Birds:
* Berries: Birds love berries, and the seeds are often encased in fleshy, nutritious fruit. After the bird eats the berry, the seeds pass through its digestive system and are deposited in droppings, often far from the parent plant.
* Burrs: Some plants, like cockleburs, have seeds with spiky burrs that stick to animal fur. These burrs are carried away by animals, spreading the seeds.
* Nuts: Squirrels and other rodents gather and bury nuts for later consumption. However, they often forget where they buried some nuts, allowing them to germinate.
Mammals:
* Fruits: Many fruits, such as apples and peaches, are attractive to mammals, who eat the fruit and disperse the seeds in their droppings.
* Burrs: Similar to birds, mammals can pick up burrs and transport them over long distances.
* Nuts: As mentioned above, squirrels and other rodents are important seed dispersers for nuts.
* Dung: Certain plants rely on dung beetles to bury their seeds in animal dung, where they find ideal conditions for germination.
Other Animals:
* Ants: Some plants have seeds with a fleshy elaiosome, a nutritious appendage that attracts ants. Ants carry these seeds back to their nests, eat the elaiosome, and discard the seed in a safe place, effectively spreading it.
* Fish: Some aquatic plants have seeds that are adapted for water dispersal, but some are also dispersed by fish, particularly those with fleshy fruits.
* Lizards: Lizards eat the fruits of certain plants, and their droppings can spread the seeds.
Key Features of Seeds Dispersed by Animals:
* Attractiveness: Animal-dispersed seeds are often brightly colored, fragrant, or have fleshy, nutritious fruit.
* Toughness: Seeds must be able to survive the digestive system of an animal and still be viable.
* Adhesion: Some seeds have hooks, barbs, or sticky surfaces that help them cling to animal fur.
Animals play a crucial role in the dispersal of many plant species, contributing to the biodiversity and ecological balance of our planet.