Posts Tagged ‘Pollinators’

Jun
25

Go Batty During Pollinator Week!

Posted by in Bats,Pollinators,Spotlight on Species

It’s National Pollinator Week… so get out of the house and give thanks to the pollinators of the world (that includes bats!) by attending the Houston Zoo‘s 2nd Annual Spotlight on Species: Pollinators!  You may be familiar with bees that pollinate our crop plants, but did you know that some bats are pollinators too?  They are primary pollinators of delectable guavas; a favorite food of  primates big and small, the banana; and my favorite fruit EVER, mangoes.  Thank you, bats!!   Man, a bowl of fresh fruit salad would be good about now… but I digress.

Mmmmmmango....

Bats also pollinate many different cacti including the stately Saguaro, Arizona’s state cactus – that’s the one that looks like a tall, weird prickly green person with permanently bent arms…  (if you don’t have an overactive imagination as I do, here’s a picture).  AND, bats pollinate the Agave plant.  This is exciting to me because I love Agave nectar, but exciting to normal people because the Agave plant is used to make Tequila!  Have you ever had a margarita without tequila?  Well, its just boring.  So again, thank the bats for all those margaritas you probably don’t remember drinking.

Bats Emerging at Bracken Cave, TX

 

Most folks know about the Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony in downtown Austin, but that’s a bit of a drive for an after-dinner family excursion.  Want to get out and see bats here in Houston?  Check out the Waugh Bridge Mexican free-tailed bat colony one of these evenings…  all the action happens around dusk.  Most US cities don’t have a free bat show, so take advantage of the natural beauty Houston has to offer!  And be sure to thank all those bats for eating so many mosquitoes (unless you like mosquitoes, in which case you might see plenty of those too  - you just can’t lose!).  To learn even MORE about bat pollination click here and for general bat information, peruse the Bat Conservation International website.  Or better yet, join us at the Houston Zoo this weekend to learn all about bats and other fascinating pollinators!

 

Bat photo – NaturallyEarthFriendly.com

 

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Jun
22

A World of Pollinators

Posted by in Animal Info,Pollinators,Spotlight on Species

What the heck is a pollinator and why is the Houston Zoo having an event celebrating them?  A pollinator is an animal that helps a flowering plant complete its life-cycle by picking up pollen from one flower and physically moving it to another of the same type – this fertilizes the plant, allowing it to form seeds for the next generation.  The plant usually offers some sort of reward for this valuable service (sweet, sweet nectar…), but sometimes a plant will attract an animal to its flowers under false pretenses (check out these awesome examples!).  Pollinators are fascinating animals that also happen to provide humans with, oh, at least 30% of ALL the food we eat!

 

Malachite Sunbird, South Africa

 

About 1,000 different vertebrate species around the globe are pollinators – in this group are bats, birds, small mammals, lizards and even a lemur!  Bats are pollinators of some of our favorite edibles, such as mangoes and bananas – they also pollinate Agave, no doubt a very valuable plant to all you tequila lovers out there…

 

Mexico's Banana Bat (photo ©Marco Tschapka)

 

The vast majority of pollinators (a whopping 200,000 species) are invertebrates.   These can be beetles, bees, moths and butterflies, wasps, flies, ants and many others.  The most efficient pollinators in the world by far are bees.  You are probably familiar with the European honeybee, the bee that pollinates many of our crops and provides us with yummy honey.  But the European honeybee is only one of around 25,000 named bee species.  The United States alone has about 4,000 types of native bee – compare that to around 5,000 species of mammal in the entire world!  Want to learn more about our fantastic native bees?  Tune in next time…

 

Green bee on the shores of Lake Michigan

 

*photo credit, Malachite Sunbird: http://academic.sun.ac.za/botzoo/bruce/pollinator_adap.htm

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Jun
17

Bug Out! Attract the Good Guys to Your Garden

Posted by in Insects,Pollinators,Spotlight on Species

Bumblebee on Lantana flowers

Have you ever wanted to help wildlife but weren’t sure how to do it?  Would you like to start your very own conservation project in your own backyard?  The Houston Zoo is hosting a Spotlight on Species: Pollinators event the last weekend of June, and just in time…. because pollinating insects need your help!  Pollinator habitat in Texas is being destroyed every day – our native prairies are all but gone and any remaining open spaces are being developed at an alarming rate.  But you can create a haven for pollinators at home, at school or even at the office.  You can attract butterflies by planting native and non-native plants that provide nectar and/or food for caterpillars.  Native bees need flowers that provide nectar and pollen and a place to nest  (some nest in the ground and some will nest in special boxes) both of which are easy to provide.  All of these insects are fun to watch and beneficial too… if you are a vegetable gardener or have fruit trees, the more bees you attract the more bountiful your harvest will be!  Learn how to create a pollinator haven by joining us at the Zoo for Spotlight on Species:Pollinators!

