Dogsthorpe Star Pit facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Cambridgeshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 36.4 hectares |
| Notification | 1993 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Dogsthorpe Star Pit is a very special place for nature near Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. It covers about 36.4 hectares, which is like 50 football fields! This area is protected as a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" (SSSI). It is also a "Local Nature Reserve." The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire helps to look after it.
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Dogsthorpe Star Pit: A Home for Wildlife
Dogsthorpe Star Pit used to be a place where people dug for clay to make bricks. Now, it's a fantastic home for many different creatures. It became a special protected site in 1993.
Why Is It So Special?
This pit is super important for tiny animals without backbones, called invertebrates. It's especially famous for its water beetles. Scientists have found 64 different kinds of water beetles here!
Some of these beetles are very rare. Four of them are even on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This list shows animals that are in danger of disappearing from our planet. The rare beetles found here include Graptodytes bilineatus, Dryops similaris, Gyrinus distinctus, and Myopites inulaedyssentericae.
Different Homes for Different Animals
Dogsthorpe Star Pit has many different types of places for animals to live. You can find grassy areas, bushy scrubland, and areas with tall reeds. There are also places with sedge plants, bare clay, and lots of pools of water. This mix of habitats helps many different species to thrive.
How to Visit
You can visit Dogsthorpe Star Pit by following a public footpath. This path starts from Whitepost Road. It's a great place to explore and see nature up close.
