CONTINENTAL STATS
BBC Wildlife December 2019 Seven Worlds,OnePlanet 27
NORTH AMERICA
“ The first time I put my head
under, I was blown away.
The colourful life in front
of me was as striking as
that on a coral reef.”
THE STATS
NORTHAMERICA
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To t a l l a n d a r e a : 24.71 million km
Human population: 427 million
Population density: 24 per km
Number of countries: 23
(+ 9 dependencies)
Country with the most threatened
species: United States, 1,818*
Conservation threats: habitat
destruction, degradation and
fragmentation, invasive alien species,
diseases, over-hunting, pollution and
climate change*Includes IUCN Red List categories: Critically
Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable.NORTH AMERICA
In a nutshell
Wild temperature
fluctuations, swingeing
changes between seasons,
tornadoes, wildfires, drought- it’s tough for wildlife, and
several species migrate in
search of better conditions.
builds huge mounds of pebbles in
order to impress females.
“The first time I donned a wetsuit
and snorkel and put my head under,
I was blown away. The colourful life
in front of me was as striking as that
on a coral reef. It’s such a vibrant,
but little-known world. People would
stop and ask us what we were filming
(well we did look odd floating face
down in the river!) and, when we
showed them, they couldn’t believe
what was in their own backyard.
This area is a hotspot for aquatic life.
There are more species of freshwater
fish, crayfish and salamanders in
these waters than anywhere else in
the temperate parts of the world.
“The river chub is actually quite
a common fish in North America,
but the lengths to which he goes
to build his mound is extraordinary.Once a male got going, there was no
stopping him. He’d collect and place
one pebble after another, all the while
watching for females, until he had
a pyramid-shaped mound about a
metre across. There were times when
he would place a stone and it would
roll off, but he immediately put it
back in its rightful place.Fussy architects
One day, we watched as a male built
a nest, then deconstructed it, and
rebuilt it a half-a-metre away – they
really can be quite particular.
“Unfortunately, the chub’s delicate
ecosystem is under threat from
human encroachment. It was
brought home to us every day. Our
cameramen would lift their heads out
of the water and hear gun shots from
the nearby shooting range.”4 Every autumn the
waters off the coast
of Florida turn dark
with the migration
of millions of grey
mullet. They hug the
shallows for safety.5 The male river chubb
creates a nest out of
rocks. Smaller fish
such as bright orange
‘shiners’ crowd in to
lay their eggs in his(^2) impressive stone pile.
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