Without Otters, The World Would Be On Fire

[@zousssnotzeus5341]

i like how this guy started as a comedy channel out of scary and weird facts and now he's actually well-read and is advocating for the environment in one of the best ways I've ever seen

[@Gr8tBlueHeron]

He was always well-read.

[@zousssnotzeus5341]

@@Gr8tBlueHeron what I mean is he used to just be "this thing can kill you in 2 seconds and is realy poisonous" to getting into the deeper more intricate detail of animals

[@amuroray9115]

He became full time animal channel. I like it

[@ostrichcum9369]

@@zousssnotzeus5341 His views are becoming less though but I love his channel way more now personally. Not like he didn't provide great facts in his previous videos tho

[@charlieriser8668]

@@ostrichcum9369 No they aren't? Looks like there becoming consistently high actually.

[@TheStyx13]

Fun fact about those Yellowstone wolves: after a few years of reintroduction, scientists realized that elk had been eating tree saplings next to river banks without fear of the wolves. When the wolves came back, elk avoided the open sight line of the rivers and the rivers CHANGED COURSE to return to how it was. 🤯

[@spider-soniczilla2989]

Really, that's lit

[@nenmaster5218]

Enjoy This? Then you enjoy Forrest Valkai and Sci Man Dan.

[@allthingsconsideredaa]

@@nenmaster5218 outspoken atheists too.. I like it

[@2goober4u]

@@allthingsconsideredaa have you ever played Among Us?

[@allthingsconsideredaa]

@@2goober4u no, I haven't.

[@Egryn]

Quick note about the wolves of Yellowstone: After they were placed on the protected list and were reintroduced back into the ecosystem; the environment went through massive changes. Scientists tracked the wolves and other species and found the elk were eroding the land at rivers and when the wolves came back in, the elk were forced to migrate. This allowed the land to begin to heal, allowed beaver to return to the area and thrive, and there was a noticeable change in the river itself. There is a short documentary on KZbin if you’re interested.

[@mr.c6324]

thank you for this, very interesting. Reminds me of similar thing that happened in sweden, only that cause in the reserve area there was no natural predators, the number of deer skyrocketed but after a while came down dramatically and almost whole ecpsystem was destroyed as they ate everythin literally.

[@DirtyFiST69]

Link?

[@Egryn]

@@DirtyFiST69 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHbIh6ltiN1njpY

[@notsure6915]

It's called a trophic cascade Thank you for bringing this up I was just about to

[@ryanlambert3717]

If im recalling correctly, they've also been extremely detrimental to elk populations partially due to the 70 year gap between the exterpation and reintroduction and partially due to the stock of wolves reintroduced being from Northern Canada and being much bigger than what a grey wolves in the area should be. The limited management options for the park feed into it as well. But from what I've seen, reintroduction of red wolves on the east coast has had an opposite effect on deer populations because red wolves are extremely good at managing coyote populations in areas where they have enough room. A pack of 5 red wolves might hold the same territory as 30+ coyote and be extremely intolerant of coyotes in their territory. They are much more efficient at controlling coyote populations than any hunter could hope to be.

[@shawneeluciani1385]

I was friends with the scientist who came up with the concept of a keystone species! I grew tomatoes for his garden and only after a few years of knowing him did someone tell me HE was that scientist. Blew my mind. Cutest little old guy. Always happy to stop and tell a story. Shuffling around in socks and birkenstocks with his leather briefcase. He recently passed away. RIP Bob Paine 😭

[@ukiyohtml1528]

aww he seems like he was an amazing man :( i hope he rests peacefully and i’m sorry for your loss. luckily, he has left a very good and large impact on the world and many animals can thank him for their survival :)

[@madoldbatwoman]

Bob Paine of 'starfish in rock pools' fame! We learned about his work all the way over here in North Wales when we were talking about the importance of keystone species..

[@SaralisaL]

I mean if he was 6'6" I wouldn't call him little lol

[@otakuribo]

That's so neat, thank you so much for sharing this!

[@Juan-sx9pe]

@@SaralisaL facts

[@okita_souji_alter]

It's still crazy how caiman can get mauled by a gang of otters and they'll sound like children on a playground the whole time

[@gnategarta1612]

What playground would you hear that?

[@nore5888]

@no way Nigga if u dont

[@wutthabuck8772]

@@gnategarta1612 all jokes aside listen to a video of a gang of otters jumping a caiman. It LITERALLY sounds like a bunch of kids laughing and playing

[@gnategarta1612]

@@wutthabuck8772 I've seen it before, but in what realm would you here that in a playground? Hell?

[@ceoofjeanneism6777]

Low tier crocodilians vs highest tier water rat

[@stevem.o.1185]

The other crazy thing about sea urchins is that they can live for hundreds of years, meaning you can't even just wait for them to die. Without predation, the ocean floor would look like expert-level minesweeper in a century. Also happy old couple wolf eels are adorbs.

[@NormalSpeedGamer]

Well just like the otter i could also down 50 of them in a day if my wallet can afford it😂

[@serhumano3692]

​@@NormalSpeedGamer if you can kill them underwater... It's not like you can use the american way to solve any problem and just shoot it, because it is underwater.

[@andyfriederichsen]

I highly doubt it's that long of a lifespan.

[@clarkb1900]

@@andyfriederichsen According to Google, they generally top out at about 100, but some have been known to break 200.

[@zeyadeslammohamed8490]

​@@andyfriederichsenthe fact is a fact like it or not

[@ashtoncullinan5586]

As someone who is a scuba diver and lives in California: YES! Yes to everything about the sea otters. SO many of them were poached and/or killed/permanently disabled due to oil spills, and us divers have to go down and remove the sea urchins ourselves. Otters? We're repuled by their habits and will overlook It because they're cute. And they eat sea urchins.

[@alexisgrunden1556]

I've tried sea urchin once; mouthfeel of a fresh loogie and stinks like low tide behind a cannery. The sea otters are more than welcome to my share of the urchins. God bless those adorable fluffy little psychopaths~

[@tropicalvikingcreations]

@@alexisgrunden1556 Yeah northern sea urchins tend to be lean and bitter it seems. You have to go closer to the equator to get good ones

[@debbylou5729]

So....how many oil spills have you seen? For real. Love my beautiful environments, but people like you cause many people to write off your experiences as invalid

[@arathar24l]

My family had a cottage a while back, and we knew a couple who had a cottage on a small island. Unfortunately the wife was deathly afraid of snakes, so she ordered her husband to kill any snake they come across. Sure enough, less than a year later, their cottage had a rat infestation to the point they needed to tear it down and rebuild it. Shouldn't ever matter if an animal is "ugly" or "scary", chances are they have an important part to play in their ecosystem and we should respect their place.

