIKE
seven wild cat species, the most
SOUTH AMERICAN RAINFORESTS, LIKE TO LICK HONEY FROM BEEHIVES.
ROTTING FOOD.
ever recorded in a single area.
RAINFORESTS 23
A LAKE inside a rainforest on the Caribbean island of Dominica SIZZLES AT AROUND 88˚C.
24 Living in Central
and South American rainforests, a sloth can carry algae, beetles and cockroaches in its fur.
25 In Illinois, USA, the remains 26 of a 300-MILLION-YEAR-OLD RAINFOREST were found 76m UNDERGROUND in a coal mine.
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THE
Some pine trees in Tasmania’s temperate rainforests CAN LIVE FOR 2,000 YEARS.
29
Tropical rainforests have
RED SOIL
because of high levels of and
IRON
27
ALUMINIUM.
30 has prism-like scales that turn light into rainbows when it bounces off the snake.
1 © Suzanne Long / Alamy. 2 © Danita Delimont / Alamy. 5 © DK / Alamy. 7 © Mgkuijpers / Dreamstime. 8 © Softlightaa / Dreamstime. 10 © ADS / Alamy. 11 © Piper Mackay / Nature Picture Library. 13 Walking pangolin © Photoshot Holdings Ltd / Alamy. 13 Curled pangolin © FLPA / Alamy. 14 © Chris Mattison / Alamy.
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A CAVE BENEATH MEXICO’S YUCATÁN RAINFOREST HAS A WATER-FILLED SINKHOLE WHERE YOU CAN GO SWIMMING.
RAINBOW BOA
THE RHINOCEROS HORNBILL BIRD FROM SOUTHEAST ASIAN FORESTS HAS A HORNLIKE STRUCTURE ON ITS HEAD THAT LOOKS LIKE AN EXTRA BEAK.
RAINFORESTS GET AT LEAST 250cm OF RAIN A YEAR. SOMETIMES IT’S ALMOST DOUBLE THAT AT 450cm.
FOUND IN AUSTRALIAN RAINFORESTS, THE RED-LEGGED PADEMELON RESTS ITS HEAD ON ITS TAIL WHILE SLEEPING.
The wingspan of the blue morpho butterfly from Central and South American rainforests is up to 15cm wide.
15 © Brad Calkins / Dreamstime. 16 © SuperStock / Alamy. 18 © Morley Read / Alamy. 20 © Ttatty / Dreamstime. 21 © Pete Oxford / Minden Pictures. 23 © George H.H. Huey / Alamy. 24 © Suzi Eszterhas / Minden Pictures. 26 © Raymond Warren / Alamy. 27 © Blickwinkel / Alamy. 28 © David Kilpatrick / Alamy. 29 © Geogphotos / Alamy. 30 © Milous Chab / Dreamstime.
ngkids.co.uk
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NORTH AMERICA
ATLANTIC OCEAN
PACIFIC OCEAN EQUATOR
ECUADOR
GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS
SOUTH AMERICA
Isabela Santiago
Giant tortoises, underwater lizards and birds with blue feet! NG KiDS heads across the Pacific Ocean to meet the amazing creatures of the Galápagos Islands...
