Lowland heaths, mountains, lakes, marshes, peat bogs, chalk grasslands, ancient woodlands and Caledonian woodlands – these are just few examples of the natural habitats found in the United Kingdom, each home to unique collections of plants and animals. We are still able to explore and enjoy these habitats today thanks to the hard work and dedication of The Wildlife Trusts. Established to curb the widespread devastation of natural habitats in the UK, The Wildlife Trusts celebrates its 100^th birthday today.

A bluebell wood - one of the many natural habitats in the UK

On 16^th May 1912, the banker, landowner and naturalist Charles Rothschild formed the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (SPNR), precursor to the The Wildlife Trusts.

For the first time in the UK, conservation efforts were focused on protecting the habitats of species, rather than focusing solely on species. Without this innovative movement, many of the natural habitats we now take for granted would no longer exist.

The society carried out the first ever national survey of wildlife sites in the UK, identifying ecologically important areas. From this, local Wildlife Trusts were set up to protect some of these special places of nature. A big breakthrough came in 1949, when the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed, making the protection of nature a matter of law.

This move from conserving individual species to protecting habitats is still relevant today. There are now 47 Wildlife Trusts managing 2,300 reserves all over the UK. However a recent review on these protected areas found that many are too small and isolated. Connecting existing reserves is the next step in conserving our natural habitat.

Dartford warblers can be found in sites managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Many worldwide conservation projects now focus on conserving habitats and ecosystems. It is amazing this approach was adopted here in the UK 100 years ago!

In the UK? Find a Nature Reserve near you.  

Watch the Wildlife Trusts’ centenary film on the Wildlife Trust website.

Lauren Pascoe, ARKive Media Researcher

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After such a great response to our Animal Bands game on Twitter, we decided to do another one! This time, though, the topic was Animal TV Shows, and you sent in some crackers! Here are ten of our favourites…did your idea make the cut?!

Chimp My Ride

This young chimpanzee appears to be a bit of a back-seat driver!

This young chimpanzee has no need for the show that decks out cars with all the latest and greatest gear…he seems quite happy with his ride!

The Only Way is Essex Emerald Moth

Saltmarshes are the preferred habitat of the Essex emerald moth

This Essex emerald moth is looking rather reem, and we would forgive other invertebrates for being well jel of its beautiful green wings. Sadly, this species is now classified as Extinct in the UK.

Seal or No Seal

The scientific name of the Galapagos fur seal comes from Greek words meaning 'bear headed'

Seal or No Seal describes the history of this Endangered species rather well. The Galapagos fur seal was hunted extensively in the 1800s, and was thought to be extinct until a small colony was rediscovered in the 1930s.

The Weakest Skink

The chevron skink can grow up to 30 cm in length

The chevron skink is New Zealand’s largest living endemic lizard, and one of its rarest. We think it does a pretty mean impression of the infamous Anne Robinson glare…is it about to wink?!

Orang M’Lord

The Bornean orangutan is a predominantly solitary creature

This female Bornean orangutan doesn’t seem to have grasped the concept of ladylike behaviour! However, we’re not sure she’d be any better as a maid if that’s how she’s planning on carrying the sandwiches and scones!

Gnu Wants to be a Millionaire

As it forms huge herds, the blue wildebeest should have no trouble finding a 'Phone a Friend' candidate!

These blue wildebeest, commonly referred to as gnus, seem to be gathering to watch an episode of their favourite show: Gnu Wants To Be A Millionaire! Or perhaps they’re eagerly awaiting the call to be a ‘Phone a Friend’?

Neighboars

The Visayan warty pig is a rainforest-dwelling species

Although not from Australia, we’re featuring this Visayan warty pig, as he would be a very rare neighbour to have. Found on just two islands of the Philippines, this species is extinct over at least 98% of its former range.

Troutnumbered

The Kunming snout trout lives in rapids and pools in fast-flowing streams

The Kunming snout trout is Critically Endangered as a result of water pollution, overfishing, and being Outnumbered by introduced fish species.

Miami Mice

The Arabian spiny mouse can shed its tail when attacked

The heroes of Miami Vice would have needed to don a special bulletproof vest to protect themselves during drug raids, but this Arabian spiny mouse has its own inbuilt protection against predators. When brushed against the direction of growth, this mouse’s fur becomes coarse and spine-like.

Would Aye-Aye to You?

The aye-aye has strong upper incisors to tear through wood

This rather odd-looking aye-aye hid a secret from scientists for years! This nocturnal species was originally classified as a rodent, but it is, in fact, a primate. Perhaps the aye-aye could use its unusually long middle digit to point out liars?!

This blog turned out to be harder to write than I’d expected, as I could only pick ten shows to feature, and there were so many fantastic ideas! So, I shall leave you with a quick mention of a few more that tickled us here in the ARKive office: Chicks Feet Under; Louse MD; Bok the Week; Have I Got Shrews For You; Home and A Whale; Starfish and Hutch; Whose Lion Is It Anyway?

Thanks, everyone! Look out for more wildlife-related fun and games soon!

Kathryn Pintus, ARKive Species Text Author

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In the ARKive office we love a good celebration, and what better reason is there to celebrate than our 9th birthday? The 20th May 2012 will mark 9 years since the launch of ARKive, during which time the website has grown to include over 14,500 species profiles! To mark the occasion, we have taken a look through the vault to find some real party animals to help get the fun and games started…

Clowning around

All good parties need some entertainment, and when a birthday comes around it is time to bring out the clowns! While it may be lacking in huge feet (or any feet for that matter) and a big red nose, we think that the colourful common clownfish would be a welcome guest at any gathering.