[@MysteryFaceX]

The moral of the story is: It's the humans' livelihoods that get fucked.

[@asurasyn]

No, the moral of the story, as told by the Cult of the Blue Oyster is: History shows, again and again, how nature winds up the folly of man. 😎

[@naeebaeee4396]

I see what you mean. Like I’m kinda arachnophobic but I’ll let a spider chill if it’s in a spot that I don’t frequent. Unless venomous. Then I have to burn shit down jk.

[@scotlandtheseer]

My home used to have garter snakes. But everyone else in this town was prejudiced and would deliberately run the poor things over with lawn mowers. I remember once upon a time if you went in my family's basement you could find dozens of snakes hanging out on the cool concrete. But it's been literal years since I've seen a single snake. Meanwhile, all the local houses are experiencing mouse problems.

[@debbys-abqnm4537]

In my area I suggest folks visiting our many neighborhood parks look up toward the tops of tall trees (at least 3 stories high) and watch for Cooper's Hawks (also to wear hats if it is nesting season because hawks don't like monkey-like people attempting to climb up to see baby hawks, so hawks will dive bomb humans; I think hawks have that much imagination, to protect the kids). Sometimes folks are afraid of hawks, so I ask if they like pigeons better. people think about their cars covered by pigeon droppings. I tell them that hawks like pigeons (and doves)... for dinner! and suddenly people have a new appreciation for the hunting birds (and become aware of nests). The city also fences off small parks to protect nesting hawks from being bothered. My tax dollars at work! 😊🤠

[@DireFox7]

"This dead eyed, blind with no glasses, slower than molasses moss carpet." Man's smoothness level is over 9,000.

[@thecatrizable]

9001

[@Thomas_The_Thermonuclear_Bomb]

I read this at exactly the same time he said it

[@SovietOnion111]

bro im sure he put all his Stat points into language and speech

[@swara4704]

he would be a great rapper

[@cozylyxa]

At the elephant part I reconned the importance of whales, more specifcally whale falls. (When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean ground, they create a foodsource for numerouse species, and even after being drained from all nutrients, the bones still offer a solid surface for other creatures to attach themselves to.) If anyone is interested, there is a video on YT called: The stages of whale decomposition.

[@marknut9741]

*Whale

[@cozylyxa]

@@marknut9741 thanks

[@h.s.6269]

Yea, I watched that recently and its actually pretty fascinating to see.

[@infinitejest441]

Sounds like fun. 🤡

[@jaschabull2365]

Aren't even live whales a pretty big deal because they help their environment by pooping? I seem to recall hearing about that in SciShow.

[@AeraxFX]

As an Environmental Science student in college, I love watching these videos and just thinking "hey, that's a concept we were discussing class the other day," or "oh, he's going to talk about X example," or "IT'S ROBERT PAINE." You do us all a service by making ecological content so much more approachable and mainstream. Massive respect, sir.

[@mndiaye_97]

Much appreciated

[@SergeantSniper]

Dang it, I was going to like this but it's at 69.

[@13LavenderRose]

Agreed! I was student teaching this last fall and we had an entire unit on Keystone Species and we talked about a few of the animals in this video. I was thinking that this would have been a better video to show than a few other ones we showed (or in addition to those videos) because it's informative yet fun to watch :)

[@joynerj.k.6215]

Aye. My fellow environmentalists.

[@I_love_chez_42]

@@SergeantSniper not anymore

[@swanm3ta850]

This dude’s writing skills is top notch. Informative, witty, and interesting all delivered with a news anchor cadence.

[@kittygoblin2377]

fun fact, the word "key stone" refers to how archways were built out of stone blocks without mortar. the block at the top of the arch was crucial to holding the shape of the arch because the weight of the other stones rested on it. take away the key stone, and all the other blocks fall.

[@sandormagyar2715]

Well, not exactly. Taking away any stone would cause an arch to fail. According to Wikipedia, it's "key" because it's the last one placed, so it completes the structure.

[@dnisey64]

@@sandormagyar2715 never base your hill on Wikipedia.

[@JohnGardnerAlhadis]

@@dnisey64 What do you mean?

[@donttouchb00uwo82]

@@JohnGardnerAlhadis they're saying not to use a wikipedia page as evidence to support or refute a claim

[@JohnGardnerAlhadis]

@@donttouchb00uwo82 Why not?

[@lowkeyarki7091]

I remember reading the wolf story for the first time and that's when 7 yr old me realized predators are not just there to bully the herbivores. They keep them in check and without them herbivores would most likely destroy the ecosystem since they'd just eat all of the vegetation in one area leaving it a barren wasteland which would mean herbivores will also die in a couple of months or weeks.

[@dkbros1592]

True lol when children says bad and insult the predator I try to explain why they r important and why we humans have to play god

[@ktkc1o7]

Sometimes I imagine that the herbivores are the "bad guys" and the predators are protecting the plants. Lol

[@thegrimcritic5494]

“The biome is a Jenga tower, and we remove animals from it like blocks, never knowing which one will end the game.” I’ve never heard such an apt way to describe humanity’s effect on the biosphere of Earth said before today. Truly.

[@mrclueuin]

True. 👍

[@Super_Panda_BS]

Fun animal fact: Wombat poop is cube-shaped. It is thought that wombats use their droppings to warn other animals to stay off their turf. Luckily, their cube-shaped poo makes it easier to see a spot is governed by wombats, as the little squares tend to stay put more easily than spherical droppings would.

[@Arya-is4cv]

another fun fact. Wombats are closely related to koalas. But where koalas use their armoured butt plate to avoid death if they fall out of a tree, wombats use it to crush fox skulls. They charge out of burrows ass first and crush the fox against the walls of the burrow with the armoured butt plate. (and I'm pretty sure I only know this because my animal anatomy teacher basically said 'never stick your arm in a wombat burrow or you'll get this demonstration up close and personal')

[@galaxyvulture6649]

@@Arya-is4cv That's a disturbing thing to imagine happening Jesus christ

[@easonyeung2779]

@@galaxyvulture6649 I also hear that in Australia it's a semi-regular occurrence that when cars hit wombats, the cars get absolutely torn apart at the front while on the other hand the wombat sometimes even comes out of the accident unscathed.

