16 Ingenious Animal Architects Who Create Stunning Masterpieces

Most impressive inventions came about by observing how animals do them. And we succeed in adapting our own capabilities by applying the same method. Airplanes can fly because we observe how birds fly. Submarines have curves and are hydrodynamic because dolphins and other such marine animals have curved bodies. We learned about certain natural building materials from some of the most impressive animal architects. In some areas, their creations are better than ours.

Bees

Bees are master architects that build complex honeycomb structures. A good part of the nest will end up in the ground, creating a secure and stable environment. The geometric design of honeycombs allows for efficient storage of honey and pollen while providing space for larvae. Only female worker bees build honeycombs.

Ants

Ants use their mandibles to create a vast network of chambers and tunnels. All ant shelters include areas for food storage, nurseries for their young, and chambers for resting. Some ants even build protective mounds above the ground for temperature regulation. They’re also useful for protection against rough weather.

Vogelkop Bowerbird

The Vogelkop Bowerbird skillfully builds elegant bowers using twigs, leaves, and moss as building materials. The males create these interesting structures, often decorating them with brightly colored objects. These objects include berries, flowers, and even human-made items to attract females. It can be surprising to discover that the bowers are not nests. Rather, they’re impressive display arenas to woo potential mates.

Montezuma Oropendola

The Montezuma Oropendola weaves hanging nests from vines, twigs, and leaves. These nests are often clustered together and dangle from the branches of tall trees in coastal lowlands. Each nest can reach up to 6 feet long, providing a secure environment for their eggs and young.

Sociable Weaver

Sociable weavers are skilled bird species that construct massive joint nests, which can house hundreds of birds. They use grasses and twigs to create these woven structures, which often last for decades. Their nests offer shade and protection from predators and can reach up to 13 feet in length. Usually, the nests are large enough for roughly 300 birds or more.

Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs burrow underground by digging tunnels and creating chambers for their residence. And they do it very easily, thanks to having strong claws and teeth. Each underground shelter requires specific areas, including those for nesting and storage. It also needs escape routes in case a predator decides to chase them underground. Their community-oriented villages, called “towns,” can cover several acres and house hundreds of prairie dogs.

Termites

Termites build expansive mounds using soil, saliva, and dung, resulting in hundreds of tunnels and chambers. These mounds can be as tall as 9 feet and help regulate temperature and humidity for their colony. Some, like the compass termites, even orient their mounds north-south to minimize exposure to the sun.

Rufous Hornero

Rufous Hornero is an intelligent avian species from South America that makes its nest using mud and plant fibers. These oven-shaped structures are sturdy and well-covered. Both the male and female birds cooperate, carefully adding layer upon layer to create a secure home. Their hard work ends with a distinctive, rounded nest.

Leaf Curling Spider

As its name implies, the leaf-curling spider curls leaves into a secure home. Using its silk threads, the spider pulls the edges of a leaf together to create a tube-like shelter. This structure serves as both a retreat and a trap for unsuspecting prey. So the spider can simply lay back and relax until an unsuspecting prey arrives. What a smart creature!

Beavers

Beavers are incredible architects that can alter the flow of rivers and streams. They expertly chew down trees for building material, using large logs to brace their structures against the riverbank. These dams are highly effective at trapping and releasing water slowly, even better than human-made dams. Beaver dams can vary in size, from 8 inches to 10 feet tall. Sometimes, they can be up to a hundred feet long.

Hornets

Hornets build their nests using chewed wood fibers mixed with their saliva. These form a papery substance, which they use in construction. Hornets make these nests on trees, bushes, or man-made structures. The interior consists of layers of cells where the insects raise their young. Most times, the nests are quite large, housing hundreds of hornets.

Japanese Puffer Fish

The Japanese pufferfish designs precise underwater patterns in the sand. Sometimes, these designs can reach up to 6.5 feet in diameter to attract mates. But these formations aren’t built just for mating purposes. They also serve as shelter for their eggs because they reduce the strength of water currents.

Trapdoor Spiders

Trapdoor spiders live in camouflaged shelters made from soil, plant material, and silk. These shelters blend easily with their surroundings, causing any unsuspecting prey to fall victim to their antics. The spider digs a burrow with its strong mandibles and uses its abdomen to push debris aside.

Swallows

Swallows use mud and grass to construct cup-shaped nests. These nests often reach vertical surfaces such as walls or cliffs. The building process begins with swallows scooping up mud in their beaks. Steadily, they layer it to form a sturdy structure, sometimes supported with small twigs or feathers.

Paper Wasps

Paper wasps build interesting nests that resemble paper creations, and that’s how their name came about. They chew wood fibers and mix them with saliva to create a strong material. When building their nests, the paper wasps use this material. The nests have a unique open-cell design, which lets wasps enter and exit easily.

Long-Tailed Tit

Long-tailed tit is arguably the biggest artisan in the bird world. The bird builds highly detailed, domed nests using moss, feathers, and spider silk. The silk acts like glue, holding the nest together. On the other hand, feathers and moss serve as bedding and insulation. The long-tailed tit carefully weaves these materials together to create a cozy and elastic home. Hence, the nests expand easily as the young birds grow.

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