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Jun
15

Top 10 Reasons to Love Pollinators

Posted by in Conservation,Insects,Pollinators,Spotlight on Species

Why do we have an annual Pollinator Awareness Day at the Houston Zoo, you ask?  Because pollinators RULE!  Here are 10 reasons why:

10.  Fruit! Bananas, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, mango, peaches, cherries, apples, kiwi, oranges… well, you get the idea (the list goes on and on).

9.  Veggies! Squash, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, artichokes, bell peppers, onions, yams, beans… and many more!

8. Nuts and Spices! Almonds, walnuts, cayenne, chipotle, saffron, fennel, Allspice, VANILLA!

 

 

7. Clothes! Cotton, anyone?

6. Halloween! No pollinators, no pumpkins.  So much for traditional Thanksgiving pies, too…

5. Dairy! Hmmm… what’s the connection here?  Alfalfa! Dairy cows need alfalfa (a plant pollinated by leafcutting bees) so that you can have cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, ice cream and pretty much every dessert ever conceived.

4. Honey! (this is a no-brainer)

 

 

3. Coffee!! Let’s face it, without coffee you probably couldn’t even operate this computer.

2. Chocolate!! This is a big one folks!  Did you know that cacao trees (this is where chocolate comes from) are pollinated by a midge, which is a tiny fly?  Are you going to put your flyswatter down now?  I thought so.

1. Life as we know it! about 75% of all flowering plants depend on pollinating animals to complete their life cycles – and even if you don’t eat any part of all those thousands of  plant species, somebody out there depends on them… Without pollinators, animals that depend on those plants would perish and the animals that eat the aforementioned herbivores would starve too.  An absence of pollinators would result in a catastrophic collapse of the Earth’s fragile terrestrial ecosystems (yes, this is where you live).  So put down the bug spray and start creating a backyard pollinator habitat today!  Hey – every little bit helps.

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Jun
27

Bee-lieve it or Not…

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Birds,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Endangered,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Swap Shop,Tropical Bird House

Blue Faced Honeyeater Photo courtesy of: www.plantbiology.siu.edu

Honeyeaters are important pollinators of many Australian flowering plants.  All 170 species of honeyeaters have a unique adaptation:  a long tongue with a brush-like tip that they use to get nectar from flowers.  The tongue can be extended into the nectar about 10 times per second!

Honeyeaters aren’t the only birds that help pollinate.  Honeycreepers, sunbirds, Brush-tongued parrots, and hummingbirds are just a few of the birds all over the world who are pollinators.  There are 2,000 bird species globally that feed on nectar, the insects, and the spiders associated with nectar bearing flowers. 

For more Bee-lieve it or Not facts, come join the Houston Zoo in celebrating National Polinator Week on June 26th and 27th. We will have tables and chats from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. all about our favorite pollinators.  Bee sure to  record your pollinating adventures in a nature blog to share at the Swap Shop!

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Jun
26

Bee-lieve it of Not…

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Endangered,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Swap Shop,Tropical Bird House

Bumblebee on Lantana

In the U.S., the economic value of pollination services provided by native insects (mostly bees) is estimated at $3 billion each year.  Bumblebees are highly efficient in pollinating many crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cranberries, and blue berries.  Yumm!  Best of all, most bumblebees won’t bother you unless you bother them.  When gardening at home, please consider using native plants.  Most of all, be kind to pollinators, consider going organic.  Insecticides tend to kill indiscriminately and will eliminate a lot of your pollinators.  The larger the variety of wildlife in your yard or garden (insects, birds, toads, lizards, etc.) the less “pest” insects you will have.  Naturally!

