Page 27 - World of Animals - Issue #29

ab b
e v
S
s ar
Scarab beetles are vital Species in peril
t
i
a

l
e
t
ar
e
c
e
l
for a healthy forest
for a healthy forest
a
m
i
r
e
e
t
n
g b
u
l
a
y a p
l
e
s p
r
y
D
Dung beetles play a primary forest habitat to plantations
e
t c
g o
n
i
n
y
r
l
c
u
n
t
e i
n n
l
o
i
role in nutrient cycling on or agricultural pastures in
r

the forest floor. By breaking Southeast Asia. Dung beetles
down the faeces of other are very specialised – different
animals, they also contribute beetles have evolved to live on
to seed dispersal and help to the faeces of specific species. If Eastern long-beaked echidna

aerate soil. It is thought that a dung beetles were to go extinct, These creatures are from the same group of ancient
number of species are suffering we would soon notice the dung egg-laying mammals as the platypus. They have

because of land-use change, piling up, and the number of suffered from habitat loss as a result of logging, mining
and farming activity, and are now critically endangered.
such as the conversion of flies increasing significantly.

From Batman
F r o m B a t m an
sh, can
to batfi

to batfish, can
this hero save Purple pig-nosed frog
our coral reefs? These frogs certainly do not look like princes. They
inhabit a small area in the mountains of southeast India.
With such a small range, the population could easily be
wiped out by disease or catastrophic events.
a
u
s
It’s thought that batfish can come to the
n c
a
fi
t
e
e t
h
h
g
h c
s t
t
t t
o
h
h
m
a
’
I
o t

t b
o
i
o
i
a
e
e
u
f
. S
s
a
r
c
m
l r
l
e o
t
e
s
t
n
d
f c
e
s s
t
r rescue of coral reefs. Scientists simulated
u
e
i
s
c
n t
r
e
e
f
i
r
f
r
r
f
fi
h
s
s
h
t t the effects of overfishing on the Great
h
h
h
e e
e e
fi

h

f
a
n
f o
f o
c
n
a
c
e G
s o
g o
t
s o
t
t
t
g o
e
v
i
e
e G
e
n t
e
v
i
n
g s
e
r
t
r
r
s t
t
u
r
u
u
u
i
t
n
e
g s
c
c
t
s t
e
e
e
r R
p
p
e
e
f
e
e
e
r R
a
r
r
Barrier Reef, by erecting structures to keep
B B
a
i
e
e
r
r
i
r
o k
o k
c
y e
e
e
y e
, b
t
t
f
, b
r
c
h
a
u
out larger fish. Once the area had been
o o u t l a r r g e r fi s s h . O n c e t h e a r r e a h a a d b e e n
e t
a h
t l
c
h
e a
. O
d b
r fi
n
e
e
e
n
g
e
d
o
e
d
c
e
h
y s
a
m
e
e
, t
w
u
e
e
c c o n s s u m e d b y s e a w e e d , t h e e y r e c o r r d e d
o
d b
n
d
consumed by seaweed, they recorded
y r
k
s r
e
v
r
f
e
y
. W
c
e
i
t w
h
e r
the reef’s recovery. Within eight weeks
h
g
i
n e
s
h
e
e
’
o
i
t
the reef’s recovery. Within eight weeks
e
t
h

the batfi
a
e b
t the batfish had cleared the seaweed and
sh had cleared the seaweed and sh had cleared the seaweed and
fi

t
algae, restoring the reef to a healthy state.
algae, restoring the reef to a healthy state.
a l g a e , r e s t o r i n g t h e r e e f t o a h e a l t h y s t a t e .
a
r
f
o
t
n
n
u
t
, b

U
l
y
Unfortunately, batfish are quite rare and
fi
a
t

e
Unfortunately, batfi sh are quite rare and sh are quite rare and Red uakari monkey
s
e
e n
d b
y t
v
h
e
s
e I
s
s
n a
have not yet been assessed by the IUCN
N
t y
e
C
h
have not yet been assessed by the IUCN The unfortunate-looking uakari, with its bright red
e
e
a
U
t b
o
e
R
Red List, so it is unknown how many exist
Red List, so it is unknown how many exist face and bald head, is an intelligent and social creature.
d L
n
k
o
x
, s
w m
s u
w
y e
n
a
n h
i
o i
t i
n
o
s
i
t
s
t
d
l
i
n t
in the wild.
h
e w
i
in the wild. . The monkeys are on the brink of extinction as they are
hunted extensively for food in the Amazon rainforest.
One of the world’s
most successful
animals remains a European eel
mystery to us Eels begin their life at sea, making their way to
freshwater as larvae and only returning to the salty
waters once they are ready to reproduce. This means
that most of the eels caught from the sea are juveniles,
reducing the number of adults that go on to reproduce.
Ants play a vital role in the ecosystems
in which they live. By continuously
digging, creating tunnels and moving
through the soil, they are turning and
aerating the soil and allowing oxygen
to get to the roots of plants. There are © Alamy; FLPA; Getty; Nature PL; Rex Features; Thinkstock; Eric Engbretson; Karthickbala
more than 12,000 known species of
ant on Earth, and there are likely to be
many endangered species we don’t
even know about. The ones we do
know of are mostly under threat due
to forest fragmentation, as a result of North American mussels
human disturbance and encroachment Freshwater mussels are increasingly harvested for their
pearls, which has put many North American species
on woodland areas. in grave danger. Mussels have important roles in their

ecosystems, such as filtering and cleaning freshwater.
27