In the wilderness, in order to survive in the harsh environment, animals can compete in building their own homes. Each of these families has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each of them has a deep wisdom.
The melaleuca-feuille of ants
Ants use their jaws to dig holes in the ground and build their nests by transporting sand grain by grain by grain. The "room" of the ant nest will remain in its original form unless the soil is severely dried. Ant research expert Walter Chilgel modeled the nest. He poured stone wax and other substances into the ant nest, coagulated the type and dug it out. According to his observations, the area closest to the surface has the most ant chambers, and the deeper the depth, the fewer the ant chambers and the smaller the area. "In order to do this, ants have to understand their depth relative to the ground," he said. ”
"Cell" bird's nest
The Montezuma starling, which lives in Mesoamerica, builds a hanging nest on a branch. Montessori starlings weave overhanging basket-shaped nests from vines, where multiple nests come together to form a community. When built, they anchor the nest with the strongest vines, and then add vines and fiber materials little by little until the entire nest is complete. Seeing this, I would like to ask, does this community need property?
Bumblebee acts as the gatekeeper
Usually, this bird chooses to build a nest on an isolated tree. The built nest hangs at the end of the branches to prevent monkeys from climbing into the nest and stealing eggs. Another, more effective way to fend off invaders is to build nests near bumblebee nests and have bumblebees act as their "gatekeepers."
Termite's "air-conditioned room"
The height of the mounds built by termites is generally more than 3 meters, and the height of the mounds in the photo is about 4.8 meters. Termite chewed branches, dirt and feces are built and the interior is very comfortable. Termite-built mounds are perfectly ventilated, as if they were air-conditioned, while also collecting condensed water droplets, and some nests even have "fungal farms" built inside.
A home that resists fire and water
Groundhogs would dig holes in the ground and dig out a home of their own. Because they live in the North American savannahs, where weather changes drastically throughout the year, their caves are subjected to temperature changes, floods and wildfires.
Marmots will dig holes in different depths underground, each with a different use, such as a baby room. Located deep underground, the baby room is more stable and allows baby marmots to be better protected from ferocious predators. Burrows closer to the surface serve as shelters to help adult marmots avoid predators. Other caves are used to store food or to monitor predators.
Multiple cohabitations, different doors in and out
Weaving birds prefer to live in groups and tend to build a dozen nests on a single tree. A weaving bird in South Africa has many couples living in its nest, but each couple has a separate door to enter and exit. From a distance, the giant bird's nest built by the gregarious weavers resembles a large haystack that falls on a tree. Can mess with haystacks.
The "apartment building" of the mock bird
The bird uses larger branches to build a basic skeleton, and builds a nest on the most ideal foundation, usually on a telephone pole or the tall branch of a tree. Although they cannot build drywall walls, they mark the boundaries of each room with hay. Finally, they build each room using softer grass and fibrous materials.
These nests are made up of twigs and hay, and there are also isolated "single rooms" inside, each of which houses a pair of birds to inhabit and breed. Each compartment has a separate entrance. Usually there are three or four birds in a cubicle. Do not interfere with each other, and form one.
This kind of nest does not need heating, warm in winter and cool in summer, does not consume energy, and is comfortable to live in. What's even more amazing is that the entrance to the cubicles is at the bottom. In this way, the birds can be protected to the maximum extent from being preyed upon by eagles flying over the nest.
"Villa" type curly leaf house
Many spiders are good at weaving webs, and in addition to weaving a good web, the Australian curling leaf spider will also build a "villa" from recycled materials. They select the better quality dead leaves, coat them with a layer of silk, and finally roll the leaves into a comfortable retreat, with the top closed and the bottom opening. The curly leaf spider suspends the leaf house in the middle of the spider web, and then hides inside, waiting for the prey to take the initiative to come to the door. When breeding the next generation, the female spiders build another curling house that acts as a nursery, hanging it from leaves not far from the spider's web.
Mud jacket weatherproof house
Beavers bite off large trees and use them to build levees. Around the dike, they also build enclosed ponds, and then build winter houses in the ponds.
Incredibly, the beaver is also a good carpenter and knows how to protect against wind and rain. Every year, they cover their huts with mud in preparation for the arrival of winter. Mud "coats" act as reinforcement to act as a barrier against low temperatures and predators.
Mud bowl bird's nest
Most bird nests are built using young twigs and ventilated on all sides, in contrast to the Brown Stove Bird of South America, which builds earthen nests in trees. They collect dirt and dung and build a bowl-shaped nest on tall branches. Baked by the sun, the nest gradually hardens and the brown stove bird lays eggs inside.
Built in the leewards to protect them from blowing, their nests are an ideal refuge to withstand other harsh weather tests.
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