Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Sep 7

If you are considering a few leaf insects as your next exotic pets - then this introduction is for you.

Many pet books overlook the humble leaf insect (or leaf bug), and many many others just shove them in the same ‘group’ as stick insects for ease.

But there is a lot more to leaf insects on their own - and here are a few of the basics about their character and their basic care.

Leaf Insects:
There are many different species of leaf insect ranging in nature from south and south-east Asia through to Australia - and they all look about the same - green and a bit leafy!

They are Phasmids (the same grouping as stick insects) but belong to the Phylliidae family and are very easy to keep as pets with very few specific requirements.

Depending on what age you get them at they could live for around 12 months (for females) or as little as 6 months (for males).  The nymphs are usually black on hatching and go through a series of moults as they increase in size and become more leaf coloured - ranging from pale yellows, through various greens to blotchy browns.

Female leaf insects are generally slow-moving individuals which tend to hang up-side-down from their food plants and stay there until they have eaten everything they can reach - then move on to another leaf!

The males can be a lot more speedy - as they are generally thinking about things other than food!  They are much thinner than the females and look a lot less ‘leafy’.  Adult males have long antennae and partially functioning wings to help them get about - more of a flutter than actual flight!  The adult females also have wings but cannot even flutter!

Leaf Insect Care:
Depending on the number of leaf insects you are getting and their lifestage; your tub, mesh cage or tank could be as simple as a tall cereal tub, or as elaborate as a huge wood-framed mesh display cage.

The only main care factors are for the very young leaf insects - where the humidity should be constant and the temperature not dropping below ‘jumper’ weather!  Don’t forget they come from the tropics!

These can both easily be achieved by using an airtight plastic container (like a large plastic cereal dispenser) and a flat heat pad during the colder weather.  The container needs to be airtight for 2 reasons: 1) to keep up the humidity by retaining all the moisture and 2) to make sure that the smaller nymphs don’t escape!  And needs to be humid to allow them to moult easily.

The reason for the height when housing younger leaf insects is also due to their moulting habits - where they hang off the bottom of a leaf and basically ‘drop out’ of their old skin.  If there isn’t enough height for them to completely come loose of their old skin, they will become trapped in it as they harden in their new skin - either losing limbs, becoming deformed or even result in their death.

Adult leaf insects don’t need too much humidity - but would still appreciate the warmth of a heat pad through the colder weather.  They also do better in taller housing as this allows you to put a ‘vase’ of their food-plant in the cage - keeping it fresher for longer!

Summary:
Here are the general requirements for leaf insects:

How Many: From 1 to 1000 (depending on cage size).
Housing: Small plastic tubs through mesh cages and even up to converted cupboards!
Cleaning: 1 or 2 times a week depending on numbers and plant material given. 
Life Span: Up to 1 year from hatching; maximum 6 months from Adult.
Food: Bramble leaves - but don’t collect from roadside locations!
Special Requirements: Heat pad for colder weather and high humidity for youngsters.
Other: Adult females can lay eggs without any males present - so watch out for any eggs on the bottom of the cage - as they will be fertile and can hatch in a few months (in specific conditions). 

posted by admin on Jun 25

Have you been up to anything this week - or is this the first you have heard of it?

As part of the National Year of Biodiversity - there is hope that the creepy crawlies will get a look in too!  Not just the little furry ones and the pretty birds!

Spurred on by the ever charismatic and slightly nerdy Chris Packham, why don’t you give insects a chance?  I have started to learn a bit more about the insects around us as I know that they are an essential and amazing part of the ecosystem.

I can now identify around 10 different butterfly species, about 5 moths - as well as the plants that they feed on and those that their young eat.  And I am getting some really great photos along the way!

So now - just like you - I can learn more about other groups of insects from this fact-filled site and all the related links and events.    

Insect Fun & Facts:
This section allows you to read about the tallest, shortest, heaviest, tiniest ad all those record breakers in the insect world - as well as allowing you to make a giant dragonfly yourself!

Insect Garden:
This section is all about making your average garden more attractive the the right kind of insects - both for natural organic pest control, pollination and pure beauty!

Insect Index:
Here you can follow the descriptions and links to find out exactly what type of bug it was that you found near the pond or under a stone - with some great pictures too!

Insect Resources:
Here is the best part of the site.  It is a page totally filled with links and resources to get you started in the insect world - or to carry on from where you are.  It’s a long page!

Insect Events:
There is an extensive listing of minibeast events across the country divided into counties.  I found 2 literally just up the road from me and the WWT centre - so I’m sure you will find one near you too!

Insect Surveys:
Whether it’s the Painted Lady Butterfly Watch or the Great Stag Beetle Hunt, you can take part in these surveys to make sure that our tiny wildlife is kept on top form.  Just follow the links to get started making a difference!

Anything from this website you take on board will make a huge difference to our native wildlife - and could be the difference between extinction and population explosion!

posted by admin on May 25

This article details all you need to know as a beginner about a year in the life of a bat in the UK: 

Animal Type: Mammalia - Chiroptera

Species Info: There are 2 main Orders of bats in the world: Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera - but only the latter are found in the UK. 

