The Realm Of Nature - The Realm

The geckos tail is just as important as it's sticky feet when it comes to climbing, the tail being used as a fifth leg to help hold on and should the gecko fall, a flick of the tail is all that is needed to make sure the gecko lands safely on its feet.

The critically endangered Carrikeri Harlequin Frog has been rediscovered after not being seen for 14 years.

Civial war, illegal logging, poaching...these were all thought to have brough the extinction of pygmy hippos in Liberia. But now hidden cameras have capture photos of the rare hippos showing that they are still clinging to survival.

A £25million project has started to build the largest butterfly house in the world in Hertfordshire. The huge Butterfly World, which will house 10,000 butterflies of around 250 species at a time, is set to open in stages between 2009 and 2011 and if successful in attracting a million visitors a year it will rival the Eden Project in terms of environmental attractions.

Two new species of wobbegong sharks have been discovered have been discovered off Western Australia. The sharks were thought to belong to similar looking species however a closer look revealed some differences that resulted in them being declared as separate species.

In a new report, WWF says that almost a third of the North Sea should be made into a marine reserve to protect vital marine habitats and give threatened species of fish, declining as a result of overfishing, a chance to recover. Five areas have been selected by the organisation as experimental marine reserves that they are urging the UK government to set up.

A female Iberian Lynx in captivity has given birth to her fourth litter in captivity producing three cubs, unfortunately one died and of her daughter's two cubs one was stillborn and the other rejected.

50 years after much of Costa Rica's rainforest was cut down, researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute started planting worn-out cattle fields with local trees. Remarkably, though the soil had lost most of its nutrients, the trees grew and flourished increasing from just a few species to over 100.

Several new construction projects including a bridge and a new airport runway are threatening the survival of a population of rare Chinese River Dolphins.

The Tale of the Hare

March is a time for madness...at least it is if you're a hare for this is the time when boxing matches begin. Perhaps surprisingly though, these boxing matches aren't between rival males though it is often thought that is the case. They are in fact between a male and a female - the female either telling a persistent admirer that she is not yet ready to mate, or testing the strength and stamina of a hopeful father to her offspring to ensure that she chooses only the fittest males. The hares world is a dangerous place with many predators waiting in the wings to snatch one that is unwary on that little bit slower or weaker than the others, therefore it is vital that the best genes are passed down to the next generation.

Wherever they live, myths have sprouted up about these long-eared members of the rodent family. Though they bear a close resemblance to rabbits, they do not dig burrows and huge warrens in which they can hide from predators. Instead the hare relies on other ways to remain safe from predators. The first is to stay perfectly still. A predator is more likely to notice a hare if it moves and if the hare is lucky, may pass straight by if it remains perfectly still. If it is noticed, the hare has another predator-evading tactic - their speed. Hares are sprinters able to run at up to 45 miles per hour, fast enough to escape most predators. Their large ears are a vital asset when it comes to detecting these predators. With them the hare can hear the faintest sounds that an approaching predator makes providing an early-warning system to give the hare a chance to retreat to a safe hiding place until the danger has passed. These large ears have other uses too. In the baking deserts of North America, the Jackrabbit (actually a hare) has particularly large ears and this helps them to cool down in the heat of the day. The black tips to these ears is a distinguishing feature of most hares. In North American mythology, it is said that the reason for these black ear-tips is because one day the hare tried to steal fire from humans who caught him, but the hare escaped albeit with the tips of his ears singed...

QUICK FACTS

Hares belong to the genus Lepus
Hares can be found across Europe, America, Africa and Asia
They are generally larger than rabbits with longer legs better for sprinting
They can be recognised by the black tips to their ears
They can live up to 13 years
A female Brown Hare produces an average of four leverets at a time and can have three litters each year
The snowshoe hare has big feet to stop it sinking into the snow
Hares main predators include golden eagles, foxes and wolves

In the highlands of Scotland, the mountain hare has a potentially deadly foe however, one that is difficult for the hare to hear as this predator comes from the sky. The golden eagle. These massive birds of prey are more than capable of catching up to a fleeing hare, but the hare has more measures to avoid these predators. The first one is by simply running uphill. While eagles can pursue them downhill, uphill is a struggle for the eagles. The other way in which a hare can escape it by hiding in the vegetation. The eyes of the eagle though are very sharp and the eagle remains fixed on the point where the hare cowered down into the mountain vegetation. Diving down, the eagle attacks but emerges with nothing. The hare slowly crept uphill using the vegetation as cover and out of the way of the eagles attack.

