Uniting to Protect Stag Beetles
When most people think of stags in Richmond Park they imagine the male red deer, all antlers and bellowing on misty autumn mornings. They don't realise that the Park is also home to another type of stag, the endangered and distinctive Stag Beetle.
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The Stag Beetle is a gentle giant of the insect world. Despite a reputation for summoning thunder and lightning, the male Stag Beetle is entirely harmless. They may look scary to some people but their large jaws are only used to wrestle with other males and their bite is too weak to hurt you.
"Stag Beetles have a long life cycle of up to seven years."
With greatly reduced numbers across the UK and a European wide protection programme, the presence of Stag Beetles was instrumental in Richmond Park's designation as a National Nature Reserve. Stag Beetles can be encouraged in every garden, but adopting this crusty coleopteran will help us protect these nationally important colonies.
