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The Pollinator Garden, planted outside of the Cat
House, displays flowering plants pollinated by animals. Flowers
are colorful and filled with nectar in order to attract animals
to transfer pollen from one plant to another so that seeds can be
produced. Many different kinds of animals are pollinators. Animals
that can fly are generally the best at transferring pollen. Flying
insects are the most common pollinators. In addition to butterflies,
bees and moths, many species of beetles and flies are important
pollinators. Many tropical bats are pollinators as well as a number
of other tropical mammals, including bush babies, sugar gliders
and a number of small Australian marsupials. Other unusual pollinators
include several species of gecko lizards and even a few slugs and
snails. The world’s largest pollinator is the ruffed lemur,
a primate from Madagascar. Although most flowers can be pollinated
by several different kinds of animals, there are a variety of adaptations
of flowering plants and pollinators that have mutually evolved that
favor specific relationships. In this garden, you can see some of
these relationships. |
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