For more information on creating a native garden, visit: http://www.xerces.org/pollinators-south-central-region/

For more Bee-lieve it or Not facts, come join the Houston Zoo in celebrating National Polinator Week on June 26th and 27th. We will have tables and chats from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. all about our favorite pollinators.  Bee sure to  record your pollinating adventures in a nature blog to share at the Swap Shop!

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Jun
24

Bee-lieve it or Not…

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Birds,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Endangered,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Swap Shop,Tropical Bird House

Photo taken by Jean-Christophe Vié

On the island of Madagascar, black and white ruffed lemurs are the main pollinators of traveler’s trees or traveler’s palm. These trees are typically 40-feet-high. They lemurs use their nimble hands to pull open the tough flower bracts. They stick their long snouts and tongues deep inside a tree’s flower. As a result, they collect pollen on their muzzle and fur, and then transport it to the next flower. The resulting fruits are a major source of food. It appears that no other creature has the strength and nimbleness to pollinate the palm. This gives the black and white ruffed lemur the award of the world’s largest pollinator!

For more information go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/unusual.shtml

For more Bee-lieve it or Not facts, come join the Houston Zoo in celebrating National Polinator Week on June 26th and 27th. We will have tables and chats from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. all about our favorite pollinators.  Bee sure to  record your pollinating adventures in a nature blog to share at the Swap Shop!

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Jun
23

Bee-lieve it or Not…

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Birds,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Endangered,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Swap Shop

Endangered Species Chocolate

What would a life without pollinators look like…Well a world with out chocolate!  That would be a pretty bleak world in my opinion.  Some of my favorite desserts are chocolate.  Others seem to agree because the chocolate industry brings in about $50 billion dollars a year worldwide!

Who do we have to thank for our delicious treats?  Bats and other pollinators!  Monkeys and other small mammals even help with seed dispersal.

Lesser long-nosed bat - Photo taken by Merlin D. Tuttle of Bat Conservation International

Chocolate isn’t the only food we can thank pollinators for.  Bats are the major pollinators  for bananas, dates, coconut, cloves, vanilla, Brazil nuts, avocados, and the agave plant (tequila)!

For more Bee-lieve it or Not facts, come join the Houston Zoo in celebrating National Polinator Week on June 26th and 27th. We will have tables and chats from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. all about our favorite pollinators.  Bee sure to  record your pollinating adventures in a nature blog to share at the Swap Shop!

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Jun
22

Bee-lieve it or Not…

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Swap Shop,Tropical Bird House

Male Leafcutter Bee

A fairly common bee in the Houston area is the leafcutter bee.  These bees are smaller than honeybees, grey and black, and a little bit fuzzy.  It’s easy to spot a female because the bright yellow pollen she collects from flowers is carried underneath her abdomen, not on her legs.  Leafcutter bees use leaves from various plants, such as roses, to help seal their nest chambers (this keeps the larvae protected while they grow).  If you notice semicircular patches missing from individual leaves in your garden, you probably have leafcutter bees around – but don’t worry, they don’t take much.  You can even build a bee house to attract these and other kinds of fascinating bees:  http://www.xerces.org/fact-sheets/

For more Bee-lieve it or Not facts, come join us in celebrating National Polinator Week on June 26th and 27th. We will have tables and chats from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. all about our favorite pollinators.  Don’t forget to record your pollinating adventures in a nature blog to share at the Swap Shop!

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Jun
19

National Pollinator Week!

Posted by in Adaptations,Animal Info,Children's Zoo,Conservation,Events,Featured,Insects,Mammals,Natural Encounters,Pollinators,Primates,Reptile House,Reptiles,Tropical Bird House

 

What is a reptile doing on a pollination page?  Well, normally we think of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds as the major pollinators of the world, but did you know….

- There are 37 different species of lizards known to pollinate plants

- The seed production of agave plants (where tequila comes from) drops to one-three thousandth of normal when bats are not around to cross pollinate them

- On the island of Madagascar, black and white ruffed lemurs are the main pollinators of Traveler’s trees or Traveler’s palm

Come join us on June 26th and 27th to learn more about the pollinators around the world.  Meet-the-Keeper chats will be throughout the zoo to answer any and all questions about the pollinators you can see right here at the Houston Zoo!  Stop by and check out the tables supporting conservation efforts and activities throughout the zoo.

For more information on pollinators go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/unusual.shtml

For more information on Day Geckos check out www.nbii.gov. Photo taken by Dennis Hansen

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