Animals of the forest. Animals of the forest zone of Russia: hedgehogs, foxes, wolves, badgers and tigers. What wild animals live in the forest

Wall newspapers of the charitable educational project “Briefly and clearly about the most interesting things” (site site) are intended for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg. They ship free to most educational institutions, as well as to a number of hospitals, orphanages and other institutions in the city. The project's publications do not contain any advertising (only founders' logos), are politically and religiously neutral, written in easy language, and well illustrated. They are intended as informational “inhibition” of students, awakening cognitive activity and the desire to read. Authors and publishers, without pretending to provide academic completeness of the material, publish interesting facts, illustrations, interviews with famous figures science and culture and thereby hope to increase the interest of schoolchildren in the educational process. Please send your comments and suggestions to: pangea@mail.. We thank the education department of the Kirovsky district administration of St. Petersburg for their support at the start of the project and everyone who selflessly helps in distributing wall newspapers. Special thanks to the publishing house Amphora for the book “Animals of Our Country” (2010), the material of which is the basis for this issue.

© N. N. Charushina-Kapustina, illustrations, 2017.

© V. M. Brave, text, 2017.

Dear friends! Our series “Nature of the Native Land” continues with an issue that combines the work of two remarkable masters of their craft. “I was born into a surprisingly bright and friendly family, and my childhood was the same - surprisingly bright and joyful... The smell of rotten leaves, warmed by the sun, frogs began to purr, flocks of geese flew, ducks whistled with their wings - everything was filled with life, came to life before our eyes. Since then, real spring begins for me with the first song of the blackbird. I feel the delight of a child who found a gift under the tree on New Year’s Eve, when at the end of March, from somewhere far away, at sunset, a blackbird quietly begins to sing! And there is no happier and richer person than me at this moment!” This is how N. N. Charushina-Kapustina, successor to the dynasty of wonderful artists Charushins, talks about her childhood. Natalya Nikitichna kindly agreed to provide her drawings for our wall newspaper. And the text, which was written by a St. Petersburg ornithologist, candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher at the Zoological Institute Russian Academy Sciences Vladimir Mikhailovich Brave, makes this issue not only visual and interesting, but also scientifically reliable. In the “Nature of the Native Land” series, read our following issues on the website: “Wildlife of St. Petersburg parks” (No. 43), “Beasts of our forests” (No. 56), “ Rare birds Leningrad Region" (No. 59), "Butterflies of the Leningrad Region" (No. 92), "Fishes of the Leningrad Region" (No. 94), "Protected Territories of St. Petersburg" (No. 95), "Protected Territories of the Leningrad Region" (No. 97) and a number others.

Thank you for being with us!

White hare

Who doesn't know the hare? The ears are long, the tail is short and stubby. In summer, the white hare is slate or reddish-gray, in winter it is white. It lives in floodplain meadows and sparse deciduous forests. The hare has a lot of enemies, he is afraid of everyone. During the day he sleeps, hiding under a bush or in the grass. In winter it digs holes in the snow. At night the hare comes out to feed. It eats grass, branches, gnaws bark from trees, for which gardeners do not favor it. Hares are fertile. The first litter - baby bunnies - appears when the snow has not yet melted. The second - in the middle of summer, and the third, deciduous - in the fall. In spring, males often fight - they stand on their hind legs and “box” with their front legs. Hares rarely give voice; they only scream loudly and pitifully when they are frightened.

Squirrel

The squirrel is a forest dweller, but is also found in city parks. A cute animal with a fluffy tail, very trusting, deftly jumps from branch to branch, moves freely up and down the tree trunk, and runs quickly along the ground. During the day, the squirrel feeds by collecting berries, mushrooms, and tree fruits. It can destroy bird nests by eating eggs and chicks. The squirrel makes provisions for the winter, hiding in hollows and burying acorns, cones, nuts between the roots, hanging mushrooms on the branches, but often forgets about its pantries and uses the supplies of mice and chipmunks. At night it sleeps on a tree in a haina - a spherical nest of twigs, bast and moss, lined with wool and feathers on the inside. A frightened squirrel makes a loud noise.

Hedgehog

In deciduous forests, in clearings and forest edges, you can find a hedgehog. His entire body, except for his soft fluffy belly and elongated shaggy muzzle with shiny beady eyes and a black, always wet nose, is covered with needles. Usually the hedgehog spends the whole day in a nest, which it constructs from leaves and branches somewhere under the roots of a tree. In the evening, the hedgehog wakes up and wanders through the forest at night, feeding on insects, frogs, snails and mice. Contrary to popular belief, the hedgehog does not prick food on its needles, but sometimes carries dry leaves pinned on its needles to the nest. Having eaten enough over the summer, the hedgehog sleeps in its nest all winter. In the spring, male hedgehogs sing, their song is a monotonous panting.

Fox

A fox can be seen in a field, in a forest, in a meadow, on the shore of a pond. You can't confuse her with anyone. The red fox fur coat and long fluffy tail with a white tip are painfully noticeable. Winter fur is thicker and longer than summer fur. The fox is a very smart animal. In winter, she digs out mice running in the snow by hearing them - she mouses. In summer it catches frogs, small birds and animals. When preparing to hatch their cubs, foxes dig cunning, long holes with several exits. And sometimes they settle in those dug up by a badger or other animal. Foxes are caring parents. The male takes care of the female and her cubs. The fox's voice is clear and she barks.

Gray wolf

This large animal looks like a dog, whose ancestor he is. Only the wolf’s muzzle is wider, its forehead is more convex and its tail (hunters call it a “log”) is usually lowered. Timber wolves have gray fur, tundra wolves have almost white fur, and steppe wolves have reddish fur. The wolf avoids dense forests. They make dens only for breeding offspring, in thickets of bushes or crevices. The main prey of wolves in the forests are elk, roe deer, deer, and wild boars. But the gray predator does not disdain small prey: hares, birds, bird eggs. Wolves are very smart, deftly avoid danger, and are skilled in hunting, which they conduct in packs. They are silent animals, but in autumn and winter wolves often howl.