Viewed from the air , it’s easy to see the islands’ volcanic past. Many of these volcanoes are now extinct
Fernandina
Santa Cruz Santa Fe
San Cristóbal
Isabela Floreana
Española
Cruising along in our panga (a motorised dinghy), we scour the Pacific Ocean, looking for life. To our right, way in the distance, we glimpse the dorsal fin of a 15-m-long Bryde’s whale, while only metres away a pelican dives spectacularly into the sea to catch a fish. An inquisitive sea lion pops its head out of the water to size us up, then darts playfully back into the ocean, vanishing from sight. Our panguero (driver) cuts the engine and we drift slowly to shore. Carefully climbing off the boat, we set foot on a barren shingle beach. Bright red and yellow Sally Lightfoot crabs scuttle off in every direction. “Look over there!” says our guide, naturalist Carlos King, pointing towards a huge mass of dark grey rock a couple of metres away. “What can you see?” Just rock, it would seem, ancient lava, covered with streaks of white. “Look more closely,” Carlos insists. Suddenly, the
‘rock’ twitches, then begins to crawl. In a flash, our eyes focus and we spot limbs, claws, tails and heads… hundreds of heads. “Marine iguanas,” Carlos whispers, as one of the prehistoric-looking reptiles turns, stares at us and sneezes. An explosion of white salty snot splats on the ground near our feet. The lizard returns its attention to the mass of black and dark-grey bodies surrounding it, huddles up, closes its eyes and nods off. Welcome to the mysterious Galápagos Islands, home to weird and wonderful creatures, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth…
Explosive past
The Galápagos Islands are a group of 19 islands and more than 100 islets and rocks in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador in South America. The oldest island, Española, was formed three to five million years ago, when molten rock called ‘magma’ burst through the sea bed, gradually forming a volcano that rose out of the sea. Over the years, Española moved slowly along the Nazca tectonic plate and new islands formed on the hot spot where it had originally appeared. The Galápagos Islands are still moving today, about 6cm to the south-east every year –
uanas d? Marine ig Lava or lizar ed against rock! are camouflag
it’s as if they’re on a geological conveyor belt. The youngest island on the hot spot, Fernandina, is a mere 700,000 years old. Its volcano last erupted in 2009. But in a million years time, Fernandina will itself have moved 60km southeast and new islands will have formed. The Galápagos Islands lie on the Equator and are surrounded by different ocean currents – some warm, some cold. It’s this mix of currents that make the islands’ climate and their biodiversity (variety of species) so unique. Both cold-water and tropical creatures survive here.
Ocean voyage
Most of the animals and plants living on the Galápagos archipelago (group of islands) are descended from those that travelled the 1,000km from the continent of South America millions of years ago. Insects, birds and plants arrived by air – either flying or drifting in the wind, while animals floated across the ocean on rafts of leaves or branches! And with no predators to gobble them up once they’d arrived, the creatures settled into their new home and slowly evolved (changed over time) to cope with life on the islands. The lack of predators made them unafraid of human settlers – even today, visitors to the
Main image and aerial photo: Getty Images UK. Close-up of camouflaged marine iguanas © Tim Herbert. Tim with marine iguanas: Vincenzo Chiarello.
Our guide Carlos loves the Galápagos!
pagos are n the Galá itor, Tim! o s re tu a Cre ’ ed f NG KiDS unafraid o
Galápagos can get within touching distance of the wildlife, although we’re advised to keep our distance and never disturb them.
Marine marvels
Up to 1.5m in length (their size depends on the island they live on), the remarkable reptiles we first saw when we stepped onto Fernandina Island are the only marine lizards on the planet. When the iguanas first arrived from the mainland there was very little for them to eat, so they had to adapt to survive – and they evolved (see page 19) into brilliant swimmers that eat seaweed and other algae found on rocks underwater. “Marine iguanas are unique to the Galápagos,” says Carlos. “They can stay underwater for half an hour, diving 30m down to forage for food. But because they’re cold blooded they need to warm up and regain the energy lost while diving, so they have to sunbathe afterwards.” Huddling together to conserve heat, safety in numbers also protects them from predators such as hawks while they’re slumbering in the sun. To get rid of the salt they’ve absorbed from the sea, the incredible reptiles have a simple trick up their sleeve – sneezing. Yuck!
DID YOU KNOW...? About 80% of the Galápagos’ land birds, 90% of reptiles, all six land mammals, and 38% of plants are ‘endemic’ – meaning they’re only found on these islands!
Turn over to meet some more of the islands’ incredible wildlife...
Meet ten tremendous creatures that call the Galápagos home…
Saddlebacks r can stretch thei ! gh hi up s ck ne
DID YOU KNOW...? Giant tortoises were once so abundant on the islands that Spanish explorers named the islands after them. ‘Galapago’ was an old Spanish word for ‘tortoise’.
