Creature Feature #193: Egret

The name Egret is given to members of the Heron Family characterised by the long plumes that they wear for the breeding season. These elegant wading birds are generally white or buff in colour. In the 19th and 20th Century these long and filamentous plumes were in high demand in both the US and Europe, where they were used to adorn hats. Many Egrets and other birds were heavily hunted, with some species being pushed to the brink of extinction. As Egrets don their plumes specifically for breeding, and Egrets are colony nesters, birds were being massacred by the hundreds. Luckily, there were those that wanted to see the trade stop, and Wildlife Refuges were founded across America, to protect the nesting birds. A similar massacre in New Zealand almost wiped out the Kotuku, a subspecies of Great White Egret with only one breeding ground.

Creature Feature #192: Eel

The European Eel is one of approximately 800 species of fish characterised by their long, slender bodies and belonging to the Order Anguilliformes. In her adult form, she is found in freshwater and, as early fisherman had never caught a baby eel, her life history was a mystery for centuries. Now it is known that her life begins in the ocean, as a tiny translucent larvae before entering freshwater and developing into a elver, a miniature version of the adult eel. She returns to the ocean one final time, to spawn and then dies. This life cycle is mirrored in numerous other freshwater eel species, including the New Zealand Longfin Eel. The European Eel was once widespread and often a favoured food, she is now listed as Critically Endangered and her wild population has dramatically decreased, pushing her to the edge of extinction.

Creature Feature #191: Edible Frog

The Edible Frog is a common European frog, named for the role he plays in the food industry, specifically frog legs. He is not a natural species, but in fact a hybrid between two other species: the Pool Frog and the Marsh Frog. These species hybridise naturally and are fertile, but when Edible Frog hybrids breed with one another, the offspring are often malformed. He is spread throughout Europe and active during the day. His main diet consists of insects and other arthropods, but he has been known to engage in cannibalism and will even eat small birds.

Creature Feature #190: Eclectus Parrot

Unusually, at least in the bird world, it is the female Eclectus Parrot that is the most colourful of the pair. With her red and blue colouring, she is so different from her green mate that at first they were considered different species. Eclectus Parrots favour a polyandrous breeding system, that is to say, one female with multiple mates (up to five). She chooses a tree hollow to nest in, and then vigorously defends it from all other females and will remain resident at this tree for up to 11 months, while her mates bring her food. Her bright colouration makes it easy for her males to find her, alerts other females to her presence and renders her difficult to see within the hollows of the tree.

Creature Feature #189: Echidna

The Echidna is a monotreme - a mammal that lays eggs. She is a relatively small, plump creature equipped with a long snout that she uses to sniff out worms and insect larvae. Her body is covered in short spines and coarse hair, offering her some protection from predators. There are three species: two Long-Beaked species, of which one is depicted here, and the Short-Beaked. All are equipped with sturdy claws for ripping apart logs and long tongues, for lapping up insects, meaning that they superficially resemble anteaters.
 In breeding season, as many as ten males will form a line, with the smallest males at the end, and trail the receptive female. Two weeks after mating, she will implant one tiny, fertile egg into her rear-facing pouch. It hatches after ten days. The infant Echidna is known as a puggle, and he will live in the pouch for 2-3 months, before being pushed out to see the world.

Creature Feature #188: Earwig

There are about 2,000 species of Earwigs, spread throughout the world and characterised by the large pincers that grace their abdomen. Nocturnal in nature, she hides within crevices during the day, favouring the damp and the dark. At night she ventures out to chew her way through foliage and flowers and is charged with damaging crops. She is a protective mother, driving her mate away shortly before laying her eggs. These she protects from predation, keeps them clean from fungi growth and may help her nymphs hatch - which they do after 7 days. Their first meal is their egg casings, and the mother proceeds to reguirgitate further meals for them. They grow through several moults, eating their old skins, until they attain their adult stage. If their mother dies before they mature, they may eat her.

Creature Feature #187: Earthworm

The Earthworm is a blind tube-shaped Annelid, usually found in the soil. Their diet consists of organic matter, both live and dead. Earthworms are hermaphrodites and capable of regenerating lost segments. It is a common belief that a worm split in half will regnerate into two worms, this is - for the most part - a myth, although if it were, theoretically, bissected in the right place, it is possible. For the most part however, one end will regenerate and the other end will die. Reproduction occurs above ground, usually at night. The eggs develop inside the clitellum - the thickened "saddle" near the head end of the worm - which they then slip out of, leaving behind as an incubator in which the offspring can develop. When the juveniles emerge, they resemble tiny adults. Earthworms have a simple digestive structure and play a major role in soil fertilisation. They are commonly used to decompose food scraps.