Lynx

This large forest cat on high legs, with long tufts on its ears, is a very cautious animal. She lives in dense forests, away from human habitation. The lynx is an excellent hunter, guarding its prey for a long time in ambush. During the day, she usually lies down in her lair under the upturned roots of a tree, in a hole or crevice, and at dusk she looks for prey. The lynx feeds on small animals and birds, but can attack large birds and deer fawns. The lynx is silent, but in the spring it purrs and screams loudly and sharply. In the silence of the night, these sounds produce an eerie impression on a person.

Elk

One of the largest animals in our forests is elk. It is easily recognized by its long powerful legs, hook-nosed muzzle and high, hump-shaped withers. Adult males grow large, spade-like horns. In late autumn, the elk sheds its antlers and walks without them until spring. In the summer, when moose are plagued by heat and midges, they rest during the day and go out to graze at night. In winter, on the contrary, they feed during the day and sleep in the snow at night. The moose feeds on branches of trees and bushes. His voice can be heard at the end of summer in the mornings and evenings. At this time, the males moan - muffled and moaning protractedly.

Boar

If you come across dug up soil in a forest or field, you know: a herd of wild boar was grazing here. The wild boar (boar) differs from its descendant, the domestic pig, by its laterally flattened body, thick and long grey-black-brown bristles and black patch. Old boars grow large tusks that protrude from under their snouts. The little piglets of wild boars are striped. Boars live large families. They spend the day lying down, and when evening comes, they wander through the forests and fields in search of food, dig the ground and eat roots, seeds and fruits of plants, larvae and bugs. They swim in deep puddles or holes filled with water and mud. Wild boars, like domestic pigs, grunt. An angry boar is very dangerous.

Brown bear

The bear is clumsy in appearance - large, heavy-set, club-footed. In fact, it is a very agile and formidable forest animal that runs quickly, swims beautifully and climbs trees. One blow from a mighty bear's paw can break a bison's back. Although the bear is a predator, for the most part it feeds on herbs, berries, fruits, grains and plant roots. In winter, the clubfoot sleeps in a den, under the protection of a windbreak or uprooted tree roots. Sometimes, not having had time to fatten up during the fall, he wakes up and wanders around in search of food - he becomes a connecting rod. In February, cubs are born in bear dens. The bear is silent, but sometimes it growls so loudly that your soul sinks into your heels.

Pine marten

Jumping from branch to branch, a long-tailed brown animal with a large yellow spot on the throat is a pine marten, or yellowthroat. Its long, bushy tail helps it maintain balance when climbing and jumping. The marten feels equally at home in trees and on the ground. During the day, she rests in hollows, abandoned nests of squirrels or birds of prey, and at dusk she goes out hunting. It feeds mainly on squirrels and forest birds, which it kills with a bite to the back of the head. Some martens search for the nests of wild bees and eat honey. In late summer and autumn they store food for the winter. A frightened marten makes an unpleasant, creaking hiss.

Otter

On rivers and lakes rich in fish, the otter is found - a long, short-legged animal with a thick, naked and muscular tail. Its streamlined body is perfectly suited for swimming. The paws have special swimming membranes. The fur does not get wet in water. Seeing an otter is not easy. She is very cautious and hunts at night. It feeds on fish, sometimes eating frogs, rodents, and birds. Lives in burrows among coastal thickets. On land it looks clumsy, but in water it moves quickly, overtaking even the fastest fish. The otter is a very active animal that spends a lot of time playing. When playing, the animals emit long, unpleasant-to-hear trills.

Beaver

A small stream in the forest that suddenly turned into a large lake is the work of beavers. Beavers are natural dam builders. This is how they regulate the water level in their habitats. After all, the beaver is a semi-aquatic animal. Its flat, bare tail, covered with horny scutes, resembles an oar. Beavers feed on bark and thin branches of trees and shrubs. They live big family in coastal burrows or huts, which are built on a dam or on the shore from brushwood coated with clay. In the fall, beavers store a lot of branches underwater - enough to last throughout the winter. They feed and work mainly at night. In case of danger, they dive, giving an alarm signal - loudly slapping their tail on the water.

Badger

Few people see the badger. And all because he leads a nocturnal lifestyle. The badger digs deep branched burrows on the slopes of sandy hills, forest ravines and gullies. Sometimes these are entire settlements. This is where the badger spends most of the daylight hours. And as soon as it gets dark, he goes out hunting, wanders around his hole, looking for insects, mice, frogs, fruits and plant roots - fattening up fat, which has very valuable properties. In the north, the badger hibernates in the fall until spring. In the spring, badgers give birth to cubs. At night in the forest you can sometimes hear a loud and ringing cry of a badger, similar to the cry of a goose.

Viper

Having gone into the forest to pick mushrooms and berries, you can meet a viper at the edge of the forest, clearing, overgrown burnt area or swamp, poisonous snake, whose bite is painful and very dangerous. Vipers love to bask in the sun, settling on paths, stumps, hummocks and stones. Sometimes they even crawl into the garden and meadow. When meeting a person, the viper usually tries to hide. But if he sees him as a threat, he hisses and makes throws. Therefore, it is better not to make sudden movements when meeting her. At night, vipers hunt mice, frogs and insects. The viper is a viviparous snake: the eggs develop and the young hatch in the womb. Two or three times a year, vipers molt, shedding their old skin. In the fall, they hide in holes and crevices, preparing to hibernate.

Already

Already is a harmless creature. He is easily tamed. It is distinguished from other snakes by two large, clearly visible light spots on the sides of the head (“ears”). He lives near water - he loves to swim and often swims. It feeds mainly on frogs and rodents. In the summer, the snake lays several dozen eggs, covered not with a shell, but with a soft leathery shell, in a pile of rotten leaves, a cushion of moss or a rotten stump. After about two months, small snakes hatch from the eggs. First of all, they must find a place for wintering: on the calendar it is already the end of summer or the beginning of autumn. Snakes overwinter in large groups deep under tree roots or under stone heaps.