Galápagos giant tortoise
The Galápagos giant tortoise is colossal, weighing up to 250kg – that’s as heavy as three men – and its shell is about 1.5m long. It can live for up to 150 years! There are two distinct types of giant tortoise in the archipelago. Those with domed shells (right) live on wetter islands, eating lush vegetation on the ground. Tortoises with saddle-shaped shells (left) that curl up at the front live on drier islands. The curve allows them to stretch their extra-long necks up to eat the leaves of tall plants. “Sadly, these wonderful creatures were hunted as food by pirates, whalers and sailors during the 17th-19th centuries, and 150,000 were killed,” says naturalist, Carlos King. Today, just 20– 25,000 remain, up to 5,000 of them in one location – the slopes of Alcedo Volcano on Isabela Island.
Cold-loving penguins on the Equator? Yup! The second-smallest penguins in the world are also the only species found this far north. They survive here because of the mix of cool and warm currents that provide food. But these little fellas have still had to adapt to life in the Galápagos’ heat. They pant to keep cool, have really short feathers to avoid overheating, and stick to islands that have chillier water – 95% live on Isabela and Fernandina.
Main giant tortoise image and magnificent frigatebird © Tim Herbert. All other images: Getty Images UK.
The only cormorants in the world that are unable to fly, these large birds are found on just two of the Galápagos Islands – Isabela and Fernandina. Excellent swimmers and divers, flightless cormorants hunt for octopus, squid and fish, propelling themselves through the water using their powerful legs and feet. It’s thought they lost their ability to fly because there were no predators on the islands when they first arrived. Over thousands of years, their wings became shorter – but their legs and feet got bigger!
Blue-footed booby
Galápagos penguin
Magnificent frigatebird
Watch out when these guys are about, because magnificent frigatebirds are thieves! “They’re ‘kleptoparasites’,” explains Carlos. “They steal food from anything. They even steal twigs from each other’s nests to build their own!” With a 1.8m wingspan, these fabulous flyers nest near birds that catch fish out at sea – then harass them when they return with food. Males put on a sensational show during the breeding season, inflating their bright red throat pouches to the size of balloons to attract females. How magnificent!
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Flightless cormorant
Named after the Spanish word ‘bobo’, which means ‘clown’, these birds may look funny, but there’s nothing clownish about their hunting skills. Diving into the sea from 100m above to catch fish, they hit the water at up to 100kmph! They’re noisy creatures, too. Males communicate with whistles and females honk. What a racket! Over half of the world’s bluefooted boobies live on the Galápagos – the comical birds here are a sub-species of those found on the Pacific coast of South and North America.
Scalloped hammerhead shark
The Galápagos’ seas are teeming with amazing creatures, including the bizarre-looking scalloped hammerhead shark. One of 33 shark species living in the Galápagos, this fish can grow up to 4.2m long, its eyes on the outer edge of its hammershaped head giving it 360-degree binocular vision! Often seen swimming in schools of over 100 sharks, these amazing fish are most likely to be spotted around the tiny islands of Wolf and Darwin, to the north west of the archipelago.
Turn over to meet four more wild residents…
DID YOU KNOW...? Just as marine iguanas sneeze to get rid of excess salt, green turtles shed large tears of salt from special glands behind their eyes!
Galápagos green turtle
These graceful creatures are the only species of sea turtle that lay eggs on the Galápagos Islands. “They don’t want to put them all in one basket, though,” says naturalist Carlos King, “so to give their hatchlings a better chance of survival they lay eggs in several places over the course of a week.” Each nest can hold at least 70 eggs! Smaller than other green sea turtles, but still weighing up to 150kg, Galápagos’ green turtles feed on seaweed and jellyfish and are often spotted swimming alongside snorkellers in the sea. The Galápagos is one of the few places in the world where they come ashore to bask (rest) in the sun. Super chilled!
Galápagos hawk
Perched on rocks, tree branches, lava fields or clifftops, scouring the distance for food, these majestic birds of prey aren’t picky about what they eat. They’ll hunt rodents, lava lizards, baby turtles, small birds, snakes, insects and even marine iguanas. “Marine iguanas come inland to breed and the hawks know this,” explains Carlos. “They nest at the same time, and will feed young iguanas to their chicks.” But sadly, there are now only about 400-500 adult hawks left across the archipelago and the bird is extinct on several islands. Experts think this is because the birds have been seen as pests by some people living on the Galápagos and they even have to compete with humans’ pets for food.