[@plague_doctor0237]

@@Arya-is4cv basically they will twerk you to death

[@SalmonBeach]

@@easonyeung2779 Haha I heard this from my dad, I belive its a common myth as living in curvey roads I see dead wombats on the side of the road with mange that were hit by cars,

[@thecatladytm7172]

My aquatic science teacher told us a story about starfish. So, they were eating the mussels that mussel farmers were, y'know, farming, so they wanted to get rid of them. They gathered as many as they could, and got a wood chipper. They they tossed hundreds into it and dumped their remains into the ocean. (Some of you know where this is going) Buuuuuut starfish can regenerate. And it just so happens that it is so strong that they can regenerate their _entire body_ when even a tiny bit of their central disk is intact. Instead of _killing_ all the starfish like they wanted, they just made it _infinitely worse for themselves._

[@SupersuMC]

XD 💀

[@clarisaxpianist]

I vaguely remember learning that something similar happened with jellyfish. Fishermen were slashing apart jellies’ bodies to kill them but this actually ended up being a stimulus for the jellies to release their reproductive cells (I’m forgetting what they are called exactly) and now the jelly problem is way worse

[@darko-man8549]

@@clarisaxpianist and one of the only natural predators of jellyfish are leatherbacks

[@nachitadominguez1719]

Damn so they helped them multiply

[@jaschabull2365]

Ha ha, I remember that marine-biology-Sorcerer's-Apprentice story. Classic.

[@wolfcat1973]

If we’re talking wolves (which, thank you for bringing up how important they are) we need to talk about their smaller brother, the Red Wolf. Like the Timber and Gray wolves Reds are also a keystone species. They also rely on beavers, since they only really live in wetlands and marsh-y areas. There are less than 100 of this species out in the wild and the government has basically given up trying to conserve them anymore. Despite being one of the smallest species of wolf, they can still take down deer and other large grazing animals, so, they aren’t slackers on keeping the vegetation amount high and evening out the population of prey animals.

[@johnwingate8799]

Red wolves have been replaced by really big coyotes.

[@StonedtotheBones13]

I think part of the problem is that they're currently classified as a subspecies of gray wolf. A lot of things are getting reclassified to species level nowadays tho, like giraffes, which makes everything rather confusing but does help conservation

[@TrueUnderDawgGaming]

My old roommate once asked me, "Why does it bother you when predators are hunted, but you have no problem eating beef and chicken?" I responded with Exactly what this video shows. Predators in nature have a very valuable role in the ecosystem.

[@a-b0t633]

Exactly this. Apex predators aren't hunted by other species for a reason, and that's not so we can have open season on them for shits and giggles.

[@tomstokoe5660]

In some countries the government has to pay people to hunt animals to keep the populations of herbivores in check instead of just allowing the predators to control those populations for free. Pretty stupid.

[@jasminglaiter5863]

I'm honestly confused everytime someone argues like your roommate... like, when wolves came back in germany, we legit had hunters go "They have no place here, we built an eco system without them, they'll disrupt it!". Fun fact, same hunters a year before that said: "...we have a problem with deer and boar, we can't keep up with their numbers without hunting them throughout the entire year." >_>

[@zsu-23-4shilka2]

Pigs are the most intelligent animals that aren’t elephants, cetaceans, & great apes; despite that, I still have zero problem with eating bacon, pulled pork, & BBQ ribs.

[@waityamihereagain1978]

I believe animals should be used as their creators intended. Cows pigs sheep etc. were created by us for meat and milk and stuff. Wild animals were created by nature to regulate itself so we should mess with them as little as possible

[@DarkReaver921]

Another thing about the decimation of the wolf populations that one might not necessarily think about: The East coast is now having issues with coyotes moving in, which is well outside of their historic range in the US. I've read about some states in those areas trying to initiate the same sort of measures to cull the coyote populations the same as they did with the wolves, but coyotes being as highly adaptive as they are will, WILL outbreed those attempts. Its just what they do

[@dynamoterror7077]

Yup, which is why it might be best to help wolf populations (timber wolves in the north and red wolves in the south) recover, so they can put the coyote back in its place as a mesocarnivore. Jaguars and pumas would probably also help, although I doubt most people in that area would welcome big cats.

[@bolbyballinger]

@@dynamoterror7077 Gonna have to get new people in charge of helping the red wolves for that to happen. The current ones are so terrified of them hybridizing with coyotes (apparently they never learned about evolution) that the only place they'll release them is a tiny ass park with an ocean to the right and human development to the left. Oh, and a bombing range cutting it in half. And because that "island" is so small it can't actually support a population of large predators so the conservationists keep acting confused when the population inevitably crashes and has to be restocked. The state's game management policies haven't helped either, but it's mostly the people trying to help red wolves that have held them back.

[@EC-dz4bq]

I live in the Eastern US... (Appalachian mountains). Coyotes killed my cat... I ended up just getting a new coat instead... really warm.

[@popsicIes]

@@bolbyballinger Where can I learn more about this?

[@stevehuffman7453]

Coyotes WERE common on the East Coast in the pre-Colonial and Colonial days. The East Coast (and the Mid-West/Plains States, for that matter) IS part of the Coyotes historical range. Same for the Puma/Mountain Lion/Bobcat.

[@Thecoolbonnie]

"Sometimes I'm not clever, just lucky" .... You are hilarious as always

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

You know, the more I learn about animals I find cute or adorable, the more dangerous they apparently are.

[@Fendoxx]

Same bro

[@TimeSurfer206]

Welcome to Life. It's a fight to stay alive...

[@SupersuMC]

Check out the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), for example. To put it in perspective, one of its common names in English is the ring-tailed cat, and since "ring-tailed" in 1800's US slang meant "exceptional" or "remarkable"...the fact that they made that comparison with this species to cats should tell you all you need to know about why they were used as mousers in Gold Rush mines, earning them another common name: the miner's cat. I still love them, but just watch one eat a rat: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH7PdXqtmLxlfpo Fricking brutal, man.

[@ajisaac]

Nature can be pretty messed up at times.