Brittle spindle

In the summer, at the edge of the forest, a nimble creature will sometimes flash among the fallen leaves. Body like a snake, blunt tail. This is a legless lizard - a spindle. It can be easily distinguished from a snake by its moving eyelids. Because of its yellowish color it is also called copperhead. In winter, she sleeps in a deep hole or under the roots of a stump. And at the beginning of summer, this legless lizard gives birth to cubs. It was called spindly because its body shape resembles a spindle, and brittle because of the ability to shed its tail, which is characteristic of many lizards. They grabbed her by the tail, and she did it! – she broke it off and threw it away. The main thing is to get away from danger, and a new tail will grow.

Lizard

These nimble creatures come across you everywhere, darting around on warm days in the garden, in the vegetable garden, in the forest among stones and plants. Many people are wary of lizards; some consider them harmful and even poisonous. However, lizards are not just harmless - they bring enormous benefits by eating a great variety of different garden pests. If lizards have settled in your garden or vegetable garden, do not drive them away or catch them to admire or play. The most common sand lizards in the southern regions reproduce by laying eggs in the soil. In the middle zone and to the north there is a viviparous lizard.

Triton

Newts are close relatives of frogs, but, unlike them, they have a tail. Look for newts in shallow bodies of water, in damp, shady places in secluded corners of the forest or old garden. In summer, they swim briskly in the water, periodically rising to the surface for air. On land you will very rarely see a newt - except perhaps immediately after a warm July rain on a forest path. Female newts lay eggs on the leaves of aquatic plants, from which offspring hatch after two to three weeks. Newts are beneficial amphibians. They destroy mosquito larvae, including malaria ones. Newts overwinter under a thick moss cover, in rotten stumps, root passages, rodent and mole burrows, basements and cellars.

pond frog

The pond frog lives in a variety of reservoirs in deciduous and mixed forests. It is often called green due to its bright green coloration with a light stripe along the back and some black spots. The pond frog is thermophilic. And her winter hibernation is long, and in the spring she revives only after truly warm days. At the end of May, the female pond frog lays two to three thousand eggs, from which tadpoles emerge - future frogs. The pond frog feeds on beetles, mosquitoes, ants and other small crawling and flying insects.

grass frog

In forests and fields, in thickets of bushes and wet meadows, in swamps, along the banks of rivers and lakes, even in populated areas grass frog. It is olive or reddish-brown above, with dark spots on the back and sides. In spring, males have a blue throat and are lighter in color than females. Having awakened from hibernation, frogs gather in large numbers in puddles, ditches, forest ponds, and oxbow lakes, where females lay eggs. The twilight is announced by frog choirs - loud croaking. The female grass frog lays more than a thousand eggs, from which tadpoles hatch. The grass frog feeds on beetles, caterpillars, mollusks, earthworms and spiders.

Toad

The gray toad, large, slow, lives in forests and groves, parks and gardens, and vegetable gardens. Toads' skin is dry, pimply, and may be covered in acrid secretions. Therefore, after touching a toad, it is better to wash your hands so that these caustic substances did not get into the mouth or eyes. But the idea that warts appear from this is complete nonsense. Caustic mucus is the only protection of these very useful animals that rid gardens and vegetable gardens of pests. Adult toads feed on a variety of invertebrate animals, often exterminating those that birds do not eat.

Bullfinch

In winter, everything around is painted in strict white and black tones. But then bright, elegant red-breasted birds flew to a bare lilac or hawthorn bush. These are male bullfinch – the female’s plumage is not so bright, her breast is greenish-gray. All summer the bullfinches lived in the forests where they raised their chicks. In the fall, they gathered in small flocks and went in search of rowan and other berries, closer to human habitations. So all winter they wander through parks, squares, gardens and vegetable gardens, looking for food.

Remez

In the thickets of bushes, along the banks of rivers, lakes, ponds and other bodies of water, a small, inconspicuous titmouse scurries about. Looking for food, it nimbly climbs branches, hanging upside down or with its back. And very often makes a thin whistle tsii-tsii, which can be heard far away. From plant fluff, animal hair and bird feathers, the remez weaves an unusual mitten nest, studded on the outside with birch bark, bud scales and flower catkins of willow and poplar. The nest is usually attached to the end of a willow, birch or reed branch drooping above the water. Remez, the only one of our tits, flies to warm regions for the winter, far from the places where she raised her chicks.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

On a frosty winter day, fluffed up, raising the red feathers on its head like a brush, a small spotted woodpecker crawls through the trees, a pockmarked ball, animatedly tapping with its beak the cracks and crevices in the bark: are insects that it finds tasty hidden there? Usually he silently jumps along the trunks, but in the spring he often announces himself loudly cue-cue-cue. This bird prefers to stay in mixed and deciduous forests, floodplains, and is found in gardens and parks. The nest is made in a hollow, which is hollowed out in dry and rotten trees. In the summer, noisy chicks appear in the nest, demanding to be fed quickly.

Starling

In our country, the starling is the harbinger of spring. As soon as the first thawed patches appear, birds fly to their native places and immediately announce their arrival with a song: chirping, gurgling, clicking, whistling, sounds overheard from other birds and animals. The starling is a forest bird, but it willingly settles next to humans, in villages and even big cities, in birdhouses hung on the balconies of high-rise buildings. Everyone recognizes the starling: the plumage is black, the beak is long and yellow. In search of food, birds quickly walk along the ground and pierce the soil with their beaks everywhere, fly straight and fast. After leaving the nest, young starlings gather in large flocks and feed in fields, meadows and river floodplains.

