[♪ INTRO]
Aaah, Squeaks and I just got back from playing outside, and I’m really thirsty!
With the straw in this bottle, I can get all of my water
out of the bottle… every last drop!
Its long, skinny shape fits perfectly into the bottle.
And hey — you know what that reminds me of?
Flowers and their pollinators! Let me explain.
So, Squeaks: Remember when we watched butterflies in The Fort’s garden last week?
[Squeaks squeaks]
We saw them flying from flower to flower.
They were there to drink the flower’s sweet, sugary nectar.
But when the butterflies landed, they also got some dusty yellow stuff
on their legs.
[Squeaks squeaks]
That was pollen.
And as the butterflies moved from flower to flower,
they spread that pollen around — collecting it from one flower
and dropping it on another one.
When an animal moves pollen from one plant to another,
it’s called pollination.
And the animals that carry pollen are called pollinators.
Some plants need pollination so they can make seeds.
And new seeds can grow into…
[Squeaks squeaks]
Right, new plants!
So, that means everyone wins!
The butterfly gets a sugary drink of the nectar it likes,
and the plant gets a little help making new seeds.
[Squeaks squeaks]
What does that have to do with my straw?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Well, I’m glad you asked!
See, there are so many kinds of flowers, and they come in
all shapes, sizes, and colors.
And there are all kinds of pollinators!
There are butterflies, but also bees, bats, and more.
And sometimes, these animals have body parts that make them great
for pollinating certain flowers.
Like, let’s look at butterflies again.
When we think of butterflies, we usually think of their pretty wings.
But butterflies have another cool body part called a proboscis.
A proboscis is a specially shaped part of their mouths
that butterflies use to drink the nectar from flowers.
It acts kind of like a straw… and it can look like one, too.
A butterfly can use its long, skinny proboscis to reach nectar
even in flowers that are long and skinny, just like my straw
could get to the bottom of this bottle!
If a butterfly had a shorter or wider proboscis,
it wouldn’t be able to reach the nectar as well… or at all!
[Squeaks is excited]
Isn’t it cool?
[Squeaks squeaks]
And there are all kinds of examples like this!
Sometimes, we can tell what kinds of flowers an animal pollinates
by looking really close at their structure,
or the way the animal is shaped.
So, let’s try another example!
Squeaks, are you ready?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Okay, let’s look at the tube-lipped bat!
This bat has a really, really long tongue!
In fact, its tongue is longer than its whole body!
So, what do you think, Squeaks?
What do you think the function, or job, of this super long tongue is?
Do you think the flower it drinks nectar from looks flat and wide like this?
Or tall and narrow, like this?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Right! The bat’s long tongue can reach all the way to the bottom
of the long flower.
And the flower is big enough at the top so the bat can fit its head inside!
And check it out — the part of the flower that makes pollen
is also close to the top, so when the bat sticks its furry head inside,
it gets covered in pollen.
Then, when the bat flies away and goes to drink from its next flower,
some of the pollen will fall off.
This is really fun! Let’s do one more!
This time, we’ll look at the flower first.
This flower is pollinated by a bird.
Which bird do you think is the mystery pollinator?
This one, with the short, thick beak...
...or this one, with the thin curved beak?
[Squeaks squeaks]
Right again! The hummingbird’s beak has a thin, curved structure,
so it can reach way down into the flower so the bird can get its yummy nectar.
The flower’s opening is just big enough for the bird’s little head to fit in.
So, the hummingbird’s head and body will get dusted with pollen.
And then, that pollen will fall off on the next flower
as the bird looks for another drink.
And speaking of a drink… I think I could use a refill!
Thanks for joining me here at The Fort.
If you want to keep learning and having fun with Squeaks, Jessi,
me, and all our other friends, be sure to hit the subscribe button,
and we'll see you next time on SciShow Kids!
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