A good sing-song

When the cake arrives, it is pretty much mandatory to belt out happy birthday as loud as you can. While the animal kingdom has a variety of talented vocalists, we have decided that this western meadowlark could probably out-sing most of the ARKive staff!

Make a wish

It is traditional to make a wish as you blow out the candles on your cake, and while there might not be any real candles in the ARKive collection, we think the firefly squid is just as pretty! Perhaps you could try wishing on a squid instead?

Party games

If you are as competitive as most of the ARKive team, you probably love a good party game, and one of our favourites has got to be musical statues. Mind you, I think the male sharp-tailed grouse could give us a run for our money with its stop-start display, check out this video!

You’re invited too!

Of course, you can’t have a party without your friends, so we want to invite all of our fans and followers to get involved in our birthday celebrations.

*Like* ARKive on Facebook to help us unwrap our 9th birthday presents and Pass the Parcel to your friends! Keep an eye out for some cryptic clues and see if you can guess which animals have been wrapped up!

Plus, as it’s our 9th birthday, on Twitter we’ll be sharing cool facts about the 9th species added to ARKive each year, starting from the launch of ARKive back in 2003! Once each fact gets 9 retweets, we’ll reveal the 9th species added on our next birthday, along with another fun fact to retweet.

The 9th species ever added to ARKive was the giant panda. Here’s the first fact to retweet:

Known for feeding on bamboo, did you know that the giant panda is technically a carnivore & occasionally eats meat too? #HBARKive

Why not send us a birthday message too? Post why you *like* ARKive on our Facebook wall. Our favourite 9 reasons for *liking* ARKive will appear in a 9th Birthday blog on Sunday 20th May. Plus you’ll win a special birthday party hat Twibbon so that you can celebrate on your Facebook and Twitter profiles too.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr  and Google Plus to check out wild number 9 facts – make sure you get involved!

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It’s Mother’s Day today in the US, so to celebrate we thought we would highlight just a few of the interesting and varied ways mothers in the wild nurture their young.

A fleet-footed caregiver

Our first mother is the fastest land animal in the world, achieving speeds of up to 87 kilometers per hour! The female cheetah usually has a litter of up to three or four cubs, and tends to move the young to a new den every few days to avoid predation. The death rate of young cheetahs is high, mainly due to the risk of predation by lions, hyenas and even baboons, so the female must do all she can to protect them.

A set of stripes only a mother would know

At the other end of the food chain we have the Grevy’s zebra, the largest of the equids. Mares give birth to a single foal after a gestation period of 13 months. Foals are able to stand within minutes of birth, and can run when only 45 minutes old! They remain dependent on their mother’s milk until six to eight months of age.

The preening queen

Oh, how mothers love to groom us! The yellow-eyed penguin is one of the most endangered of all the penguin species. Between mid-September and mid-October a clutch of two eggs are laid, and both parents help incubate them up to two months. For the next six weeks the adults will take it in turns to stay with the chick whilst the other forages for food.

A lizard that lays and leaves

For the Galapogos marine iguana, motherhood usually ends once the eggs hatch. Females lay between one and six eggs in sand or volcanic ash burrows. Females often guard the burrows for several days then leave the eggs to finish incubation, which takes approximately 95 days. After the young hatch they look like and act like miniature adults, needing no parental care. If only we had it so easy!

Having a whale of time!

There are also nurturing mothers in the sea, like this false killer whale with her calf. Despite its name, it is not a close relative of the killer whale, but it has been known to attack much larger humpback and sperm whales. After a gestation period of almost 16 months, calves are born measuring up to two metres in length and nurse for up to two years!

Do you have a favorite mother in nature? Share it with ARKive on Facebook or Twitter!

Maggie Graham, Program Assistant, Wildscreen USA

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Greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius)

Species: Greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius)

Status: Endangered (EN)

Interesting fact: The greater adjutant is named after an adjutant (military officer) because of its stately manner and habit of standing motionless for long periods of time.

With its naked pink head, very thick yellow bill and low-hanging neck pouch, the greater adjutant is a rather eye-catching stork. Colonies of greater adjutants can be seen gathering in India and Cambodia at the start of the dry season in October. Large nests are constructed on tall trees, and eggs are laid between November and January. These hatch after about a month of incubation. Nestlings are cared for until April when the start of the wet season prompts migration north. A carnivore and scavenger, the greater adjutant feeds on a variety of prey, including carrion, fish, reptiles and large insects. It is also known to feed in human rubbish dumps.

Once found across south and southeast Asia, the greater adjutant is now restricted to two small breeding populations. Loss of nesting habitat and feeding sites has had a huge impact as suitable wetland habitats are cleared, drained, polluted and disturbed by humans. Hunting of the adult birds and collection of eggs also threaten the greater adjutant. This species is legally protected in many countries, although enforcement of these laws is often lacking.

For more information on the greater adjutant see the Wildlife Conservation Society website

Find more photos and videos of the greater adjutant on the ARKive website.

With thanks to @inaturalist for this weeks suggested Endangered Species of the Week!

Lauren Pascoe, ARKive Media Researcher

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