Wetlands by 'On a Journey'

Wetlands


Wetlands are damp marshes where water is found and which can form lakes and pools. Some wetlands are formed naturally and others are made by humans. Wetlands will form wherever water has been trapped by rocks or water resistant soil.

Many small animals without backbones live in the soft wetland ground. These are eaten by shrews, frogs and toads. Birds that live on the shore (sandpipers) will use their long, thin beaks to poke inside the mud to eat the small animals. Kingfishers and herons eat the fish in the shallow parts of the wetlands as well as frogs and toads.

Mosquitoes and dragonflies lay their eggs in the water and try to look for food on the land. Insect eating animals will have their nests nearby and seed birds will feed from the seed heads of the reeds. Antelopes, foxes, lions, elephants and deer will drink the water from the wetlands.

There are different types of wetlands. Tundra Wetlands are found in Canada, Alaska, the USSR and Scandinavia. These areas are always full of snow and when the snow melts in the springtime, the water cannot drain through the frozen soil. Therefore it lies in pools on the surface. Mosquitoes and insects breed and migrating birds settle there for a while.