Nature facts
True facts from Dewberry Hollow
Every friend in our stories is based on a real animal. Here are the true facts behind them, to read, share and wonder at.
One fact for every friend
Real tailorbirds sew leaves together with spider silk and plant fibers to make their nests. Their homes are made of nature — and go back to nature.
Squirrels bury nuts to eat later. The ones they forget grow into new trees — squirrels are secret tree planters!
Spider silk is one of the strongest threads in the world — and it is made with no factory at all!
Silkworms eat only mulberry leaves, and spin a silk thread so long it could stretch across a whole field!
Otters only live where rivers are clean. When you see otters, you know the water is healthy!
Many moths visit flowers at night. They carry pollen from flower to flower and help new seeds grow.
Some tortoises live for more than 100 years! As they wander, they carry seeds and help new plants grow.
In a squirrel family, everyone shares — and baby squirrels learn by watching the big ones.
Gloop is not from nature, so Gloop makes messes nature can’t clean up. With a little help, Gloop is changing — and so can we!
Did you know?
Every animal home has its own name
Next time you read about an otter, ask: where does it live? (A holt!)
| Animal | Its home is called |
|---|---|
| Otter | Holt |
| Squirrel | Drey |
| Spider | Web |
| Bird | Nest (an eagle’s nest is an eyrie) |
| Bee | Hive |
| Rabbit | Burrow (many together make a warren) |
| Fox | Den |
| Badger | Sett |
| Beaver | Lodge |
Superpowers
Everyone is brilliant at something
No creature can do everything. The penguin can't fly, but watch it swim! That's a lesson for us too: we each have our own gifts.
Flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back every year: the longest journey of any animal
Can’t fly, but swims fast and dives deep
Small falcons that rest in Nagaland, India, then cross the Arabian Sea on their way to Africa
Holds hands with its family while sleeping in the water, so no one drifts away
Dances to tell its friends where the flowers are
Grandmother elephants lead the herd and remember where to find water
Each eye can move on its own, so it can look forwards and backwards at once
Makes its own cold light, which gives off almost no heat
Chirps faster when it’s warm and slower when it’s cool
Life isn't easy
Challenges animals face, and how we can help
Animals meet hard things every day, from nature and from people, and they keep going. Each of us can make their lives a little easier.
| Animal | The challenge | How it copes | How you can help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spider | Rain and wind break its web | It rebuilds, often every day | Leave webs where they do no harm |
| Otter | Fishing lines and litter in rivers | Moves to a cleaner, safer holt | Never leave litter or fishing line by water |
| Birds | Very hot summers; sharp kite strings | Rests in shade and looks for water | Put out a bowl of water in summer; fly kites with cotton string |
| Moth and firefly | Bright lights at night | Finds its way by the moon and stars | Switch off lights you don’t need |
| Squirrel | Roads, and trees being cut down | Builds a new drey | Plant a tree; slow down near parks |