THE MYSTERY OF
LIFE
In 1831, a young naturalist called Charles Darwin boarded a ship called the HMS Beagle and set out on a fantastic five-year voyage around the world to study and collect animal, plant and rock samples. Darwin was amazed at the variety of species he saw on his adventure. The Beagle visited the Galápagos Islands and while he was there Darwin collected specimens and made notes that would eventually change the way people thought about the world...
Charles Darwin…
… noticed that the finches...
Creature clues Darwin noticed that
Galápagos mockingbird
Galápagos hawk and fish market © Tim Herbert. All other images: Getty Images UK.
Found on most islands in the archipelago, the Galápagos mockingbird played an important part in developing Charles Darwin’s ‘theory of evolution by natural selection’ (see column, opposite). But while this bird eats fruit, nectar, insects and other birds’ eggs, it also has a taste for ticks (parasites) living on land iguanas. It’s even been seen drinking the blood of wounded iguanas on Santa Fe island. Yikes!
Galápagos sea lion
These cute critters love lounging around on sandy beaches, welcoming visitors to the islands with a friendly bark! Relatives of the Californian sea lion (and distant relatives of dogs!), they’re strong swimmers, sometimes travelling 15km out to sea in search of food. Pups stay in crèches, swimming and playing in shallow water until they can start fishing for themselves. And if pesky flies start ruining their afternoon siesta in the sun, they needn’t worry – hungry lava lizards will dart over and eat them off. Brilliant!
Cheeky sea lions are regulars at the fish market in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz island!
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NG KIDS cruised around the Galápagos Islands on board Yacht La Pinta, one of the most family-friendly yachts in the Galápagos. Their eight-day / seven-night Western Isles Itinerary starts from £5,047 for an adult and £3,775 for a child, based on a family of four including flights from the mainland. To find out more about Yacht La Pinta, its exciting Pirates Aboard Programme for children aged 6-12, and to book a trip yourself, head to journeylatinamerica.co.uk
although the different islands had similar creatures and plants, many seemed … on each island to have adapted to suit were unique! their local environments. Finches (a type of bird), for example, had different beaks on each island, suited to eating the particular seeds or insects found there! He also noted remarkable differences between the mockingbirds found on San Cristobal, Floreana and two other islands. When he returned to England he devoted his time trying to figure out why they varied from place to place.
The mystery solved
In 1858, Darwin revealed his ‘theory of evolution by natural selection’, to explain how animals adapted to their environment to survive. And the following year, he published On The Origin Of Species – a book that would change the world forever! Darwin explained how species can ‘evolve’ (change or develop) over time through a process called ‘Natural Selection’. This shocked everyone because, until then, it was widely believed that all the animals on the planet had been made at the same time by one creator. Some people still believe that today. But Darwin scientifically proved all the species on Earth had evolved from earlier species – and that includes us!
ISLANDS IN PERIL!
Sadly, many of the Galápagos islands’ native creatures are now endangered. Over the centuries, people moving there brought with them cats, dogs, goats and other ‘invasive’ animals which have hunted the native species or eaten their food. New diseases have also been introduced, which can be deadly to wildlife. Thankfully, YOU can help! Find out more by visiting the Galapagos Conservation Trust’s kids’ website – discoveringgalapagos.org.uk
ways YOU
20 can save
the PLANET! 2
1
Around 15 million tonnes of food is thrown away every year in the UK. Save on waste by making a yummy soup or a sizzlin’ stir-fry using leftover veggies from the fridge.
Don’t over-fill the
KETTLE
when you’re making a hot drink. Only boil the amount of water you really need!
4
Trek over to
9
The world may be a big place but small changes you make here can help protect some of the planet’s most endangered species, save the rainforests and help some of the world’s poorest people. Kick your eco-plan into action with these top 20 tips...
Have you been invited to a birthday party? Why not make a card and wrapping paper using recycled materials and help save the trees!
