Red squirrel, Lodgepole Pine, and Crossbill birds Red Squirrels are smallish creatures, with reddish fur and a long bushy tail. Their special features or adaptations allow them to successfully find shelter and food in woodlands like Balloch Wood. The bushy tail is perhaps the most obvious feature, essential for balance and communication and is often held up and over the squirrel’s back. In fact, the Latin name for the red squirrel is Sciurus vulgaris which originates from the Greek word ‘skiouros’ meaning ‘shade tail’. Young red squirrels are called kittens, and are born blind and hairless. They are born in nests called dreys in spring and summer and need to eat well so that they are fit and well for the winter months. Squirrels get up at dawn to spend the daylight hours foraging for food, making use of the many types of food which the forest has to offer, from tree bark and fungi in winter to insects and tree sap in summer. They are well known for hoarding food to prepare for the winter months when supplies are low. These food reserves of tree seeds and nuts are buried in autumn and utilised throughout the winter and spring. In the summer months squirrels often have a snooze around mid-day inside their drey which is also a secure and safe place for overnight rest. That means squirrel spotting in the middle of a hot sunny summers’ day is often unrewarded! Unlike some other mammals, squirrels don’t hibernate and remain active throughout the winter. One of the best times to see squirrels is during the months of January and February when their courtship chases take place and the trees are without leaves making squirrels easy to spot! Yet red squirrels are an endangered species. Although they are the only native species of squirrel in the UK, they are not the only species resident here. Grey squirrels from America were brought here over 100 years ago and were released into parks and gardens across the country. Due to their ability to feed more efficiently in broad leaved and mixed woodlands they have pushed red squirrels out of many woodlands in England, Wales and central Scotland and now outnumber them by
There are more types of insects in one tropical rain forest tree than there are in the entire state of Vermont. In 1958 Entomologist W.G. Bruce published a list of Arthropod references in the Bible. The most frequently named bugs from the Bible are: Locust: 24, Moth: 11, Grasshopper: 10, Scorpion: 10, Caterpillar: 9, and Bee: 4. People eat insects – called "Entomophagy"(people eating bugs) – it has been practiced for centuries throughout Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and North, Central and South America. Why? Because many bugs are both protein-rich and good sources of vitamins, minerals and fats. Many insects can carry 50 times their own body weight. This would be like an adult person lifting two heavy cars full of people. are over a million described species of insects. Some people estimate there are actually between 15 and 30 million species. Most insects are beneficial to people because they eat other insects, pollinate crops, are food for other animals, make products we use (like honey and silk) or have medical uses. Butterflies and insects have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, called the exoskeleton. This protects the insect and keeps water inside their bodies so they don’t dry out. Butterflies feed primarily on from flowers. Some also derive nourishment from , tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, decaying flesh, and dissolved minerals in wet sand or dirt. Butterflies are important as pollinators for some species of plants although in general they do not carry as much pollen load as . They are however capable of moving pollen over greater distances. has been observed for at least one species of . As adults, butterflies consume only liquids which are ingested by means of their . They sip water from damp patches for hydration and feed on from flowers, from which they obtain sugars for energy as well as and other minerals vital for reproduction. Several species of butterflies need more sodium than that provided by nectar and are attracted by sodium in salt; they sometimes land on people, attracted by the salt in human sweat. Some butterflies also visit dung, rotting fruit or carcasses to obtain minerals and nutrients. In many species, this behaviour is restricted to the males, and studies have suggested that the nutrients collected may be provided as a nuptial gift along with the spermatophore, during mating.