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Secrets of the species that thrive in the big city

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canada goose outlet sale That was in March 2007, and Barclay soon discovered that the mystery bug was cropping up in canada goose uk black friday huge numbers in London and other European cities. However, experts were unsure and divided as to its true identity. It took a couple of years before Barclay solved the puzzle in consultation with Canada Goose Jackets colleagues. canada goose outlet sale

canada goose outlet toronto factory It was a plane tree bug (Arocatus longiceps), an insect that feeds on the seeds of plane trees. It has spread rapidly through the cities of central and western Europe in recent years. canada goose outlet uk canada goose toronto factory

canada goose outlet uk sale With their tarmac and concrete surfaces, and clouds of pollutant filled vehicle emissions, our towns and cities might not seem ideal habitats for wildlife. Yet some species, including the plane tree bug, are actually more common in cities than in apparently more natural settings. What is it about these species that makes them so fond of city living? canada goose outlet canada goose uk outlet uk sale

View image of A plane tree bug (Arocatus longiceps) in Chiswick, London (Credit: Andy Sands/NPL)

canada goose outlet store uk In the UK at least, the most famous urban colonizer is the red fox, which now occurs in its highest densities in towns and cities. A survey published in 2014 found that the distribution of urban foxes had canada goose clearance sale changed markedly over 25 years. canada goose outlet store uk

canada goose outlet store Their agility allows them to exploit the 3D urban environment canada goose outlet store

Following appeals made during a television series, members of the public submitted more than 17,000 reports of sightings of foxes in urban areas to a website set up by Dawn Scott of the University of Brighton and her colleagues.

canada goose outlet shop Of 65 urban areas in which few or no foxes had been reported in a previous study in 1987, 59 had sightings reported in 2012. Their geographical distribution had also changed, with many more reported in northern and eastern regions. canada buy canada goose jacket cheap goose outlet shop

canada goose outlet in canada goose store usa Scott says canada goose outlet foxes are very nimble creatures. “Their agility also Canada Goose Parka allows them to exploit the 3D urban environment, jumping over fences and climbing on roofs to find food, hiding under sheds to rest and canada goose coats make dens.” canada goose Canada Goose Coats On Sale outlet in usa

But they are far from the only wild animals that thrive in cities.

View image of A European badger (Meles meles) using a London food source (Credit: Laurent Geslin/NPL)

Badgers are sometimes just as common in cities as they are in the countryside. They have adapted their behaviours to survive along dense housing, industry and roads: for instance, they live in smaller groups with smaller territories.

They’re generalists so they are better canada goose uk shop able to cope with change

Scott says both foxes and badgers are able to cope with different and changing environments.

canada goose outlet jackets “They are omnivorous and have adapted their foraging behaviours to be able to exploit more anthropogenic food sources,” she says. “They’re generalists so they are better able to cope with change than other animals that are specialised to specific habitats.” canada goose outlet jackets

canada goose black friday sale What underlies this adaptability? There’s probably no single answer, but research on birds suggests it helps to be smart. canada goose black friday sale

canada goose canada goose factory sale outlet online uk View image of Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) Canada Goose Outlet (Credit: Visuals Unlimited/NPL) canada goose outlet online uk

canada canada goose black friday sale goose outlet reviews Alexei Maklakov of Uppsala University in Sweden and his colleagues examined this question for a study published in 2011. canada goose outlet reviews

canada goose factory outlet They examined records of 82 common bird species that occur in and around 12 cities in France and Sweden. Those with larger brains, relative to their bodies, were more likely to successfully breed in cities. These successful brainiacs included tits, crows and wrens. canada goose Canada Goose online factory outlet

canada goose outlet canada It’s not just big animals like foxes and birds that thrive in cities canada goose outlet canada

Maklakov says the added burden of running a larger brain might be worth it in environments where learning and adaptation are favoured. These bigger brains act as a “cognitive buffer”, allowing the animal to survive changing conditions by adapting its behaviour.

In line with that, there is evidence that urbanisation is driving increases in brain size. A 2013 study showed that white footed mice and meadow voles from cities https://www.canadagoosejacketsoutsale.com had greater canadian goose jacket cranial capacities than their country cousins.

Maklakov’s colleague Niclas Kolm is now taking this idea a step further, and breeding animals specifically fish with different brain sizes to see how it affects their behaviour.

But it’s not just big animals like foxes and birds that thrive in cities. Plenty of insects do too.

canada goose outlet nyc View image of A black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) in Hertfordshire, UK (Credit: Andy Sands/NPL) canada goose outlet nyc

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