Such may have led to the hares reputation of being a trickster. They can vanish in the middle of empty fields and suddenly appear as if emerging from the ground. This is because they make shallow pits in the ground into which they fit perfectly thus enabling them to disappear and reappear suddenly. It may also be how the connection arose between the Easter bunny (actually a hare) and the bringing of eggs. Hares don't lay eggs, instead giving birth to well-developed young called leverets. However, several ground-nesting birds such as lapwings do lay eggs on the ground and perhaps a fleeing hare appeared to be leaving one of these nests thus creating the association between the hares and the eggs.

Their tricks and the superstition surrounding them has not been enough to prevent their decline. In the UK, the brown hare has disappeared from much of their old haunts as a result of changing agricultural practices and the loss of hedgerows that leave them without the wild grasses they need to graze in during the cold winter months. Chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides also kill hares. Their sit tight method to avoid predators mean that they sometimes end up sprayed by the chemicals that kill them when they try to lick their coats clean. Their fleet of foot, sharp hearing and defences that are effective against all but the sharpest of predators are of little use in an world increasingly overtaken by human development and agriculture. Hares need the wide, open spaces in which to run, feed and breed. They need the rich meadows that provide both nourishment and shelter. As these disappear, so too do the hares. An animal surrounded by more myth and superstition than any other.

The Invertebrates: Aquatic Beginnings

Though the first single celled lifeforms appeared 3.5 billion years ago, it wasn't until around 600 million years ago in a period of earth's history called the Precambrian when the first animal's are thought to have appeared. These earliest animals had soft bodies and because fossil traces of them are very rare, but occassionally they are fossilised in the rock. The few that have been fossilised provide a glimpse of these strange earliest animals. For many of these, detemining what group of animals they belong to is very difficult because they are so different to animals that are around today!

Among the first of these living animals were ones that are still around today. These are the sponges. Though the may initially appear to be plant-like, they are in fact animals and are possibly one of the earliest animals to have evolved. Unlike most other animals, sponges lack true tissues and organs relying on a few different types of cells each of which has it's own purpose to provide oxygen and nutrition. The skin of the sponge is made up of two types of cells. These are the Porocytes, cells which allow water into the body of the sponge, and Pinacocytes that keep water out. Lining the inside of the sponge are Choanocytes or collar cells. These are equipped with a tail-like structure called a flagellum that creates water currents through the body of the sponge. These cells trap nutrients in the water and these are taken up by the Amoebocytes that transport the food resources to all the other cells in the sponges body. It is these cells that also secrete the spicules, hard material made from collegen, calcium carbonate or silicon dioxid that supports the body of the sponge.

The Cnidarians also appeared in these early times. This group contains the jellyfish, sea anemones and corals. In the case of corals, they can look similar to the sponges but there are some big differences between the two. Corals, and other cnidarians, have tissues and organs though they lack a proper circulation system. They use tentacles with stinging cells called cnidocytes to trap their prey. Though initially they may look completely different, the anemones, corals and jelly fish all share a similar body structure. The body structure of all of these has one single opening. In the case of jellyfish, this gives them a distinctive bell shape. For anemones and corals, the closed end of their body is what attaches them to the surface of a rock or other structure.

Fossils of what appear to be sea pens - a type of soft coral - have also been found in the precambrian. These are different to other Anthrozoans (corals and anemones) because they have polyps that are specialised for certain jobs. One polyp goes extra large creating the 'stem' of the coral with other polyps having their own tasks. Some filter out food while others keep water circulating through the body.

Soft corals have a fleshy body, unlike the hard corals. It is these types of coral that are responsible for creating the diverse coral reef systems, the largest living built structures in the world. The largest of the coral reefs can be seen from space! Three groups of corals are the main contributors to the coral reef structures - the staghorn corals (Acropora),brain corals (Lobophyllia) and massive corals (Porites). Though these may appear to live passively side by side, these corals are in a never-ending struggle to keep their patch. All of these corals need light to allow the photosynthesis of special algaie called zooxanthellae. These algae are vital to the corals because it is these that provide the coral with food. As as result, should a reef coral be overshadowed by another it would result in starvation. To prevent this, corals have developed defences. Brain corals are slow growing and could easily be overshadowed by the fast growing staghorn corals if it wasn't for the brain corals defence system. When it is at risk of being overshadowed, the brain coral sends out stinging tentacles that kill the polyps near to it halting the staghorn corals spread.

