Police dogs, draft horses, barn cats, and lab rats are all animals that could be considered to work a full time job. In a salute to Labor Day, here are a few wild animals that work just as hard as humans and domestic animals.
Earthworms are working hard to keep your garden healthy. Often overlooked because they remain unseen, these slimy little guys are tunneling all day, allowing air and water to move around the soil. They cycle nutrients by eating decaying plant matter, creating fertilizer that living plants can use.
Mound building termites built mud homes that can reach heights of 17 feet and displace a quarter ton of soil. It can take years to build, and a single heavy rainstorm can damage or destroy it. Worker termites are always on the ready to make repairs as needed. Additionally, they also farm a fungus as a digestive aid. The fungus breaks down partially digested cellulose from the wood and grass the termites had eaten. After the fungus does its thing, the termites re-ingest what the fungus broke down.
Beavers are the best known engineers in the animal world. They build water tight dams out of sticks and mud. Ponds form behind the dam, and while the beavers selfishly build dams and create ponds for themselves, the important wetland habitat benefits many other species as well. Even humans benefit, as the wetlands filter water and serve as flood control.
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Beaver preening
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Beaver dam
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While you're enjoying a long weekend, just remember the critters that work hard 365 days a year just to survive. This week's information comes from National Geographic for
worms and
termites.
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