Animals help in pollination

Some plants could not reproduce without help from animals. They are known as the animal-dispersal plants. This is because their pollen is so large and heavy, it cannot be dispersed by wind or water.

Most animals play an important role in pollination by carrying pollen from one flower to another. This enables the plants to produce seeds.

The largest group of pollinators are insects such as the bees, butterflies and beetles. They fly from one plant to another to search for their food and carry pollens from plants or seeds.

Birds like hummingbirds and honey-eaters collect nectar and carry pollen. The fruit bats serve the night-blooming flowers and carry pollen at night. Some plants have developed structures that facilitate pollination by animals.

Some animal-dispersed plants have numerous sticky pollen that adhere on to the bodies of animals.

The beaks of the birds are suited to narrow blooms. Some of the plants evolved tubular flowers with nectar deep within.

Other animals help to disperse the plant seeds mistakenly whenever they walk through a field or forest and passes through the trees.