Nightjar

On a spring and summer evening, a long, monotonous dry trill is heard in a sparse old forest: tr-werr-werr-werr-werr. This rattling sound, heard far away in the twilight, is the song of a nightjar, which sat on the branch of a dry tree. Having finished the song, he takes off, flaps his wings widely and jumps accurately, shuddering in the air. Seeing a silent nightjar is not easy. Clinging to the trunk, completely motionless, it sits, merging with the bark thanks to its speckled color. The bird owes its strange name to an old German belief that attributed to it the ability to milk goats. After all, nightjars always circle around grazing livestock, sitting at the feet of cows, goats or sheep. Only they are attracted not by milk, but by insects that gather near animals and their droppings.

Great tit

In the January cold, as soon as the sun appears, the great tit begins to sing, constantly catching your eye in parks, gardens and along the outskirts of forests, very mobile and noticeable: the abdomen is bright yellow, divided black stripe, white cheeks. Flying from branch to branch, it makes a ringing sound ping-ping-charzhzhzh, zirrererererere, qi-qi-qi. Her loud song consists of repeated syllables: pintyu-pintyu, tsintitya-tsintitya, ding-tu-ding-tu. The great tit makes its nest in hollows and crevices on the trunk, various artificial nests, and under the roofs of houses. In parks, great tits are often driven out of their nesting areas by sparrows. In winter, tits flock to feeders, which help the birds survive the winter lack of food.

Owl

A short-eared owl soars silently over damp forest clearings, swamps and fields. She hunts more during the day than at night. Its flight is light and smooth, with rare, deep flapping of its wings. She circles above the ground for hours, looking for mice. It sees prey, stops in the air, frequently flapping its wings, and falls steeply down, grabbing the prey. The short-eared owl is a migratory bird. She spends the winter in the south of our country. In the spring, arriving at nesting sites, short-eared owls arrange air games– fly after each other, often making a dull, repetitive sound boo Boo Boo. Unlike other owls, which do without nests, the short-eared owl makes its nest on the ground, in the middle of dense bushes or thickets of grass.

Golden eagle

The golden eagle is the largest bird of prey in our country. Its wingspan exceeds two meters. The golden eagle is called the golden eagle for the golden feathers on the back of the adult bird's head. This is a real bird king. His vision is very acute. The golden eagle can see a hare at a distance of up to four kilometers. He is the swiftest of the eagles. Pursuing prey, it covers more than a hundred kilometers per hour. The golden eagle makes its nest high in a tree or on a rock. Usually it serves a pair of birds for many years, which corrects and builds on it, so that over time it reaches two to three meters in diameter. Often sparrows build nests between its branches, which golden eagles do not notice. The golden eagle is silent. Only sometimes can you hear it quietly kyev-kyev-kyev, reminiscent of the barking of a small dog.

Pied Flycatcher

On bright forest edges and in parks, an active bird with a contrasting black and white coloring sings. This is a male pied flycatcher. The female is gray and inconspicuous. The singing male is usually visible: he prefers to sit on a separate branch or on the roof of an artificial nest. When singing, it often lowers its wings and spreads its tail, quickly shaking its wings. As if he were trying to take off, he spreads his wings and immediately folds them again. He lets out a loud short trill: qi-kru, qi-kru-qi, qi-kru-tsi or three-twist-twist-three. And at the nest in front of the female she often chirps quietly qu-qu-tsifiruflit or pil-pil-filili-lililily.

Cuckoo

Who hasn’t heard the sonorous sound repeated over and over again in the forest? peek-a-boo? This makes itself known to the male cuckoo. Cuckooing sounds day and night, especially in the morning and evening dawn. Usually the male crows while sitting on a branch in the upper part of the crown. While singing, it lowers its wings, raises and spreads its tail. The cuckoo does not build nests. The female throws her egg into the nest of some small bird (robins, warblers, warblers). The cuckoo chick is usually the first to hatch and strives to throw away everything it finds nearby, getting rid of other chicks. His appetite is excellent: from dawn to dusk, small birds carry food to a foundling that is huge in comparison with them. When feeding a grown cuckoo, they have to stick their head deep into its open mouth.

Crow

Crow - large bird with a large and strong beak, which helps to protect itself from enemies and obtain food. It is easier to hear a raven than to see it - to catch the whistling of the wings of mighty birds, their roll call in flight - a dull cro-cro or sharp crook-crook. Sharp-sighted crows fly over forests and fields, looking out for prey. They feed mainly on carrion. If a wounded animal leaves the hunters and dies in the forest, the crows immediately flock to the feast. Relatives rush to the cry of those who have found prey, and a whole flock gathers. And suddenly everyone took off into the air at once, circled and settled in the trees. It was someone stronger who came ready - wolves, or even the owner of the forests himself, the bear. Now sit and wait for the animals to be satisfied.

Spruce crossbill

In February, when the forests are covered in snow and frost crackles, a beautiful bird with red plumage, the spruce crossbill, begins building a nest. He builds his nest - quite large and well insulated - on high and dense coniferous trees, often on spruce trees. The beak of the crossbill is thick, with intersecting ends - this makes it easier to get seeds from spruce cones, which serve as the crossbills' main food. The crossbill moves slowly along the branches, sometimes with the help of its beak. Usually sings on the tops of trees. The singing crossbill often performs “dances” and can fly around a tree singing. His voice is clear. During the flight, a long sound sounds almost continuously. tiktiktiktiktiktik or voiced clack clack clack.

Goldfinch

The most beautiful bird of bright forests and gardens is the goldfinch. He flutters among the branches like a bright butterfly. Not only is he handsome, he is also very mobile, even fidgety, a master of hanging in various possible and impossible positions on the thinnest branches or even on burdock cones, often quarreling with his fellows in his own goldfinch language: rerererere. Sitting on the top of a tree, the goldfinch carries himself like a dandy, smart, proud of his beauty, and sings a loud and beautiful song: puy-puy, sti-glick, pickel-nick.

