BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-08)

S

ocialdistancingisn’ta newideaexclusive

tohumans.Animalslivingingroupsare

oftenexpertatit.Beingsocialorgregarious

bringsthemlotsofbenefits,suchassafetyin

numbersandco-operativefeeding,butthese

perkscomeata cost.Diseaseandparasites

thrivewheretransferbetweenclose-

knithostsis aneasyleap.

Somanyspecieshaveevolved

socialdistancingprotocols.Healthy

bullfrogtadpolesavoidswimmingwith

parasitisedtadpolesoftheirownkind,while

thenormallysocialCaribbeanspinylobster

quitesensiblyoptsoutofden-sharingwith

individualsinfectedbya lethalvirus.

Evenantsareknowntoself-isolate,

withinfectedworkerantslimiting

theircontactwiththerestoftheir

colony.Somebonds,however,

cannotbebroken.A recentstudy

ofmandrillsfoundthatinthis

speciesmaternalinstinctwins

overavoidingcontagion–

mandrillmotherswillalways

choosetokeepnurturing

theiryoung.GillianBurke

Do animals

practise social

distancing?

BEHAVIOUR Left to right:

there’s a riot

of colour to be

seen around

coral reefs;

hoverflies,

such as the

band-eyed

drone fly, are

experts at aerial

manoeuvres;

mandrills are

selfless parents.

Q&A

August 2020 BBC Wildlife 81