[@melviasheppard8466]

Tell the truth and shame the devil. I personally think that it was a Bunny Rabbit that fooled Eve !

[@Gr8tBlueHeron]

I just got back from taking my 7 y/o daughter to a beaver lodge I found a few days ago. We spent the evening watching the beavers cruise around the pond and work on their dam. The highlight was when the big one got close enough and saw us and gave a great tail slap and dove, alerting the others to our presence. She didn't want to leave until it got dark. The ironic thing is I was explaining to her that very story about the Yellowstone wolves and how one species affects others, and I come home to this video KZbin. Score!

[@Tonyhouse1168]

Good on you for taking the time to increase your connection and the knowledge of your little one

[@Gr8tBlueHeron]

@@Tonyhouse1168 thanks. Time spent in the woods with my kids means so much to me (though my son is less enthusiastic) and I just love their excitement and sense of wonder. I hope they never ever lose it.

[@vcommandarv5916]

@@Gr8tBlueHeron do you bring guns or bear spray with you? Or is it safe there?

[@Gr8tBlueHeron]

@@vcommandarv5916 there's always a chance of a bear being around, but I don't carry spray unless I'm going into a more remote area. I can only carry a gun during hunting season. Really, I'm more wary of Moosiah, because I know there's a cow who frequents the area. She's likely to be more dangerous to encounter than a bear!

[@vcommandarv5916]

@@Gr8tBlueHeron I want you to be safe, please carry protection tools, better safe than sorry ☺

[@GabrielGsxr1300]

My 12-year-Old and his 10-year-old brother. Want to meet you so bad. Please keep up the good work. The information you put out is amazing. I just wanted to let you know that there are some kids out here that look up to you.

[@tinyhouseranch]

That made me cry happy tears knowing kids look up to this smart man 🥹

[@ephraima3328]

"At worst it's healthy co-parenting and at best it's a marriage worth slapping a comedian over" I SCREAMED!!!!!

[@joshuahunt3032]

It took me a while to get that one lol

[@nenmaster5218]

@@joshuahunt3032 Enjoy This? Then you enjoy Forrest Valkai and Hbomberguy.

[@pangolinh]

KEEP MY WIFES NAME

[@ayylmao575]

OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!

[@JohnGardnerAlhadis]

@@pangolinh Nobody can complete that sentence thanks to KZbin's retarded censors.

[@ShadeScarecrow]

Wolfeel: Kinda weird looking but mates for life and takes care of their offspring. Seaotter: Adorable but also viciously r-wordy. Prime example of "don´t judge a book by its cover"

[@joshuahunt3032]

And both are vital to preventing sea urchin populations from going haywire and razing kelp forests like the Romans claim to have razed Carthage…

[@Oueenazolatigressgina]

Compared to the fucked up shit which otters are capable of doing.....yeah they make wolf eels look like absolute gentlemen

[@biggsdarklighter0473]

ayo, lobsters also eat the little pests.

[@galaxyvulture6649]

@@Oueenazolatigressgina I like wolf eels more now

[@friskyunicorn21]

I want a wolfeel plushie

[@coolshah1662]

Glad that you're using your sense of humor and knowledge on biology to raise awareness for the environment. Bless you!

[@thelegalsystem]

Since River Otters are apex predators, they accumulate the most pollution, as they are basically at the top of the food chain and pollution funnels right into the top, for obvious reasons. For that reason they're often considered a "watershed" species. If the otters disappear out from a river, you know the rest of the ecosystem is fucked up.

[@AryadiSubagio]

wow I didnt think otters are Apex predators

[@TeaLeaf9353]

TIL river otters are apex predators

[@youtubestudiosucks978]

@@AryadiSubagio those otters need to take a seat

[@BigRedShadevil]

Aren’t river otters the ones that can grow up to six feet tall?

[@thelegalsystem]

@@BigRedShadevil South American ones can, and even up to 7 feet! North American and European otters are maybe 1-2 feet shorter nose to tail. The smallest living species is the Asian Small Clawed Otter.

[@BenCDawson]

When people ask why they should care about some random species going extinct they should be shown information about keystone species. Yellowstone is a perfect example of how much impact one species can have.

[@nenmaster5218]

Enjoy This? Then you enjoy Forrest Valkai and Hbomberguy.

[@lahlybird895]

Well if you killed all of the elk then it wouldn't really matter that you'd killed off all the wolves too

[@fortytudo]

@@lahlybird895 Amazing reasoning, just kill everything - problem solved.

[@BenCDawson]

@@lahlybird895 Removing both would probably collapse the entire ecosystem, elk clear foliage and that's very necessary, it's only an issue when they stay consolidated in one area, if any large animal is entirely removed from an ecosystem it would have a large impact, the combo of two major players in an ecosystem would be much worse.

[@lahlybird895]

@@BenCDawson oh

[@rwillems]

I live in Colorado, the wolf story hits home hard. We have sanctuaries where you can play with friendly untamed wolves. You learn tons about their connections to the environment.

[@khayatshabalala9758]

This made me have a new found appreciation for animals. And I'm shocked with the level of ignorance I had about how important animals are to the environment. Thanks casual geographic guy👍

[@mndiaye_97]

Anytime ☺️

[@aazhie]

I think people want to pretend we're the only ones that affect the world around us to the extent that many animal species do... We don't have a lot of things that separate us from M these days. Other animals use tools and build homes and do other interkit complex tasks. It makes me sad that more people don't know a lot of this stuff as basic information because it is totally interesting in my opinion!

[@cadenz7719]

Tortoises tend to be another keystone in several environments like seed germination and distribution as well as burrows they dig making homes for hundreds of species.

[@kureaz]

They are also one of the few animals that can eat jellyfish. So without them and turtles we would be over run by jellyfish

[@cadenz7719]

@@kureaz Well birds, crabs, and some fish also eat jellyfish, they just aren’t specialized like some sea turtles.

[@Otgel]

@@kureaz I can also do it if i wanted to, but i aint getting paid enough. Turtles aint that special.

[@maubraymzoma6616]

Always a pleasure to see nature humble us when we think we know better.

[@joelhenry5489]

"Elephants are the CEO of looking after the little guy." I love this channel. Love it.

[@esmith712]

Keystone animals & the Jenga analogy is so powerful! You are brilliant and we are lucky to have you! Congrats on your book!

