Discover in this article all the animals that migrate, what this means, the reason why they do it and various examples, do not miss it and read until the end, do not forget to share it with your loved ones.
migratory animals
This is a very uncommon term even though it is quite important within nature, it is a phenomenon that occurs in it as will be seen later, this occurs in many areas of the planet, large numbers of animals have been observed that go to other areas that are not the usual ones or to which they belong.
The most common are usually birds, but they are not the only ones that migrate, there are others that do it once a year for various reasons, there are different forms of migration depending on the animal, that is, depending on whether they are mammals, fish, birds, lobsters or others.
In the case of some fish, they mostly take advantage of the flow of the current that happens in the year to mobilize, while in the case of birds they move with the trade winds.
The purpose of this phenomenon is not unique, but can be motivated by various purposes, for example, there are some who seek to distance themselves from winter or on the contrary with summers, on the other hand there are those who go in search of a place where to reproduce and those who are looking for ways to feed or fleeing from predators.
It is a phenomenon that has caused fury and curiosity in human beings, since it is a manifestation of survival that they use in extreme cases such as those already mentioned, and it is also not something new that has happened with climate change and the lack of Environmental awareness, but it has been going on for many centuries.
What is animal migration?
This is understood as the animal transfer from one place to another that is carried out from time to time, that is, starting from its place of origin or natural habitat to another point where it will remain for a specific time.
It is important to note that this type of movement is usually beneficial for the ecosystem, keeping it balanced, not only at the point of arrival but also at the point of departure. It is a process that lasts several days of the year for each species that does it, which will depend on the kilometers to be covered; not all do it in the same season or the same distance.
In addition, the time it takes to complete the tour can also vary from year to year depending on the weather conditions they face; they never do them alone they always go in large groups; Even when this phenomenon has been extensively studied, there is great concern regarding the orientation they follow to reach the right place.
It is an instinctive part of animals, some types of migration are the following:
- Seasonal migration: are those that perform in conjunction with the change of season, it is one of the reasons for Why do birds migrate.
- Reproductive Migration: in this case they are those carried out with the intention of seeking a climate in which the offspring may have a high probability of living.
- definitive migration: as its name indicates, they are those in which the animals that make the process never return to the starting point, it usually happens in cases where their habitat was destroyed and it is no longer possible to stay in the place.
- The nomadic migration: this is the one that wanders from the same place, that is, they do not move to other areas.
Why do animals migrate?
There is not a single reason for animal migration and to carry out this process, there are many reasons they have, some of the reasons are the following:
Temperature changes
By nature in many countries of the world there are annual climate changes that are usually radical, such as summer and winter, where temperatures are quite radical, or very high or very low, conditions that many species cannot stand and are forced to to leave the place for a while.
In places that are cold, if the temperatures rise these animals go to where there are still lower temperatures, the same thing happens the other way around, in areas where temperatures are usually very high and drop from one moment to another, the species go to areas where the temperature to which they are accustomed is maintained.
Protection
It is no secret to anyone that the human being is usually very perverse, so many species are in greater danger of being part of this great threat depending on the characteristics they possess, for this reason many animals tend to migrate so as not to be killed or captured. by human action, as well as avoiding predators that are increasing.
Survival
They have this instinct, so to save their species they look for forms of reproduction that they often find in other places that are not the original ones, they get partners to reproduce; but in this sense the search for food and the lack of vital liquid are also included.
What are the animals that migrate?
The number of species that carry out this process are several, either through the air, water or land, some are the following:
The mammals
The most frequent within this classification are the so-called antelopes, mostly looking for food, heading between Kenya and Tanzania; but they are not the only ones, gazelles and zebras are also included in this classification, without forgetting leopards, lions and hyenas.
The latter mostly follow the former to attack and eat them; another mammal that carries out the migratory process is the Humpback Whale, which swims for seventeen thousand kilometers and then returns to its place of origin.
Birds
They are the most common, but not only that, but they are usually the ones that cause the most astonishment among those who have the opportunity to spot them, due to the crowd that is usually part of this wonderful process; they guide each other, helping each other and making great efforts to get to the right place.
There is one in particular that goes from one continent to another, from Europe to Africa, covering about thirteen thousand kilometers, these are the swallows; but there is another species that travels even more and they are called arctic terns traveling about seventy thousand kilometers away; Shearwaters are also migratory birds, ranging from the South Atlantic to Greenland.
Invertebrate animals
There is a butterfly that flies eight thousand kilometers, this is the so-called monarch, making the journey at the time that Mexico is in the summer, heading to Canada. But it is not the one invertebrate that migrates, there is also the dragonfly, being the one that travels the longest distance reaching almost eighteen thousand kilometers.
The crabs are part of this process, in this case they do it to lay their eggs in salty areas; Another animal of this type that migrates is the lobster, but it does so when it cannot find food.
Amphibians and reptiles
In search of food, it moves from the Caribbean Sea to the American continent, this is the leatherback sea turtle. If it is not able to feed on this continent, then it moves to the African Sea, traveling about sixteen thousand kilometers.
In the spring they go to other places where they can lay their eggs so that they can hatch without problems, these are frogs, toads and salamanders.
Fish
Although these are a little more difficult to see, they also carry out this process, although not all fish, some of them are the salmon that travels about eleven thousand kilometers, the trout that go from lakes to rivers at times of fertilization and the salmon for feed.
examples of animals that migrate
- Loggerhead: This goes from the temperate seas to the tropical zones when it is winter season, they have a longevity of sixty-seven years, can weigh one hundred and thirty kilos and measure almost one hundred centimeters.
- canada goose: These birds in the sky form the letter "V", they are gray, they can live in rivers, lakes and ponds.
- Sea lion: This can live in Mexico and California, where they belong when they are mating after finishing they go to Alaska to feed.
- Wildebeest: it is in conglomerations, being these ruminants, they migrate because they do not get water or food; they usually cause astonishment due to the noise they cause when moving as well as the migratory movement of the land through which they pass.
- Plankton: they are microscopic, migrate over very short distances; As long as there is sun, it remains on the surface and at the beginning of the night it goes towards the bottom, traveling about one thousand two hundred meters, because it eats and then goes down to the low temperatures of the bottom.
- american reindeer: females move before males, they always stay in cold places, but looking for places where there is food.