Among these it is is thought that the earliest ancestor of modern arthropods and segmented worms appeared. Two fossils of an animal called Xenusion come from this period. These resemble the modern velvert worms. Other animals from this period include Spriggina. These animals look similar to the trilobites that appeared later and may have been related to them.

At the end of the Precambrian, may of the strange animals that lived in this period disappeared, but some persisted. It was these surviving species that would take part in what is known as the Cambrian explosion where life on earth diversified...

The Cambrian saw the appearence of some very strange animals. Many of these are known from the Burgess Shale, where an underwater avalanche buried a host of strange animals. Among these is Anomalocaris. This segmented animal is thought to be the top predator of its age reaching a length of 2 metres. Possibly related to Anomalocaris was Opabinia. This animal had a strange proboscis which was possibly used to grab prey and carry it to the mouth which was under the head. Unlike Anomalocaris which is considered to have been a free-swimming predator, Opabinia is thought to have been a dweller of the sediment. The relationship of these two species to other invertebrates is unknown. Initially they were thought to belong to the arthropod group, but now they are classed as a group of their own that don't fit in to the modern phyla.

The prey of the predators weren't helpless though. In order to reduce their risk from these large predators their prey developed a varity of defences to deter an attack. Wiwaxia corrugata superficially resembles a slug, but unlike a slug it has defensive plates covering it's back and large spines projecting out to deter a would-be attacker. This species has a mouth under it's head, suggesting that it was a bottom feeder

Alongside these strange animals though, more familiar animals started to appear. The ancestors of modern arthropods, including bivalves were around and the first fossilised molluscs were found. The first Trilobites were also around. Olenoides is one such early trilobite that moved along on the seabed, picking up particles of food and digging for prey. Like all invertebrates, Trilobites had a hard exoskeleton made of chitin. In order to grow, this exoskeleton has to be moulted. Whilst the new skin is hardening, the arthropod expands its body. Moulting results in losing essential minerals and to reduce this loss, most arthropods today re-absorb the minerals in their exoskeleton. This is something that the trilobites did not do. Instead, they cast off their old exoskeleton without re-absorbing the minerals and as a result the moulted skeleton remained hard and where conditions were right, became fossilised.

This wasteful process has left a valuable record of the trilobites that once roamed the oceans. They came in various shapes and sizes, from a few millimetres to over two feet in length. Some had spines, and a few species even had horns that may have been used for territorial or mating behaviour. If that was the case, then these are the first animals known to have developed horn-like features to tackle rivals! This isn’t the only aspect that the Trilobites come first in either. They are the first invertebrates currently known to have developed true, compound eyes. Early trilobites lacked vision, possibly only able to pick out the differences between light and dark.

With the arrival of the first fish with jaws, the trilobites started to decline. When the Permian Mass Extinction came along wiping out an estimated 95% of life on earth, the trilobites disappeared though one of their relatives, the horseshoe crab, survives to this day. These strange relics of the past are the closest living relative of the ancient trilobites and were possibly among the first animals to venture out of the oceans and onto land. They do this to this day, emerging from their marine habitat to lay their eggs in the sand. When they first started doing this, their eggs would have been safe from predators as the land would have been unoccupied and their eggs would have stood a better chance of survival. Today there are numerous predators that feast on the horseshoe crab eggs, and even depend on it to fuel their migrations. Despite this, every year the horseshoe crabs continue to haul themselves onto the land to lay their eggs and it has been a method that has proved successful for around 400 million years. They survived the Permian extinction and the extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that wiped out the dinosaurs. Though the world around them has changed dramatically, the horseshoe crab has proven to be a true survivor. The same cannot be said for the Trilobites.

In their day, the Trilobites ruled the oceans. Their fossils have been found worldwide. They had a very board range with some species living in shallow water to others that lived at great depths. The only realm they didn’t conquer is the land. This was left to a different type of arthropod, a close relative of today’s scorpions…

Continued in the next issue of The Realm...

Flower Power - Butterbur

Botanical name.. Petasites Vulgaris

Butterbur is one of my favourite plants as during the summer the leaves grow really large and provide nice foliage.

I have it in my garden which is unusual as its mainly found in wet ground,marshy meadows or by the riverside.

The name butterbur is supposed to have arisen from when in ancient times the leaves were used to wrap butter as the leaves are very luxurience and large.

The flower appears late February/March and is quickly followed by the leaf which then gets bigger through the season.

It was called the "Plague Flower "as well as it gained a reputation amongst the few remedies during the time of the malady.

Parts used..The root which is blackish with white internally and has a bitter and unpleasant taste due to the resinous juice.