[@minetruly]

Really masterfully done video on keystone species. Bringing wolves back around to otters was mind-blowing.

[@poisontoad8007]

Exactly what's happened here in NZ. Our urchin-eating Snapper have been commercially overfished to the extent the urchin population has exploded. This has resulted in our seaweed forests being decimated. These forests are relied on for many fish species as breeding habitats, so the overall result is many of our fish numbers are now in serious decline. My entire family love your channel, so I also have to address what you said at 3:52. Bro, you ain't just lucky. You CLEVER!

[@Greentrees60]

My favourite keystone was the Buffalo- they also dug holes (aka made shelter) with their horns and their presence increases the local baby songbird survival rate by about 3x by providing abundant nest insulation from the fur they lose while walking over rough grass.

[@DecisionsAreQuestionable]

that hunk of muscle aint worth for nothin

[@askinnyshademan]

@@DecisionsAreQuestionable What? No. No, that's not the case at all. Buffalos help in keeping fertilized soil. They make drinking sources. They heal grass. God's sake, Buffalos are one of the important reasons why birds still exist.

[@viridiantheforest1037]

Kansas is already messed up with no natural predators. Thinking about what it must have been like before we wiped out the bison it must have been a completely different place

[@tantamounted]

I've read that there are several species of frogs that rely on water filling elephants' foosteps in the rainy season, to get between watering holes so they can breed. Also, my favorite sea animal is the shark ray, the punkest living fossil ever. I don't know for sure if they're a keystone species, but they do eat a lot of bivalves.

[@Scrappy_ill_fold_ya_Doo]

Crazy. I was just reading how removing wolves from Yellowstone National Park actually damaged the environment rather than helping it.

[@joshuahunt3032]

And when humans tried reintroducing wolves to some national park (possibly Yellowstone), not only did biodiversity increase, but A FUCKING RIVER CHANGED COURSE, AT LEAST SLIGHTLY.

[@SourCoffeeExpert]

Hmmm. Guess it depends on their mood that way.

[@webbess1]

Well...duh. What would you expect?

[@switchp115]

“Nature would rather break its own rules than be predictable” I LIKED THAT

[@Boudayoussefraqs]

I like that too ! Wow

[@grandgojira5485]

6:31 hearing Wolf ODonnell's theme kick in was just perfect tho

[@socialanxiety9153]

It’s so interesting to study food chains and communities within different biomes/regions, and how if you took one species out, it affects all the others in (mostly) a negative way. Really shows how delicate life is, yet humanity doesn’t seem to understand that 🙂

[@jacobwiren8142]

It's not that we don't understand, it's that we can't help it. We used to be eaten by predators, but they went extinct. All of human civilization and all its disasters are the result of a keystone species being removed, OURS.

[@joz534]

im curious what removal of sea urchin would do to ecosystem.

[@spider-soniczilla2989]

@@joz534 the seaweed they eat would over run the area, making living their near impossible, think how fish get caught on plastic waste, like that only with seagrass.

[@spider-soniczilla2989]

@@jacobwiren8142 Ya, can't wait to see which keystone animal we end up removing that will cause all of humanity to crash.

[@joz534]

@@spider-soniczilla2989 pretty sure seaweed is source of food for more animals than just sea urchins.

[@pamspray5254]

For another example of the effect a keystone species can have- the rarest wolf species in the world may just be responsible for helping out sea turtle eggs. Raccoons are known for digging up turtle eggs on the beach in areas where American Red Wolves used to be found. Since red wolf diets mainly consist of deer and mid-sized mammals like raccoons, it is thought that raccoons would be less likely to venture out on open beaches in areas where red wolves are present. Less raccoons on beaches digging up eggs means more eggs hatching which translates to higher rates of survival in many declining sea turtle populations. And many sea turtles, as you may know, are big fans of Peanut butter and Jellyfish sandwiches. Just goes to show the potentially global impact of a keystone species and the trophic cascade that can follow .

[@aazhie]

Red Wolves are so beautiful, and it doesn't surprise me they have cool habits like this. Raccoons are cute but they cab be super destructive without any predators

[@donovanulrich348]

Humans Im gonna kill this thing, it upset me. But dont worry, im a nice person if you get to know me Animal So i kinda felt bad, but i was hungry

[@immakulate206]

Paragraph is confusing, the way you wrote it makes it sound like Raccoons are the rarest wolves species and sea turtles love making pb&j sandwiches. How would people know this? Since pb&j sandwiches don’t grow in nature. I’d be impress seeing a sea turtle not only make pb and j but make bread also.

[@pamspray5254]

@@immakulate206 My apologies. I am not the most talented with communication. I do my best, but my sentences are often confusing. I have a legitimate communication disorder that occasionally results in a disconnect between what I write/say and those who read/hear it. I hope you were able to decipher most of what I said. I don't fully recall my intent, but it's possible I wrote that paragraph to match the energy of the video, perhaps to the detriment of its clarity. The Peanut butter and Jellyfish thing was a lighthearted joke referring to the fact that some species of sea turtles enjoy eating jellyfish. Also, it's a SpongeBob reference. I don't think a true sandwich would hold up well underwater! I would be quite impressed if a turtle made one too. I hope that clears things up a little bit. Writing facts in an appealing way can be difficult, especially without knowing who will see it. Everyone has a different set of knowledge. But, in conservation, the most important thing is to get people talking and asking questions. Even if it's just about the way someone else worded things. And hey, if you ever have questions, don't be afraid to ask. A path led by questions is one worth pursuing.

[@zoazede2098]

@@pamspray5254 I don't know how AUMboi didn't get what you wrote, it's totally legible and understandable, and I don't speak english as a native (my native language is spanish, from Argentina 🇦🇷👍👍✨), and get everything you wrote, and yes, even the lighthearted joke, and I didn't watch SpongeBob! Don't get discouraged by that comment, your's was very good 👍😊👍 and sorry for your condition, surely is difficult, but I let you know that you expressed totally fine 👏😼

[@Sid-nu8mi]

I heard about the wolf situation in Yellowstone years ago so when you brought that up I knew we were in for a story. I didn't know it went as far as to affect the beavers too. That's crazy.