5 Collect fallen seeds, fruits and nuts — you could grow the trees and flowers of the future!
7
3
12
We know lots of you already buy Fairtrade fruit and veg, but did you know you can also buy Fairtrade chocolate, clothes, flowers and even soap?!
A tap leaking one drop of water every second wastes more than 12,000 litres a year. So get to grips with drips!
14
6
Thousands of trees are cut down each year to make way for cattle ranches. By buying British or Irish meat you’ll help to protect the rainforest and its people.
Indigenous people around the world need your help! Check out survivalinternational.org to find out what you can do.
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8 SPIDER!
BIKE!
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Don’t kill that There are around 650 species of spider in the UK and Ireland. They’re an important part of the food web and provide natural pest control.
Pictures: © Getty Images UK.
Instead of taking the car, get peddling! Try exploring Britain and Ireland’s fabulous countryside and coast by
Organise clean-up days with your friends and an adult to help the environment! Grab some bags and pick up the litter on your road, school grounds or local park.
11
naturedetectives.org.uk
for tips, and then grab paper, a pen, a camera and get exploring! You could become a nature detective!
10
Make the most of April showers by collecting rainwater and using that — not the tap — to water the plants.
13
Clear out your clutter. But don’t just bin it — take it to a charity shop or recycle it.
15
Is your school doing its bit for the planet? Talk to your teachers about going
GREEN.
16 Demand for palm oil is one of the biggest reasons for destruction of the world’s rainforests. Try to buy products at the supermarket that don’t contain palm oil.
In cold weather, grab a jumper and ask your parents to turn down the heating. A cut of just one degree reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions!
17 Customise your clothes instead of buying new ones. It’s stacks of fun and will help save the world’s precious resources.
19
20
If you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, you use six litres of water every minute! Save water by only turning the tap on when you need it.
You might not have the opportunity to see species like gorillas or amur leopards in the wild, but you can help them by adopting an endangered species from a charity like WWF. Don’t forget to share these green ideas with your family and friends. Check out ngkids.co.uk for more top green tips and cool eco-stories! ngkids.co.uk
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FROM OLD TO NEW... Want to know what becomes of our empty baked-bean tins, rinsed-out jam jars, drained juice bottles and old birthday cards? Follow this diagram to find out!
Jam jar is magicked into… INSULATION
Some recycled glass is used to make glass wool which keeps buildings nice and warm, saving even more energy!
Once different materials have been separated at a Materials Recovery Facility (see previous page), at special sorting bins or by you at home, they go to various factories. They’re then put through processes that turn them into something new! Here are some of them...
3. The glass bits are melted in a furnace at more than 1,400oC. Some new raw materials are added. 2. A sorting machine uses beams of light to separate out different colours of glass.
5. Liquid plastic is made into new bottles – some for drinks, others for detergents.
5. New jars are sent off to be filled with food or drink.
Glass
1. Some plastics can be recycled easily. First, plastic cartons and bottles are shredded into small flakes.
2. The flakes are washed.
3. They’re then poured into a flotation tank.
Milk carton becomes a… SLEEPING BAG!
There’s every chance your plastic milk carton could have been a plastic milk carton already – 30 times or even more. But they’re also turned into bin bags, CD cases and, unbelievably, the filling for sleeping bags!
Glass Plastic
1. First, the glass is crushed. Any non-glass bits are removed. Metal
4. Cooled metals can be cut up and shaped into new cans. 3. Steel is rolled into coils. Aluminium is hardened into massive blocks called ingots.
Paper
3. The clean pulp is squashed and rolled into sheets.
4. Each time paper is recycled, it loses quality. So it’s used to make lower and lower ‘grades’ of paper, from posh notepads to loo rolls.
2. The pulp is thoroughly cleaned.
20 National Geographic Kids
4. The clean, pure flakes are melted. Sometimes, new plastic is added.
Plastic
Start here!
4. Hot liquid glass is poured into a mould. It cools down and makes new jars.
IT MAKES WHAT?!!
Paper
Metal cans
1. Cans are separated into piles of steel and aluminium.
Stee
l
m
niu
i um
Al
1. Old paper is mixed with water and turned into pulp.
Steel cans go straight into a furnace to be melted. Aluminium cans are shredded…
Yup, incredibly, after reprocessing, your tins and cans may become cars or even ships!