UK Distribution:There are 17 species of Bat in the UK, with all these found in the South including the tiny Pipistrelle (only 5 grams) and the larger Daubenton’s and Noctule Bats, with only a few species found in the North.

Preferred Habitat: Around water (as this attracts their insect prey) and in quiet locations - although are quite happy to live in towns on canals or by lakes.  They need roosting sites nearby to where they feed - one for hibernating and another for summer roosting, so a variety of buildings, caves and holes in trees (or bat boxes) are essential.

In Spring:  Waking Up After Hibernation.
In early March, bats may still be hibernating but some will start to feed if necessary - however April is the month that you are most likely to start seeing many bats feeding at night in the UK.  By May there will be plenty of activity in the Bat world as the females are actively looking for communal nursery sites in which to have their young.

In Summer:  Giving Birth & Young Taking To The Skies.
The young are usually born in June (usually only 1 young per female per year).  These young stay in the nursery though most of July, building up strength until they start to leave the nest in August.  After the young have left, the females go off in search of males to mate with.

In Autumn:  Mating & Searching For A Hibernation Site.
The adult males and females spend most of September mating, as well as starting to build up fat reserves for the winter ahead by feasting on insects.  If the weather stays warm there could still be feeding into November, but when temperatures start to drop, the bats start to hibernate.

In Winter:  All UK Bats Are Hibernating.
You will rarely see a Bat through the cold winter as they will be be hibernating somewhere quiet and secure.  As the winter moves on they will stay in that place, gradually using up their fat reserves to stay alive.  Only when temperatures warm up nearing Spring will they naturally begin to stir and set out hunting again.

UK/World Events: 
May: UK National Moth & Bat Night
August: European Bat Weekend

Bat Groups:
UK - Bat Conservation Trust
US - Bat Conservation International
Other - South-East Asia Bat Conservation

Other Information:
Bats in the UK are protected by strict laws and you can be liable for a fine of up to £5000 and possible imprisonment per incident or ‘per bat’ if you deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat, destroy a roost - even if not in use, or intentionally block access to a bat roost.  So call an expert if in doubt!

posted by admin on May 15

Yes - that’s tonight.  It’s not too late to really help out with some local conservation work!

The Butterfly Conservation Trust has been running this event for years now (but without the bats - they are new this year: see below….) and they are always looking for new moth trappers and counters to help form a complete national distribution picture.

Moths and other insects are very susceptible to changing habitats and whole populations can rise or fall depending on how the land around them changes.  For example the building of a new road could affect their movement for many months - maybe too for too long and they stop moving altogether.   Even changing back gardens to decking, front gardens to drives, adding too many all-night light sources to distract them.

Moths & Bats:
There are a whole host of things that can prevent a moths natural behaviour, and this is where the bats come in.  Bats love eating insects - particularly moths.  Infact all 16 species of bat found in Britain eats moths as part of their diet, some more than others.

So if the moths are being affected by environmental changes or as a result of global warming, then bats will be too - so this year the Bat Conservation Trust have joined forces - and to save resources really.  If thousands of people are out at night counting and trapping moths - then why not get them to watch out for bats at the same time!

Do be aware however, that in the UK there are strict regulations about the proximity of humans to bats, and it is against the law for an unqualified person to approach bats when roosting or even to touch a bat they find on the ground or in their home.  So it is best to join a bat group to get really close and maybe to eventually become one of those qualified people!

How To Take Part:
Now, you can take part in any way you want really, whether you find a local event that is offering a nighttime bat walk with an expert, you might find an evening lecture and trapping session at a local wildlife centre or maybe you just want to trap moths at home yourself using any number of homemade or shop-brought ‘live’ traps.

You can download and pictures and all your results to the main Moth Count website up until the end of the year, giving you plenty of time to have identified everything you have found.  I mean there are an estimated 2500 species of moth found in Britain and the Channel Islands alone!

And you don’t need to be living in the countryside to take part - it is just as interesting to find out which moths and bats are living in towns and cities these days.  Migration and distribution changes through the years are a very interesting part of this study, as some species and up thriving in cities and others have to find a new place to live.  Just like people I suppose!

Something New:
Maybe you have never really been a fan of moths or bats - and you want to try something different.  Give it a go.

Your town and churchyard could look totally different at night and it could be a great adventure for the kids - I mean there is no point passing on your phobias to them is there.  They could be a budding wildlife volunteer in the making and help keep moths and bats as a vital part of our local environment in the future, for the animals.

Even if you don’t want to touch anything tonight, at least have a look at some of the creatures that use your garden at night.  There should be fox cubs around, maybe a hedgehog or badger as well.  You might hear the beautiful song of the nightingale, or an owl calling it’s mate.

And some moths aren’t that boring either - take the Elephant Hawk-moth:  A huge moth with delicate pink and lime green wings.  And you never know if you could find something new to Britain.  What if 1 of your moths is the first of it’s kind to head over from Europe - it has happened before on a Moth Night.

Happy Counting!