[@NightSkyNyx]

This has to be one of my favorite videos of yours, keystone species are extremely important to ecosystems and learning about them, their roles, and consequences of their abscence in an area are facsinating to learn about. Plus your jokes that go along with it are just immaculately perfect (my favorite is probably "on a scale of reddit incel to Teanna Trump, how screwed do you think we were after we basically squad wiped wolves? The answer, we got casting couched). I haven't finished watching the video yet, but I'm hoping aardvarks get a mention as keystone species since as abandoned aardvark burrows and dens are an important safe refuge and provide shelter for a large number of species

[@mndiaye_97]

You must have been happy at the end then 😅

[@FallenRingbearer]

Thank you for a lesson on the usefulness (not scariness) of nature.

[@Lord_of_Proboscidea]

This time yes not the scariness

[@FallenRingbearer]

134 likes and a heart. I'm coming up in the world! Lol. Thanks for heart Casual.

[@markb7913]

Showed this to my environment science professor. I think he was crying in joy/relief behind the mask. Kudos Good Sir!

[@alexbryda]

If we had videos like this in school I would've actually paid attention 🤣🤘❤️ Hilarious but wicked informative and scary true!

[@spider-soniczilla2989]

Same

[@kaylenvee8150]

I gotta say, I laugh whenever I hear stories like the wolf one because animals will humble us from beyond the grave and I LIVE for it.

[@Xenronnify]

I think my favorite part of your videos so far is the absolute creativity you employ to avoid saying anything on the KZbin no-no list.

[@MrSkillns]

On the subject of wolves, they were reintroduced to Yellowstone a while ago. It's very interesting, I think the documentary on it was called "How the Wolves of Yellowstone changed the rivers". Because, with this apex predator back where they belong the elk couldn't overgraze, which in turn lead to rivers which was considered unsalvagable become full rivers again. Also very fun fact, if you want to see how an ecosystem is doing, look to the apex predators. If they are healthy, the system is in turn.

[@robertstoneking7916]

That's not just because of their effects on the ecosystem. They can also be a sentinel species because disruptions in the food ripple up and we tend to notice the top competition.

[@bento4876]

Just like Elephants, Mamoths were keystone species as well. With them being driven to extinction by humans a whole ecosystem disappeard. The Mammoth Steppe was an ecosystem with a wast amount of animal and plant species that mirrored todays Africa.

[@coca_0146]

just for clarification, you are talking about the savanna or the rainforest?

[@bento4876]

@@coca_0146 Savanna.

[@coca_0146]

@@bento4876 thanks

[@Anonymous-zd1ow]

@@bento4876 Thanks for the clarification, but y'all _really_ need to stop acting like Africa is one big homogenous place.

[@skiffy8121]

vast, i thought you said wast

[@Blueeyesthewarrior]

Fun fact! “Keystone” actually references arches. The keystone is the stone at the very top and center of the arch. It completes the arch and prevents the whole thing from collapsing on itself. Therefore removing it causes the arch to collapse. Thus, keystone species.

[@ChopBassMan]

"...it's a fish fresh out of Tim Burton's wet dream." -how you can consistently come up with hilarious, awesome, metaphorical descriptions is just mind-boggling. I'm just happy that you do!

[@Lord_of_Proboscidea]

Very trueee

[@SkyEcho751]

I know all to well about the Yellowstone wolves. I know more about them then any other creature you mentioned. Like I knew about beavers but didn't fully understand their scope, I know the otters being nearly wiped out destroyed the kelp forests. But I know about the fact that the species introduced isn't the same, in fact the extinct wolves had traits that their replacements lacked, now the wolves struggle to survive.

[@katsucandy]

yea that's the biggest issue you'll have when you drive a species extinct. Even if you reintroduce/replace the lost species with a similar one, the "new" species will still need to adapt and evolve the traits that made life easier/best suited for the og species. Hopefully with time these wolves will be able to genetically catch up to where the yellowstone wolves were and thrive in the ecosystem

[@bolbyballinger]

Eh, the new wolves are doing fine. The problem is that they're running out of safe places to expand to. Island dwarfism is a powerful thing, turns African elephants into three foot cuties through the power of limited food driving evolution. It's the same for wolves. They need space and right now the American range is small and fragmented.

[@darrenjackson9646]

The use of OSRS music in the background is a devious trick. And I love it.

[@johnmcconnell7052]

Funny enough wolves were in Britain and Ireland at a time outsiders of the pagan religion hunted them down not thinking about what the wolf does. I'm glad you brought up that wolves are keystones man

[@jaschabull2365]

I wonder what Japan would look like now if the Ezo wolf hadn't been eradicated.

[@MsDianagentaToYou]

Pagan religions also honor the relationship between hunter and hunted that the keystone theory spotlights. ♥️

[@Geheimnis-c2e]

I remember when cats were hunted down by the church because they were all involved in witchcraft or something which caused the rat population to balloon. I know they debunked that the plague wasn't caused by rats but they definitely sped up the spread.

[@MsDianagentaToYou]

@@Geheimnis-c2e wow you must be, like, reeeally old

[@anubis2814]

Actually saw a video that Mammoths may have also been a keystone species, making the tundra regions more fertile just like what an elephant does and that bringing them back might help the soil sequester carbon better.

[@Burning_Dwarf]

I demand modern mammoths

[@themockingdragon135]

There's a book I've read about the possibility of resurrecting extinct species of animals, and mammoths were the entry that I think were probably the most useful and theoretically possible. The only issue about it is that we would need to use Asian elephants to produce mammoths, and they're currently endangered and difficult to breed in captivity anyway.

[@cheezbiscuit4140]

hey maybe their extinction was a part of the spiral into other megafauna going extinct.

[@aazhie]

I'm reading a historical fiction that explains how messed up many ecosystems were after humans killed off the remaining big herbivores. They were already having a rough time, but we didn't help either!

[@themockingdragon135]

@@aazhie what's the book called out of curiosity?

[@andersonfamilysurvival4743]

I really like these ones about the entire ecosystem being reliant on the actions of certain animals. As someone who is into survival, this is vital information! I have always known and never would hunt any species recklessly, and this will give me a perspective to reapproach hunting as an option. This means I would also have to keep in mind that if we were in the woods, I have to be respectful of rival predators. Keep up the great work, man! There hasn't been a video you made that hasn't been entertaining and enlightening in some form or fashion!

