News
Monday 14th June 2010
Who needs Ronaldo, Ribery or Rooney when you could have a gibbon for a goalkeeper, a crocodile in defence and a hyena up front? As World Cup fever takes hold, ARKive has selected its Dream Team that has what it takes to go all the way and lift the trophy.
Unlike the national teams in the 2010 World Cup, ours brings together players from across the globe, from the forests of Indonesia to the savannas of Africa. There is no room for cheats, such as the loon (known for diving), or the mountain plover (known to fake injuries), instead our team is made up of some of the fastest, strongest and most skilled species on the planet. We are confident that our unconventional blend of mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates and even plants could emulate the skilful flair of the Brazilians, the defensive doggedness of the Italians and the clinical efficiency of the Germans.
A game of two giraffes
We built our team around a typical 4-4-2 formation and carefully selected eleven players that would each bring something unique to the squad. The goalkeeper possesses unrivalled agility, an attribute that will prove useful in a penalty shootout, the formidable defence displays strength and power that will halt any attack, the midfield has both speed and creative flair, while the strikers have a lethal combination of tenacity and an eye for goal.
Team name: Wildscreen's Wild Ones
Swinging effortlessly from the goal posts with long arms and elongated digits, the agile pileated gibbon would be sure to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.
Heavily built, with strong arms and a robust body, the iconic mountain gorilla would dominate any opposition and act as an inspirational captain to our team. Already able to perform at high altitude, and with great stamina, any opponent’s striker would have to face some fierce tackles from this, the largest of apes.
Famed for its ability to roll into an almost impregnable ball when threatened, no attack would be able to penetrate the defence of the armadillo girdled lizard.
The largest of all crocodiles, the intimidating jaws of this formidable predator would make it a tough opponent to pass. Growing up to ten metres in length, even Carlos Tevez would have difficulty dribbling his way past the saltwater crocodile.
The babirusa is a swift and strong runner, well practised at weaving through the forest at speed, and would be able to sprint up the wing from its defensive position to support the attack.
One of the largest birds in the world, reaching heights of well over a metre, not only would the greater rhea make a great target for goal kicks and throw-ins, but from its elevated position it would be able to pick out long passes and make crucial interceptions.
The coconut crab’s long legs would equip it with some pretty impressive close ball control, and if deployed in central midfield it could use its large muscular pincers to disrupt the opposition’s attacking play.
The agile and nimble Tatra chamois is a prodigious runner, with a top speed of 50 kilometres per hour on uneven ground, enabling it to evade even the most robust of tackles. After seeing the chamois in action, Fabio Capello would surely be wishing he could use it to fill England’s void on the left wing.
As the fastest land mammal, capable of achieving speeds of up to 87 kilometres per hour, the cheetah would have no problem sprinting down the wing, leaving the opposition’s defenders in its wake.
With its powerful forequarters and crest of long hair erected to make it look larger, the brown hyena would be a menace up front - laughing in the face of its rivals.
The imposing and unusual Grandidier’s baobab tree might not the be the best mover, but with its massive cylindrical trunk, up to three metres across, it might even prove to be a better target man than its namesake, Didier Drogba.
Inspirational and courageous, the lion, the ‘king of the beasts’, has all the managerial attributes needed to lead our team to victory.
They skink it’s all over...... it is now.
Success on the pitch would be a walk in the park in comparison to survival in the wild for many of these species, where loss of habitat and climate change are common threats, and being poached means more than just changing teams. For threatened species there is no extra time.
For amazing photographs and film clips of thousands more talented and threatened species, explore the ARKive website today.