Magpie

Magpies don't like thickets. In spring it stays at the edge of the forest, in the bushes. In autumn it moves to villages, closer to people. Its long stepped bluish-green tail is especially noticeable. The plumage of the lower leg and undertail are black, and the lower part of the chest, abdomen and stripes on the shoulders are white, for which it is nicknamed white-sided. But what attracts the magpie’s attention more than its colorful outfit is its bustle and chattering. The magpie builds its large spherical nest in the depths of a bush or tree. Usually noisy, stays quiet near the nest. This omnivorous bird attacks small songbirds and pecks eggs and chicks in their nests. If a thief magpie gets into the habit of flying into the yard, it will not only steal eggs from the chicken coop, but maybe also kill the chickens.

Chiffchaff

In early spring, when the buds on the trees are just beginning to swell, a melodic whistle is heard at the top of the crown: shadow-tian-ting-tun-shadow as if drops are splashing into water. This is sung by one of our smallest birds - the chiffchaff, or, as it is popularly called, the grasshopper. She is small, but her voice is loud and can be heard from afar. All day long she swarms in the tops of tall trees, pecking at small insects. And with the onset of summer, it arranges a nest-hut with a side entrance on the ground, under a bush or in a hummock.

song thrush

Louder and more intricate than anyone else in spring forest the song thrush begins to sing. Despite the fact that the outfit is modest: the entire plumage is brownish-olive, only on the belly it is whitish with an ocher tint. The blackbird is noticeable with its singing. Throughout the spring and half of the summer it sings for days, especially in the morning and evening, falling silent only in complete darkness. His song is melodic, with slowly and clearly written whistled phrases with obligatory double repetition: Philip-Philip, come, come, tea-tea, Vitya-Vitya.

Grouse

Beautiful grouse. Few people compare with it in our forests: the plumage is black with a blue tint, the eyebrows are bright red, the tail is like a lyre - the outer feathers are strongly curved to the sides (that’s why it is called a braid), the undertail is bright white, and there are white mirrors on the wings. And yet in the spring they search for black grouse by their voice. As soon as the weather gets warmer and the days lengthen, the males gather in a clearing or moss swamp, where the snow melts earlier. Here they sing and tok. They make something like gurgling or muttering, walk, even run after each other, with their tail spread out, their neck inflated and lowered, and their wings spread to the ground. The muttering is interrupted by a loud croak and hissing chuffyshh. At the current, black grouse often jump and flap their wings, and sometimes fight like domestic roosters.

Robin

In spring in thick mixed and coniferous forests With migratory birds A robin appears - a small, very trusting bird with a crimson breast and large, slightly sad, beady eyes. You will recognize it not only by its colored breast, but also by its characteristic crackling sound. tick-tick-tick and a thin whistle sip or tsii. Its melodic, chirping and murmuring trills begin with drawn-out sounds and sometimes last for quite a long time, but are more often interrupted by short pauses. In spring, the robin sings all day until dark. She often visits summer cottages. In the spring he loves to jump around the beds and collect small insects and worms, and in the fall he enjoys eating garden berries.

Shrike

Have you ever, on the outskirts of a garden or forest edge, where there are a lot of bushes, come across a dry bush, the sharp branches of which are strewn with beetles, grasshoppers and even frogs and lizards? It was a small feathered robber, the shrike, collecting food in reserve. His head is large, his beak is hooked, his tail is long, his flight is wavy, and he is also constantly dissatisfied with something and shouts sharply: check-check. The shrike likes to sit on top of a bush from where it watches the surrounding area. His vision is sharp and his hearing is subtle. As soon as someone moves in the grass, the shrike breaks off the branch, and a few moments later the prey is in its beak.

Barn Swallow

Anyone who has been to the village knows the barn swallow - the killer whale. Its tail is fork-shaped, the outer feathers are much longer than the middle ones. This is especially noticeable when it flies high or flies low above the ground, spreading its tail like a fan. The song of a killer whale is a cheerful twitter, ending with the crackling trill of cerrr. The killer whale makes a nest - a bowl fashioned from lumps of clay glued together with swallow saliva - under the roof of some building. The inside is lined with feathers and hair. The barn swallow feeds on flying insects, and therefore in cold damp weather, when there are few of them in the air, the swallow flies low, collecting insects from the grass and even from the ground. On warm days, killer whales hunt quite high, where rising air currents carry their prey.

Thank you, friends, for your attention to our publication. We would be very grateful for your feedback. In our next issues: “Traces of animals and birds”, “Curious Petersburg, part 8: Nevsky district” and others. We remind you that our partners in their organizations distribute our wall newspapers for free.

The globe is covered with oceans, land and forests. A huge number of animals, insects and other inhabitants live in the forest. The most interesting facts about forest animals will not leave you indifferent.

1. Wolves take care of their children with tenderness and affection.. In a wolf family, 5-10 wolf cubs are usually born. And sometimes it’s difficult for one mother to cope with such a litter. Here the father of the family and the young wolves of the pack come to help in raising the kids. The latter are engaged in entertaining children.
2. The bear eats almost everything: from nuts, mushrooms and fruits to chicks, ants, fish. The most interesting thing he does is hunt ants, which he does as thoughtfully as possible. Having stuck his tongue into the anthill, the bear waits for all the ants to stick around him. Then he willingly swallows it.
3. Only male frogs turn blue. This process is directly related to reproduction, during which an incredible spectacle occurs.
4. Residents of the bush forest, monkeys, are very similar to people. For example, you can determine the mood of a monkey by the expression on its face. So a grin is a sign of an aggressive state.