[@Bub_Supreme]

"Life's Irrelevant Without Elephants" Now That's Should Be Some Merch

[@Lord_of_Proboscidea]

I would 100000000% buy that

[@mndiaye_97]

👀

[@daveparrott9530]

Young fellow I really appreciate this particular episode of yours. Your treatment of the wolves is so dear to me. These noble animals are so misunderstood. Thank you so much for the way you talked about wolves in this episode.

[@tvaloo]

I don’t know why, but the part about elephants being a keystone species made me tear up a little. They’re just such amazing animals.

[@camerontyler1386]

For a "hyper caffeinated squirrel" you're a font of information and a great presenter of the same. Keep up the great work!

[@whitemoonwolf13]

the thing about america's war on wolves... it's still going on. several states have initiated wolf killing contests again on anything that wanders out of yellowstone. it's kind of insane that people saw the devastation of what yellowstone became after wolves were killed off, and are like, 'nah. it'll be fine.'

[@geraldyeager7652]

What?

[@desertfox7846]

Australia is sadly still doing the same thing with dingoes. you'd think we'd figure out that every animal fills a niche for a reason...

[@tommoore2012]

Did those states really declare open season on wolves 24/7? Because I’d think it would be more likely they made laws permitting the hunting of wolves but the politicians are getting input from wildlife preserves and scientists on keeping the wolf population at a stable number.

[@whitemoonwolf13]

@@tommoore2012 except that's not what happens. scientists and experts say these culls do not work and yet politicians go forward with these killing contests, usually at the behest of livestock owners.

[@nightshademasquerade4703]

@@tommoore2012 killing wolves is legal in a few areas in a few states. Luckily wolves are back on the endangered species list so they are getting a little more protection. Still an issue tho for sure

[@kayceegreer4418]

Thanks for what you bring us each and every time

[@GoatGodBaal]

This kind of happened in my home state of Connecticut if I remember hearing this right- Been a few years. The wolf population went way down so the deer had no predators. What happened? The deer population grew too high and there wasn't enough vegetation for them to eat. People were literally seeing starving deer. So they got more wolves and the issue was pretty much fixed after that.

[@bolbyballinger]

Here in Indiana humans hunting deer was/is enough to prevent disaster (though the ground level of our forests are pretty barren). For a while though state parks didn't allow hunting in them and as a result the deer decimated the place. It got so bad that when the first hunting season happened there you could hand feed marshmallows to completely wild deer. Still no predators here except coyote packs and the rare bobcat. So if we stop hunting so much things are going south very quickly.

[@OneBigToe]

I've always said that our planet is a self regulating system, unless we're trying to reverse some of the damage we've caused on MULTIPLE levels, humans don't really need to be "helping" nature figure out its course, it can do that by itself. Instead, I think we should focus our efforts on causing a little disturbance as possible when we do decide to head into a new area Side note: KZbin won't let me like you're videos, might wanna look into that 👀

[@youtubestudiosucks978]

Yeah, i've noticed that youtube has been doing that a couple of days lately

[@darko-man8549]

YT is an absolute dick of a system to some creators. I saw a few channels a while back were having likes removed and we had to go and manually relike

[@nachitadominguez1719]

Facts

[@kingpotato7183]

I think in the far enough future it doesn't matter what animals go extinct or not as other Animals would fill their niche or the entire ecosystem itself changes, when we reintroduce species to fix an ecosystem we're trying preserve it, preserving something/fighting change is a very human behaviour, the earth doesn't preserve, species go extinct all the time with or without humans, I think without humans more species would've went extinct, especially the pandas

[@hydrabuster3981]

Because I was a massive animal planet kid, I already knew a lot about keystone species and shit, but every time I'm reminded of it, it reminds me of how fucking wild, massive, and strange this planet it. So fragile yet resilient

[@blueblade6174]

This is the pinnacle of your content - very educational and entertaining.

[@thelazyone36]

I really like this one... well, I like every one of your videos, but this one just felt more aimed at one topic and that topic was really interesting. As always, you did a great job!

[@mndiaye_97]

Thank you!!

[@YochevedDesigns]

All the videos are high quality content, but this one is exceptionally epic. 💖

[@judithcampbell1705]

I love how you have put humor into your ecology lessons. Thank you 😊 💓

[@meander112]

My search-fu has failed me, but I'm remembering a story where some land managers needed to make a watershed (or something like it) in an area and the project was estimated to cost millions of dollars. Someone had the bright idea to simply put some beavers in the area. A few months (or longer, maybe?) they had the wetlands they needed.

[@SupersuMC]

That reminds me of the title of an old TV show: _Leave it to Beaver_ ;)

[@wannabehistorian371]

@@SupersuMC *ba-dum-TIIISSHHH*

[@bolbyballinger]

Like the story of the toothpaste company that spent about 100,000 on a system to ensure no empty boxes made it to market. It worked, but stopped all production the moment it detected empty ones which annoyed the workers to no end since it happened multiple times every day. Eventually though the factory stopped shutting down and it seemed no empty boxes were being produced. Being happy with this the owners came to see how things were going. Do a little victory lap and be proud of their expensive machine. One of the employees had set up one of the shop fans on the production line before their machine and it blew away empty boxes while the loaded ones stayed put. Their machine had been outclassed by a fan.

[@Sharky_TD]

Bro I watch your videos and forget most of the stuff but then randomly while I’m talking to people about that subject I instantly know everything thank you so much

[@katsura2605]

Many people said that our brain work like recorder sometimes

[@jonny45k44]

As long as we are entertained our brains will hold whatever the fuck someone wants lmao

[@stellamariss3335]

It fills me with serotonin just learning these facts. I have a warm bubbly feeling from knowing how helpful certain animals are.

[@angelbloodshinra]

6:20 I immediately knew this was gonna be about the yellowstone wolves and I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. (Speaking of which, you should totally cover Wolf 42 aka the Cinderella wolf some time, because the whole story is a hilarious refutation of the idea that the best "alpha" animals are the meanest and most bloodthirsty individuals in the pack.)

[@annastepanova3615]

I love that this was about saving the environment and endangered species among other things. All your videos are entertaining and educational, but I personally rate this one as the most important so far. Thanks, man. - fellow animal nerd

[@100ssgoku]

You need to be put on discovery channel ❤❤❤💯💯

[@cherylharris8539]

Exactly. The way this young guy phrases things is both hilarious and educational. Right on.