WIN!
WIN!
WIN!
WIN!
WIN!
WIN!
2.
…then cleaned using very hot air… …before going into a furnace.
Illustration taken from See inside Recycling and Rubbish by Usborne Publishing. ISBN 9781409507413 l age 6+ l £9.99 l Find out more at usborne.com
Can of pop transforms into a… FAMILY CAR! You can find out loads more cool stuff about our waste in See inside Recycling and Rubbish from Usborne! We’ve got three copies of this fascinating lift-the-flap book up for grabs – just answer this question to be in with a chance! Turn to page 47 to enter. Q Which of the following things CANNOT be recycled? a) Aluminium cans b) Glass bottles c) Cellophane
ngkids.co.uk
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Find out what happens to the things in your bin, and why it makes sense to recycle…
What a load of WHERE WASTE GOES!
LANDFILL
Most of our rubbish is buried in landfill sites – there are around 330 of them in the UK. Bulldozers squash down each day’s trash, and then it’s covered with a layer of soil to help keep rats and birds out. The landfill is lined with thick clay and plastic to prevent poisonous rubbish juices (called leachate) leaking into water supplies. But rotting rubbish gives off a gas called methane, which makes our planet hotter, causing climate change. Bad news.
Here’s where your tat ends up...
RECYCLING! Before you chuck something away – STOP and THINK!
Every two hours in the UK, we produce enough trash to fill up the Royal Albert Hall! All this waste we make comes from our planet’s natural resources – and at the rate we keep consuming, we’ll eventually use them all up. That’s why we need to reduce, re-use and recycle!
INCINERATORS
Some kinds of waste can be burned in incinerators, which can generate electricity. This also transforms massive piles of rubbish into small amounts of ash. But even though burning rubbish can generate energy, it’s not as much energy as is saved by recycling our rubbish…
Paul from the Nat Geo Kids team checks out the MRF machines!
I can see my old can of pop from here!
Around 60% of what ends up in the rubbish dump could be recycled! And most local authorities in the UK collect your recycling for you! Some ask you to separate all the materials yourself, while others let you put all recyclables in one bag. These co-mingled collections are taken to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting. We visited one to find out how our waste is sorted…
With thanks to John S Glover at the Bywaters MRF.
RUBBISH!
GREEN ISSUE!
Head to recyclenow.com for more cool facts and animations about recycling!
WELCOME TO THE ‘MRF’!
At the huge, hi-tech Bywaters Materials Recovery Facility in East London, whirring machines, massive magnets In the UK, we and workers are busy separating tonnes of rubbish currently recycle six into different materials, which are snaking around billion plastic bottles the vast warehouse on fast-moving conveyor belts. a year – that’s the Once sorted, these different materials – steel cans, aluminium cans, cardboard, paper and various types same as each person recycling 99 bottles. of plastics – are squashed into big cubes called bales Good work, kids! using special machines, while glass is crushed. The materials are then sold to various recycling companies, both here in the UK and around the world, to turn into new products. So, not only does recycling make the best use of our limited resources, it’s good business, too!
RULES OF RECYCLING! We bet you lot already do
your bit for the planet by recycling (top marks!), but if you put the wrong things in the recycling bin, the whole lot may have to go to landfill! Here are some top tips…
DOS l Rinse or wipe all food off containers before recycling! Smears of food or dregs of liquid can contaminate other ‘clean’ items. l Scrunch tin foil into balls to make it easier for machines to sort! l Leave staples and envelope windows in paper – these can be removed later!
Check with your local council to see exactly what can and can’t be recycled – it depends where you live!
Bales of different materials ready to go to recycling factories
DON’TS l Don’t rip paper into bits. It’s easier to sort if whole. l The thin plastic on top of food trays (called cellophane) can’t be recycled. So rip it off first and put it in the rubbish bin! l Usually, old clothes can’t go in the recycling. Take them to the charity shop instead!
Turn the page to find out how factories transform our trash into new stuff…