Invertebrates

Invertebrates are not only incredibly important to the survival of ecosystems as a whole they are also incredibly interesting with fascinating life cycles, wing and eye structures and have just as much character as birds and mammals.

Invertebrates make up 97% of all animal species on Earth with over 1.3million species described so far and although most are small their role in ecosystems is vital. They are important pollinators and that’s not just bees; many different species help to pollinate food crops for other animals and of course for us humans.

They provide a food source for other invertebrates, fish, birds, mammals, specialised plants and even humans, and some are important natural pest controllers with only a small percentage actually considered as pests. There are some species that help to clear and clean up habitats by eating decaying matter, faeces and leaf litter and they help to maintain soil quality which in turn aids agriculture and also helps out in our gardens.

To put it another way, we simply cannot live without them and once you start looking closely at these animals you will notice just how wonderful they really are.

“If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if invertebrates were to disappear, the world’s ecosystems would collapse” - Sir David Attenborough