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5. The striped raccoon, from the raccoon family, is considered a wild animal and lives in the forest for no more than 7 years. But their domesticated brothers live twice as long.
6. Elk lives in the forest and is considered a herbivore. Its milk is very valuable and fatty. In terms of concentration, moose milk resembles cream, because its composition is 14% fat. Also, elk food product is rich in glucose. But most importantly, such milk does not turn sour for more than a week.
7. Each beaver has a number of amazing qualities and abilities.. Large family These animals, thanks to their strength and endurance, are able to build a dwelling from improvised devices with a height of about 30 m.
8. Owls are best known for their ability to deftly hunt mice, which in turn eat a kilogram of cereals in just one season. Each representative of night birds is capable of exterminating 1000 rodents.
9. The otter is perfectly adapted to living in the aquatic environment. During the daytime, the otter stays in a hole dug independently, and at nightfall it begins to hunt. The otter feeds on fish, crustaceans and small mammals.

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10. Wolverine is one of the most mysterious animals in Russia, which resembles in appearance a bear and a badger. The predator leads an exclusively solitary lifestyle, not letting anyone near him. Due to its fierce aggressiveness and absolute inability to tame, you will not find a wolverine in a zoo.
11. The Amur cat, living in the forest zone, grows up to a meter in length and has a beautiful unusual coloring. It can be distinguished by longitudinal stripes on the forehead of a dark and light shade. Despite the cat's rather cute look, he is considered extremely dangerous predator, which is not so easy to catch.

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12. The Amur tiger, listed in the Red Book and living in Primorye, is distinguished by its large weight of 300 kg and body length. The Amur tiger is resistant to low temperatures, so it is not afraid of snow and cold.
13. The peculiarity of the trot is its gait. The lynx steps with its hind paws on the tracks of its front paws.
14. Sakhalin musk deer are currently on the verge of extinction. Animals live on the territory of Sakhalin, inhabiting dark coniferous forest zones. Musk deer belong to the Deer family, but they do not have antlers. Their feature is long fangs.
15. Forest the bats considered truly brave hunters. These small mysterious noctules can hunt not only insects, but also birds.

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We will not talk about the marten as such, but about all representatives of the mustelid family, which includes: marten, sable, ermine, weasel, mink, otter, ferret. Because of their skins, these taiga animals are the most sought after for hunting. Their meat is not eaten, it is given only to dogs, and only their fur has a price. In martens challenging behavior and paw motor skills developed at the level of a three-year-old child. They love to do gymnastics. Marten cubs spend almost all their time playing. They make cooing noises when playing. Martens live up to 20 years. They feed on rodents, small birds and bird eggs. During the hunt, the marten breaks the vertebrae of the victim's neck, rolls its tongue into a tube and drinks blood from the still living victim.

The sable is active at dusk, at night, but often hunts during the day. An individual sable hunting area ranges from 150 - 200 hectares to 1500 - 2000 hectares, sometimes more. The boundaries of the individual area are marked by the secretion of the anal glands. Willingly eats plant foods. Favorite food: pine nuts, rowan berries, blueberries. Willingly eats lingonberries, blueberries, bird cherry, rose hips, and currants. Nesting shelters are in fallen hollows and standing trees, in stone placers, under the roots.

Hunting for mustelids is the main activity of professional commercial hunters. They hunt with the help of various self-catchers, mainly bags, dies, and traps. Often they use bait - in the form of a dead bird, for example.

Hare

Most often in northern forests Populations of the white hare predominate, and the European hare, the brown hare, is very rare. The brown hare differs from its northern counterpart in that it does not change fur color in winter.

Normally, white hares lead a solitary, territorial lifestyle, occupying individual plots of 3–30 hectares. In most of its range it is a sedentary animal, and its movements are limited seasonal change forage lands. Seasonal migrations to forests are typical in autumn and winter; in the spring - to open places where the first grass appears.

Mainly crepuscular and nocturnal animal of the forest. Most active in the early morning and early evening hours. Usually feeding (fattening) begins at sunset and ends at dawn, but in the summer there is not enough night time, and hares feed in the morning. Herbivorous forest animal. In the summer, hares in the tundra, escaping midges, switch to daytime feeding. During thaw, snowfall and rainy weather, the hare often does not go out to feed at all. On such days, energy loss is partially compensated by coprophagia (eating excrement). In winter, during severe frosts, the hare digs holes 0.5-1.5 m long in the snow, in which it can spend the whole day and leave only when there is danger. When digging a hole, the hare compacts the snow rather than throwing it out.

From the resting place to the feeding place, hares run along the same route, especially in winter. At the same time, they trample down paths that are usually used by several animals. In winter, even a person without skis can walk along a well-trodden path. When going to bed, the hare usually moves in long jumps and confuses its tracks, making the so-called. “doubles” (returning to one’s own trail) and “sweeping” (big jumps to the side of the trail).

Wolverine

A very cunning and arrogant beast. Leads a solitary lifestyle. Quite daring in his behavior and, at the same time, very careful. It is not so easy to meet him in the forest. The wolverine makes its den under uprooted roots, in rock crevices and other secluded places, and goes out to feed at dusk. Unlike most mustelids, which lead a sedentary lifestyle, the wolverine constantly wanders in search of prey throughout its individual territory, which occupies up to 1500-2000 sq. km. Thanks to powerful paws, long claws and a tail that acts as a balancer, the wolverine easily climbs trees. Has acute vision, hearing and smell. Makes sounds similar to a fox's yelp, but rougher.

Wolverine with a hunted partridge		wolverine cubs

The wolverine is omnivorous, does not disdain to feast on carrion, and also likes to eat the leftovers after a meal of larger animals of the taiga, for example, a bear. Mainly hunts white hare, black grouse, hazel grouse, partridges, and rodents. Sometimes hunts larger animals, such as elk calves, wounded or sick animals. It often ruins the winter quarters of hunters and steals prey from traps. In summer it eats bird eggs, wasp larvae, berries and honey. Catches fish - near wormwood or during spawning, willingly picks up dead fish. Hunts birds, grabbing them on the ground when they are sleeping or sitting on nests. He is a nurse, destroying weak and sick animals. Can attack a person if cornered.

