Finding out where animals live
If you walk into a wood in the daytime you may not be aware that it contains a huge amount of animal life. You may be shocked by a clattering sound in the tree tops. It is made as a wood pigeon takes wing and flies away. You may be challenged by a robin making a "tic, tic, tic" call from a nearby shrub and you may hear the drone of flies. After this introduction to the wood you may not see or hear anything else for the rest of your visit. However, other animal life is certainly there but it is hiding away.

The largest animals in a wood are the deer. They hide away in bushes and bracken during the day and as you walk through a wood they may be watching you. You can find some other animals that are hiding away, if you turn over a stone or a rotting log. Underneath you will see beetles and woodlice crouching close to the soil. A centipede may surprise you by suddenly scurrying away, while its relatives, the millipedes, lay in coils, asleep, among the leaf litter.

You may wonder if these animals ever move about or if there are other animals to be discovered there. To answer these questions you could set up pitfall traps. These are plastic cups which you sink into the soil so that their lips are level with the soil surface. There is a smooth surface on the inside of the cup. If an animal falls in, this prevents it climbing out and escaping.

If the pitfall traps are set up in an afternoon and examined the following morning they may provide some surprises. You may find the pitfall traps hold woodlice, beetles, spiders, earwigs, slugs, snails and worms. The woodlice and millipedes may be found far from the dampness of the rotting log. One trap may hold a huge, violet ground beetle that you have not seen before. In another trap, you may find that the animal has pulled in soil as it slipped into the trap. When you empty the trap a large beetle with a bendy tail rushes out. It turns to you, bends up its tail and releases a foul smell to drive you away. Pitfall traps not only show you some of the animals that may be found in a habitat but also something of their behaviour.

You may wonder why many animals are active at night. One feature of a woodland night is the darkness. This lets the animals move around unseen. Another feature is the dampness of the ground and the air above. This dampness is produced by the dew. All animals have water inside their bodies and need it to stay alive. Many woodland animals, such as woodlice and slugs, have skins which let water escape from their bodies. The dampness of the air stops vital water escaping from their skins so they can come out from their hiding places to feed safely.

The dark conditions also bring out larger animals. Wood mice and voles search the woodland floor for seeds and fruits. Shrews are little mice-like mammals with pointed snouts and jaws full of pointed teeth. They feed on any insects they can find. Mice, voles and shrews are too large to be caught in pitfall traps but scientists have designed special traps to catch them. These traps have a tunnel and a nest box. When the animal enters the tunnel, a door clicks shut behind it. Food and bedding are provided in the nest box so the animal can have a meal and sleep while it waits to be released.

Harmless trapping is a useful way of finding out about where nocturnal animals live. But you don't need traps to find out about the liveliest of daytime animals- the birds. Just look out for them on your way to and from school or in the local park. Each kind has its own special plumage, so they are easy to recognise. If you spend a little time looking for birds you may be surprised how many different kinds live in the habitats around you.

Is it safe for the animals when you lift up stones and logs?
Yes, it is, provided that you put the stones and logs back carefully in their original places. If you leave them overturned, slow moving animals such as slugs, and sleeping animals such as millipedes, are left exposed. They could then easily be attacked by predators such as birds.

Do animals just shelter under stones?
For many a stone is a hiding place from predators during the day. For others it is a damp place to stay when the weather is dry outside. Sometimes you may find a surprise when you lift a stone. You may find a female earwig guarding her eggs. You could keep a notebook and look under the stones at different times of year. If you check a stone regularly you have a better chance of finding something unusual.

What would happen if you left the animals in pitfall traps longer than a day?
They would probably die because they would not be able to get any food. If you set up any pitfall traps in an afternoon you must check them as soon as you can the following morning. You could also set up pitfall traps in a morning and empty them the same afternoon. This would tell you how active the animals are during the day.

What are the easiest animals to watch in a habitat?
Probably the birds. It is important to remember that birds belong to the animal kingdom. Sometimes people group animals and birds separately but this is wrong. Birds are animals with backbones just like fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

How can you find out about birds in a habitat?
The best way is to go and sit quietly in the habitat and look and listen. If you remain still for some time, birds will ignore you and come out from hiding in the branches and begin to feed. When they do, remain still. If you move you will frighten them away. Visit the habitat regularly. Always move slowly and silently and the birds will get used to you.

Can you find out about other animals by sitting quietly?
Yes, you can. As you sit, look around the habitat and listen. You may see a variety of insects such as butterflies, bees, a flying beetle or a passing dragonfly. At dusk you may see a bat. Listen for rustling in the leaves on the ground and look across the ground from time to time. You may hear or see a hedgehog or a wood mouse. Shrews make squeaking noises but are difficult to see. If you look across a field you may see rabbits or a hare.

Is a field a habitat for animals?
Yes, it is. There are many habitats for animals such as forests, woodlands, hedges, ponds, rivers, lakes, heathland, mountain tops and seashores. Many animals also live in towns.

What animals are found in towns?
Many of the mini beasts such as snails, woodlice, beetles, centipedes and millipedes. You may see gulls on a school field and house martins making nests under the eaves of a house. Other town birds are house sparrows and starlings.

Remember that some habitats are small. You can set up habitats in a town garden, which will attract passing wildlife such as butterflies and birds.