We are all used to the phrase “Man is lord of creation.” People invent, build, develop, and make the world better. But in our everyday lives, we forget that there are a lot of other creatures that have defended themselves since the times when people could not even talk. They have been building and improving their own unique systems to remind us that we are just a small part of the universe.
Today Bright Side wants to show you the most unbelievable things that fauna representatives were able to create to protect themselves. Read to the end — there is a bonus there for you!
1. Trees cocooned in webs
This event took place in Pakistan in 2010 when rain poured into the country. There was sσ much water in the flooded areas that insects had to look for a safe place above the ground. Spiders were believed to be the main builders of these webs, but it was pointed out that other insects (like moth larvae) made their contributions too.
2. Termite mounds
Here you can see the Egyptian pyramids of the insect world. The builders of these castles are termites. According to studies, the insects do not live in these mounds. Their purpose is to protect termites from the threats of the surrounding world and to support the carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange in the real nests.
3. Pufferfish circles
These unusual circles were found near Japan. Some years ago, scientists discovered that the creator of this mystery was the male pufferfish. To create them, the males swim along the seafloor and flap their fins. These movements help to create this pattern. As you may guess, its purpose is to attract a female. The more complex the pattern is, the more chances a male has.
4. Paper wasp nest
Paper wasps use wood fibers and their saliva to build nests. When a wasp finds an appropriate material, it puts saliva on it and, moving back, scrapes extremely thin wood fibers. The initiator of nest building is always a queen looking for a place to lay her eggs. In the final image, you can see the result of Mattia Menchetti’s experiment. He gave colored construction paper to a colony of paper wasps.
5. Mud dauber prisons
Mud daubers take great care of their children. To provide their larvae with food, they create such prisons in the form of a tube. They then bring in 20-30 paralyzed spiders, flies, or butterflies, and put their eggs upon the prey. They block the nests with mud and check them every day.
6. Caddisfly larva cocoons
Caddisfly larvae build their homes using the materials around them: stones, weeds, shells, sand, and anything else they find. This process takes place when the time to pupate comes. By building a safe cocoon, they protect themselves from predators.
7. Weaverbird nests
Weaverbirds are social architects. Their nests resemble baskets and are usually located close to each other to form sky condominiums. The colonies of these birds may accommodate several generations, and these masterpieces can be sσ massive that trees break under their weight.
8. Swallow nests
Swallows are also known to be social birds. They live in big colonies that may include several hundred nests. The nests are made in the form of a neat basket. Swallows use mud and their own saliva for building. In some countries, such as India, China, and Indonesia, their nests are considered a real delicacy.
9. Ant colony
Have you ever wondered how ant colonies would look if we filled them up with metal and then extracted the result from the ground? Well, some scientists did, and here is the result. We can see that ant colonies are very complex structures where each branch has its own purpose.
10. Red ovenbird nests
Red ovenbirds build their nests out of clay, mud, and grass. Their houses are shaped like a dome with a hole on one side. Its weight may run up to 3-5 kg (6.6-11 lb). When looking for clay, a bird can make around 2,000 flights.
11. Compass termite wedges
The height of a compass termite wedge is about 3 m (9.8 ft / 39.3″). They are north-south oriented to help control the temperature of underground nests. Such wedges can accommodate 2-3 million termites.
12. The Great Barrier Reef
The Reef is one of the most wonderful creations of nature. It was built by a colony of living organisms. Its area is around 350,000 square meters (3,767,368.6 square feet / 542,501,085 square inches). That’s larger than some counties, and it continues to grow. Scientists say that it started to form about 400,000 years ago, but there are still different opinions on it.
13. Baya weaver nests
Baya weavers use grass to build their nests, giving them a creative pear form. The sun dries the grass, and this gives a surprising strength to the nest. Sometimes a whole flock can build nests together, forming large condominiums.
14. European red wood ant mounds
European red wood ants are considered arсhitects of forest skyscrapers. They are able to carry materials that exceed their weight by 40 times! Mounds have 2 parts: the first part is located above the ground, and the second one is underground. The second part protects the mound from water.
15. Australian weaver ant nests
Australian weaver ants take only one day to build a nest. In a chain, they hold leaves with their jaws, while larvae generate floss threads to strengthen the structure. This is a good example of collaboration!
16. Bowerbird bower
A bowerbird is a romantic designer recognized by Bright Side. It finds beetles, sticks, berries, flowers, and other colorful things and arranges them in a captivating way to attract females. There are known examples where these birds have used fruits, lost toys, and grass to make their huts look even more beautiful. When the goal is reached, the birds do not use this nice structure for raising their young.
Bonus
In 2015, during the Slip of the Tongue exhibition, Hubert Duprat, a French artist, presented his golden experiment with caddisfly larvae. He collected the larvae from their natural environment, transported them to his studio, and replaced their cocoons made of stones and other materials with pearls, rubies, gold, and sapphires. You can see the results in the image below.
In your opinion, who is the most creative here? Which creation do you like best? Share your opinion with us, and send this article to your friends — the world has to see this!