Wolverines, like lynxes, are well-tamed animals; in captivity they live up to 17 years, in wildlife- about 12.

Beaver

Another animal of the forest, lives everywhere. Habitats: river floodplains. Beaver - large rodent, adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. The beaver has beautiful fur, which consists of coarse guard hairs and very thick silky underfur. Fur color ranges from light chestnut to dark brown, sometimes black. The tail and limbs are black. It is the object of commercial hunting, primarily for its fur; borba meat is also eaten. In the anal area there are paired glands, wen and the beaver stream itself, which secretes a strong-smelling secretion.

The smell of a beaver stream serves as a guide to other beavers about the border of the territory of a beaver settlement; it is unique, like fingerprints. The secretion of the wen, used in conjunction with the stream, allows you to keep the beaver tag in a “working” state for longer due to its oily structure, which evaporates much longer than the secretion of the beaver stream. Due to intensive hunting, by the beginning of the 20th century, the beaver was practically exterminated in most of its range.

Beavers live alone or in families. Full family consists of 5-8 individuals: a married couple and young beavers - the offspring of the past and current years. A family plot is sometimes occupied by the family for many generations. A small pond is occupied by one family or single beaver. On larger bodies of water, the length of the family plot along the shore ranges from 0.3 to 2.9 km. Beavers rarely move more than 200 m away from water. Beavers communicate with each other using scent marks, poses, beating their tails on the water, and whistling-like calls. When in danger, a swimming beaver slaps its tail loudly on the water and dives. The clap serves as an alarm signal to all beavers within earshot. Beavers are active at night and at dusk.

Beavers live in burrows or huts. The entrance to a beaver's home is always located under water for safety. Beavers dig burrows in steep and steep banks; they are a complex labyrinth with 4-5 entrances. The walls and ceiling of the hole are carefully leveled and compacted. The living chamber inside the hole is located at a depth of no more than 1 m. The width of the living chamber is a little more than a meter, the height is 40-50 centimeters. Huts are built in places where digging a hole is impossible - on flat and low swampy banks and in shallows.

Beavers are strictly herbivorous. They feed on the bark and shoots of trees, preferring aspen, willow, poplar and birch, as well as various herbaceous plants.

Muskrat

Here's who, the muskrat is truly the rarest animal of the taiga. It is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book of Russia. It is almost impossible to meet her on the shores of taiga reservoirs. Found mainly in the southern taiga and mixed forests of Europe. A relatively large animal: the body is 18 - 22 cm long, the tail is the same, weight up to 520 g. Muskrats are practically blind, but have a developed sense of smell and touch. Most often they prefer to settle in closed floodplain reservoirs. For most of the year, the animals live in burrows with one exit. The exit is underwater. The main part of the passage is located above the water level.

In summer, muskrats live alone, in pairs or in families, and in winter, up to 12-13 animals of different sexes and ages can live in one hole. Each animal has temporarily visited burrows located at a distance of 25-30 m from one another. The muskrat swims this distance along the connecting trench during the normal period of its stay under water - 1 minute. By earth's surface The muskrat cannot move quickly and becomes a victim of predators.

The muskrat in Russia has been brought to the brink of extinction by factors such as deforestation of floodplain forests, pollution of water bodies where animals live, drainage of floodplain lands, which worsens conditions for food production and protection, construction of dams and dams, as well as development on the banks of reservoirs, creation of reservoirs, grazing near water bodies.

Currently, the muskrat can be preserved thanks to special methods and non-traditional organizational forms, namely the creation of specialized hunting farms, the main principle of which is rational use and protection of these animals. TO natural factors, which negatively affect its numbers include long-term winter floods and high water levels.

Squirrel

One of the cutest animals northern forests. Looking like a toy, the squirrel attracts the attention of children. The squirrel is not dangerous to humans, except that it may scratch if it senses a danger to its offspring. One of the widely known distinctive features Many squirrels have their ability to store nuts for the winter. Some species bury nuts in the ground, others hide them in tree hollows. Scientists believe that the poor memory of some types of squirrels, in particular gray squirrels, helps preserve forests, since they bury nuts in the ground and forget about them, and new trees appear from sprouted seeds. Squirrel is a source of valuable fur. It is the object of commercial hunting. A squirrel skin costs between 50 and 100 rubles.

Unlike hares or deer, squirrels are not able to digest fiber and therefore mainly feed on vegetation rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The hardest time for squirrels is early spring, when buried seeds begin to germinate and can no longer serve as food, and new ones have not yet ripened. Despite popular belief, squirrels are omnivores: in addition to nuts, seeds, fruits, mushrooms and green vegetation, they also eat insects, eggs and even small birds, mammals and frogs. Very often this food replaces nuts for squirrels in tropical countries.

Squirrels often sharpen their teeth on tree branches, but are unable to distinguish branches from electrical wires. In the United States, squirrels have twice in history caused a decline in the NASDAQ high-tech stock index and caused a cascading blackout at the University of Alabama.

Squirrel meat can be eaten if you get the protein with loops while surviving in the taiga. In the old days, the aborigines of the Northern Urals, the Mansi people, used a small-caliber rifle to shoot squirrels directly in the eye - in order not to spoil the skin.

Chipmunk

Another rodent that resembles a squirrel, and for good reason it does, because chipmunks and squirrels are from the same family. Depending on the species, the weight of chipmunks can range from 30 to 120 g, and the size - from 5 to 15 cm with a tail length of 7 to 12 cm. A distinctive feature of all species are five dark stripes along the back, separated by white or gray stripes. The chipmunk, like the squirrel, is a tree dweller. On open places and in a clean, tall forest without an undergrowth of young growth and shrubs, it never lives. The chipmunk especially loves places littered with windbreaks and dead wood, where it is convenient to hide.