[@jewels964]

Watched a pretty amazing doc on the wolves of Yellowstone and the impact it had on surrounding areas. Was pretty devastating. Now the wolves are back and the landscape is changing for the better

[@antoniolara9004]

"like leaving a toxic relationship....and realizing you were the problem..." Epic 😂😂😂

[@jooleebilly]

A fact I think is kind of trippy convergence: When Bill Nye The Science Guy had an episode about biodiversity and HE USED A JENGA TOWER. He talked about how some can be removed without too much effect (all had some) but if you pulled one of them a lot of the environment would collapse from a cascade effect. And we wouldn't know which one 'til it's too late. Dude. Yours is deeper, because his show back in the '90s was for the preteens and YA audience. It's so nice to have a grown-up and funny version that's deep and thoughtful where I can learn about animals and plants. Thank you. Seriously.

[@FloWoodEnT123]

I absolutely respect the honesty in him saying "...or if you wanna buy me food or something..." Like 'yes. Paying me helps me make more content, but that's because I still have to pay bills and SURVIVE' 😂💯

[@unknownchoujin1436]

Bro, no one knows how underrated you really are. I learn more and more with every video you post.

[@Lord_of_Proboscidea]

Well said

[@nikeshadow1728]

He literally has 1M subs wym "underrated"?

[@unknownchoujin1436]

@@nikeshadow1728 Why have 1M when you can have more? Also, the info Casual Geographic is crucial and can save people if they ever encounter dangerous or endangered animals.

[@nikeshadow1728]

@@unknownchoujin1436 That's not what I am saying. underrated meaning you literally do not have many subs. This guy has quite a few subs. I never stated in my comment that he "Shouldn't" have more subs.

[@kenzief6281]

The gopher tortoise is another such keystone animal in the southeast US, especially in longleaf pine ecosystems. The burrows they dig become shelters for other animals and can protect them from forest fires. Because gopher tortoises like to be a bit lazy, they'll also dig their holes near food sources as an extra bonus for the future tenants of la casa de Tortuga. Because this species is listed as threatened, there's a pretty good effort to protect and sometimes relocate them to protected forests that won't be cleared

[@lawrenceiverson1924]

When I was young I fished the North Pacific for a living At that time Sea otters were almost extinct. There were large areas of former kelp forests called "urchin deserts" So glad otters are coming back!!

[@mizixy9624]

“Sometimes I’m not clever … I’m just lucky” should be on merch.

[@lillyrose9084]

0:09 DAYUM HE GOT DEM MOVES

[@jacobjohnson7409]

You're definitely one of the greater KZbinrs that I've ever seen especially when it comes to bringing real knowledge to everyone because you actually want to teach people that nature is something we need to get along with and not mess up as we've done for thousands of years

[@tgnm9615]

7:17 "turn me and my family into chalk outline" This man's writing was magnificent.

[@hamburg978]

Just have to say, I really appreciate your content. Makes me love and respect animals even more. Obviously you give ppl lots of knowledge around the world, by presenting it the way you do. Keep it up, I'm always happy about new videos

[@reclaimatorerebus6531]

One of the most informational videos you've ever done! Two interesting facts: 1 - Beavers building damns near speakers playing the sound of running water is not just an interesting fact. Some areas were having issues with beavers damning up culverts (the pipes that run under roads), causing the roads to flood. One guy figured out that by placing a speaker with the sound of running water on a pole a bit away from the culverts, they were able to get the beavers to build their dams farther back, thus not blocking the culverts, and solving the problem. 2 - Humans both are, and are not a keystone species. As effectively an apex predator, nothing views us as a primary food source, so us disappearing would not affect any predators. However, our life style does allow for the proliferation of certain animals and insects. Were humans to disappear, it thought that certain rat, cockroach, and fly populations, and their predators would plummet, especially around major cities (not including domesticated animals, never mind livestock). Similar to to Mussel/Starfish example, humans are so influential on the planet as a whole, that our disappearance probably would not cause any particular animal to go extinct (probably the opposite), but would completely change multiple biomes, change species distribution, and generally leave the world looking a very different place (even presuming everything we built was left behind - side note check out the series "Life After Humans," it's kinda cool).

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

This is mostly true. Except humans are NOT apex predators. Humans are monsters, scavengers, pillagers, and opportunists. The only reason other animals don't consider us easy prey is our use of machines and other tech to compensate for our weak bodies. The only things humans have going for them are their brains and tools. Outside of that, humans are a dangerous domestic liability with weapons or mass destruction.

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

Thanos was right.

[@adrammelechthewroth6511]

Actually, Thanos was partially right but mostly wrong.

[@megantwining9221]

I’m so proud of how you have taken a few random requested videos into an actual career now!!! You’re a casual nature educator!!! If you put some formal study into this you could exponentially elevate your content but YOU ARE ALREADY AMAZING AND I EAGERLY AWAIT ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS!!!! GET 👏IT👏 BRO🙌

[@glkmee22]

How could every sentence and phrase he says is so clever? I love to just listen to him. I'm gonna support him. He is very necessary. Love his content.

[@EugeneHerbsman]

You are the most entertaining biologist/zoology nerd I've seen. Hope that helps you feel validated

[@mndiaye_97]

☺️

[@cookieman4578]

One of the fastest, but most deserved come ups in youtuber history 👏 💪 Congrats man. You're awesome for making our days✌️💯🙏

[@Lord_of_Proboscidea]

Well said, very much agreeed

[@anyaklingner6949]

You are one of the most important,selfless,giver of knowledge that without a true steward of this homeplanet the only actual life giving, sustaining, and infinitely perpetuating cyclic entity. Thanks 👍 for teaching me to never give up my hopefulness

[@moonwalker794]

I don’t remember learning the word keystone in school but I did remember a teacher telling us how the otter trade nearly wiped the species out and how bad the environment was affected by their declining numbers

[@FloraWest]

Oh, right! This is a good review. I originally learned this years ago on Octonauts, the surprisingly education for adults kid's cartoon.

[@violetlight1548]

My son adores Octonauts, and I've learned quite a few things from it too.

[@Catalyst-trigger]

I like how open he is about his problems.

[@jaschabull2365]

"If you've never heard of [a wolf eel] before..." Me, who's visited Vancouver Aquarium several times since childhood: Wait, that's a creature people haven't heard about before? Also, I was able to guess Patrick was the important one because I'd just learned about it in Marine Biology, neat.