Archived news items
Wednesday 27th October 2010
IUCN study confirms vertebrate extinction crisis
Wednesday 20th October 2010
Rat eradication planned for Pacific island
Wednesday 13th October 2010
WWF Releases its Living Planet Report 2010
Thursday 30th September 2010
One in five plant species under threat
Monday 20th September 2010
‘Asian unicorn’ found in Lao PDR
Tuesday 14th September 2010
Turtles In Trouble
Thursday 19th August 2010
Rare giraffe added to IUCN Red List
Wednesday 11th August 2010
Search begins for the world's 'lost frogs'
Monday 9th August 2010
New species of titi monkey discovered in Colombia
Friday 30th July 2010
Elusive carnivores photographed in Sabah
Tuesday 20th July 2010
Mysterious primate caught on camera for the first time
Wednesday 7th July 2010
Rescue Plan for Endangered Sea Turtles
Thursday 24th June 2010
National Insect Week
Thursday 17th June 2010
Have a 'Wild Night In' with the BBC
Wednesday 2nd June 2010
Mystery disease kills 12,000 saiga antelope
Thursday 27th May 2010
BirdLife releases update on the status of the world’s birds
Saturday 22nd May 2010
World celebrates biodiversity
Friday 7th May 2010
ARKive Education needs your views
Thursday 22nd April 2010
World celebrates Earth Day 2010
Friday 26th March 2010
Earth hour 2010 - Surviving in the dark
Thursday 18th March 2010
Europe's Insects at Risk from Habitat Loss
Friday 5th March 2010
Abu Dhabi wildlife photography exhibition
Wednesday 24th February 2010
Primates in Peril
Thursday 11th February 2010
Sir David Attenborough launches ARKive's 'Most Wanted' 2010 Challenge
Thursday 21st January 2010
365 days of biodiversity
Monday 14th December 2009
IUCN releases climate change hit list
Tuesday 3rd November 2009
2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Extinction crisis continues
Monday 19th October 2009
ARKive dives deeper for digital imagery
Monday 5th October 2009
ARKive working with STERNA to create access to European digital collections
Friday 16th September 2009
ARKive's UAE Wildlife Photography Competition - Winner Announced
Friday 4th September 2009
BBC's Last Chance to See
Wednesday 19th August 2009
Giant carnivorous plant discovered in Philippines
Wednesday 1st July 2009
Celebrating Darwin
Friday 26th June 2009
World's smallest cetacean on the brink
Wednesday 17th June 2009
New havens for the Hawaiian monk seal
Monday 8th June 2009
World Oceans Day 2009
Wednesday 3rd June 2009
Research reveals jaguar secrets
Thursday 21st May 2009
Komodo dragon found to be venomous
Friday 15th May 2009
The United States celebrates Endangered Species Day
Thursday 14th May 2009
More birds threatened with extinction than ever before
Friday 8th May 2009
Released pygmy hogs alive and well
Wednesday 29nd April 2009
Shark finning crackdown
Wednesday 22nd April 2009
World celebrates Earth Day 2009
Wednesday 15th April 2009
Intrepid scientists discover new orang-utan population on Borneo
Wednesday 1st April 2009
Rapid response helps the sociable lapwing
Friday 27th March 2009
ARKive works with WWF to promote Earth Hour
Friday 20th March 2009
Deadly fungus strikes mountain chicken
Wednesday 11th March 2009
Explore ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth
Monday 23rd February 2009
Good news for Critically Endangered parrot
Monday 2nd February 2009
Find ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth
Thursday 29th January 2009
Mysterious penguin decline
Friday 16th January 2009
An important message from the DNA of an extinct marsupial
Wednesday 7th January 2009
Wildscreen chairman receives OBE
Monday 15th December 2008
Albatross under threat from predatory mice
Monday 8th December 2008
Conservationists battle to save the gharial from extinction
Tuesday 18th November 2008
ARKive Photographers Feature at UK’s Largest Natural History Photography Symposium
Monday 6th October 2008
2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
Wednesday 3rd September 2008
International partnership takes Wildscreen's work to the United Arab Emirates
Wednesday 27th August 2008
Newly discovered monkey clings to survival
Wednesday 13th August 2008
A whale of a recovery
Friday 8th August 2008
China under the spotlight
Thursday 31st July 2008
New light shed on the ocean depths
Wednesday 23rd July 2008
Half of Philippine fauna nearly extinct
Wednesday 16th July 2008
One third of reef-building corals face extinction
Thursday 10th July 2008
New Natural Wonders added to the World Heritage List
Thursday 3rd July 2008
Rare white-tailed eagle spotted in Northern Ireland
Monday 23rd June 2008
National Insect Week
Friday 13th June 2008
Fishermen help protect Indian Ocean albatrosses
Tuesday 3rd June 2008
The return of Cambodia's wildlife
Thursday 22nd May 2008
International day for biological diversity
Wednesday 14th May 2008
Koalas at risk from climate change
Thursday 1st May 2008
Time is running out for Asian vultures
Tuesday 22nd April 2008
Migrating birds in decline
Friday 11th April 2008
Wildscreen's Patron Sir David Attenborough launches ARKive layer on Google Earth
Tuesday 25th March 2008
WWF reports that Australian wildlife is under pressure
Wednesday 12th March 2008
Tiger numbers 'halve in 25 years'
Tuesday 26th February 2008
South Africa lifts the ban on culling elephants
Latest from the ARKive blog
To see the latest posts from ARKive please visit http://blog.arkive.org or enable javascript.
What's new
New profile for the Vulnerable thorny skate. More
Endangered species
Huge and majestic, the lammergeier is a distinctive bird-of-prey that specialises at feeding on bones. More