Butterbur is medicinally employed as a heart stimulant acting as a cardiac tonic and also a diuretic.

It has been used as a remedy for fevers,asthma,colds,and urinary complaints.A decoction being taken warm in a wineglass dose.
Quote Gerard

"The roots dried and beaten to powder and drunk in wine is a soveraigne medicine against the plague and pestilent fevers, Because it provoketh sweat and driveth from the heart all venim and evil heate; it killeth worms. The powder of the root cureth all naughty filthy ulcers,if it be strewn therein "

By wyldeflower

Shoveler Mating dance

Spring is in the air and birds are busy engaging in courtship displays. This is exactly what these two shoveler ducks are doing in this series of photos. Even though ice remains on their lake they are busy courting each other establishing the bonds that will tie them together for the breeding season. The brightly coloured male and the brown female circle each other dipping their heads and bills beneath the water as they dance. Many other birds will also be engaged with courtship displays. Some of them simple, others much more complex such as the mating dance of the Great Crested Grebe that ends with both partners raising up in the water dancing with bits of weed and the graceful courtship of mute swans which usually pair for life.

Help the Frog get across the road in FROGGER! This isn't just a game though...roads are a huge problem for frogs, toads and their relatives. As they travel to their ponds in the spring to lay their eggs, they often find themselves having to cross busy roads, a dangerous task for a tiny creature like a frog and many don't make it to safety on the other side. However, there is something you can do. You've heard of helping old ladies to cross the road, well you can do the same for frogs and toads too! Find out more by going to Toads on the Roads 2008 run by the charity Froglife. Remember though, roads are a dangerous place for you too so ALWAYS make sure that you are accommpanied by a responsible adult and use your green cross code!

JOKE TIME!

How does a frog with a broken leg feel?

Answer: UNHOPPY!

CAN YOU TELL WHAT IT IS???

A Jaguar!

Jaguars are the largest of the big cats that live in the Americas. They live in the forests of Central and South America where they are one of the top carnivores (meat-eaters). Even caimen, a relative of the crocodile, need to be wary of them because they have been known to make a meal of them too! Most jaguars have a spotted coat, but black jaguars do occur in the wild too. Unfortunately, their beautiful spotted coat has led to them being killed to turn their fur into coats and fashion items and this along with the destruction of their habitat has led to these magnificent big cats becoming very rare.

GET ACTIVE!

Spring has arrived and there is plenty to see in the great outdoors! Whether you live in a city our out in the countryside there is wildlife all around so why not go and see what you can find? From daffodils raising their yellow heads to bluebells blanketting the woodland floor and birds foraging for food for their growing chicks there is always something to see. Please remember though to leave things as you found them for others to see and enjoy. Why not tell us about what you find in the month of April and maybe send us in a picture or photograph of what you have seen?

Who left this track?

Animals are constantly leaving signs behind that they had once been there, and if you keep your eyes out you can see these signs even when the animal that made them is in hiding. Can you tell which animal would leave this kind of track?

This track belongs to a FOX. It is very similar to a dog track but narrower and the two front pads don't cross the two at the very front of the foot. Keep a close eye out and maybe you can find a fox print!

TOP LINK - RSPB KIDS!

Check out this website made by the RSPB! Here you can find out much more about wildlife and nature in your area!

RSPB Kids

Photo Gallery: Something Fishy

These fish photos were taken by Flash. The photo on the left shows a Red Chequered Rainbowfish, the photo on the right is a Plecostomus Catfish and at the bottom is a female Frontosa holding her eggs in her mouth.

ANS Database

ACT NOW!

PETITION: Thank some cool companies

By 2010, the 15 major international companies that are part of WWF's Climate Savers program will collectively cut their carbon emissions by some 13 million tons annually -- the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road every year.

Global warming is a massive, urgent issue, and we all need to take action now. Otherwise, in only 6 to 10 years, we’ll see irreversible changes. Already, sea ice in the Arctic is melting earlier and forming later each year, leaving polar bears with less time on the ice to hunt for food and build up their fat stores. Coral reefs are also under threat from coral bleaching caused by higher sea temperatures linked to global warming.

Sign a petition to stay thank you to these companies HERE

Letters & Comments

Send us your comments about this issue of the magazine and let us know what we can do to improve future issues!

I would like to thank the contributors to this issue of the magazine - Wyleflower and Flash

If you would like to contribute to the next issue with your photographs or articles you can email us at SilverSteno@hotmail.co.uk

Don't forget you can chat about all your favourite animals and share your experiences with nature over in The Realm of Nature forum!