Gnawing a nut		Chipmunk

During the winter, chipmunks do not fall asleep as deeply as, for example, gophers or marmots. They wake up in the middle of winter, eat a little, and then go back to sleep. Chipmunks really love warm and clear weather, and at the beginning of spring, when it is still quite cool, they are completely different from what we are used to seeing them on good summer days. Usually cheerful, playful and active, the animals spend only two to three hours a day in the air in the first days of spring and do not move far from their burrows, but, climbing tree branches, eat buds somewhere nearby. Lethargic and inactive, at this time they like to climb to the tops of still bare trees and sit quietly there for hours, basking in the rays of the spring sun.

When a person approaches, the chipmunk emits a jerky “chuck” or whistle. While the person is still far away, this whistle is heard relatively rarely and alternates with prolonged silence, and the animal sits on its hind legs and carefully examines the approaching one. Only after allowing a person or his dog 20-30 steps closer does the chipmunk start running. While running, he often repeats the alarm signal so that from a distance you can tell by the whistle whether the chipmunk is sitting still or running. The chipmunk has many enemies, mainly among small predatory animals and birds of prey. But sometimes he is pursued by such large predators like a bear.

Hedgehog

Also a very funny representative of the forest animal world. The common hedgehog inhabits a wide variety of places, avoiding vast swamps and continuous coniferous tracts. Prefers edges, copses, small clearings, and floodplains. He may well live next to a person. The common hedgehog is an animal that is active at night. Doesn't like to leave his home for a long time. Hedgehogs spend the day in a nest or other shelters. Nests are built in bushes, holes, caves, abandoned rodent burrows or in tree roots. Hedgehogs use their long middle toes to groom their spines. Animals lick their breasts with their tongues. In nature, these animals live 3 - 5 years, in captivity they can live up to 8 - 10 years.

Common hedgehogs are fairly fast animals for their size. They are able to run at speeds of up to 3 m/s, and can swim and jump well.

Hedgehogs are omnivorous; their diet consists of adult insects, caterpillars, slugs, and sometimes earthworms. Under natural conditions, it rarely attacks vertebrates; most often, the hedgehog's victims are torpid reptiles and amphibians. From plants it can eat berries and fruits.

A hedgehog can be a carrier of diseases such as dermatomycosis, yellow fever, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and rabies. There are large numbers of ticks and fleas on them. In forested areas, hedgehogs collect ticks, including encephalitis, on themselves more than any other animals, since their prickly cover, like a brush, scrapes hungry ticks from the grass. The hedgehog is unable to get rid of ticks that have gotten between the needles.

Many have an unusually weak effect on hedgehogs strong poisons: arsenic, sublimate, opium and even hydrocyanic acid. They are quite resistant to viper venom. The widespread belief that hedgehogs use needles to prick food is erroneous.

Harvest mouse

More often, mice dig deep holes in which they build nests from grass. Depending on the species, mice can be active during the day or at night. They feed on roots, seeds, berries, nuts and insects. They can be carriers of pathogens of tick-borne encephalitis, tularemia, rickettsiosis, Q fever and other diseases. The meat is suitable for human consumption.

From September 15 to 17, Russia celebrates one of the largest environmental holidays - Russian Forest Days. As you know, forests are not only lungs of the planet and a pantry of various berries, mushrooms and medicinal herbs, but also home to many amazing animals. In this regard, we are telling you about some rare animals that live in Russian forests.

1. Musk deer.

This small deer-like animal with fangs lives in the mountain coniferous forests of the Sayans, Altai, Transbaikalia and Primorye. Despite its terrifying appearance, the musk deer feeds exclusively on vegetation. However, the musk deer is notable not only for this, but also for its attractive smell, which lures females for mating. This smell appears due to the musk gland located in the male’s belly next to the genitourinary canal.

As you know, musk is a valuable component of various medicines and perfumes. And it is precisely because of this that musk deer often become the prey of hunters and poachers. Another reason why this unusual animal is considered an endangered species is that its range is shrinking due to increased economic activity humans (mainly with deforestation).

One solution to the problem of preserving the species in the wild is the farming of musk deer and the selection of musk from living males.

2. Japanese green pigeon.

This unusual bird, about 33 cm long and weighing approximately 300 grams, has a bright yellowish-green color. It is common in Southeast Asia, but is also found in Sakhalin region(Crillon Peninsula, Moneron and South Islands Kurile Islands). The bird inhabits deciduous and mixed forests with an abundance of cherry and bird cherry trees, elderberry bushes and other plants, the fruits of which it feeds on.

The Japanese green pigeon is a rare species, and therefore little is known about its life. Today scientists know that green pigeons are monogamous birds. They weave their nests from thin twigs and place them in trees at a height of up to 20 meters. It is believed that partners hatch eggs in turns for 20 days. And after that, helpless, down-covered chicks are born, which will learn to fly only after five weeks. However, pairs or flocks of green pigeons are rarely seen in Russia; most often they are noticed alone.

3. Far Eastern, or Amur leopards.

Even at the beginning of the 20th century, there were much more rare cats, and their range covered a considerable territory - the eastern and northeastern parts of China, the Korean Peninsula, the Amur, Primorsky and Ussuri territories. However, between 1970 and 1983, the Far Eastern leopard lost 80% of its territory! The main reasons then were Forest fires and converting forest areas for agriculture.

Today, the Amur leopard continues to lose its territory and also suffers from a lack of food. After all, roe deer, sika deer and other ungulates, which this leopard hunts, are killed in huge numbers by poachers. And since the Far Eastern leopard has beautiful fur, it itself is a very desirable trophy for poachers.

Also due to the lack of suitable food in the wild Far Eastern leopards are forced to go looking for her in reindeer herding farms. There, predators are often killed by the owners of these farms. And on top of that, due to the small size of the population of Amur leopards, it will be very difficult for representatives of the subspecies to survive during various disasters like a fire.

However, all this does not mean that the subspecies will soon disappear. Today there are still large areas of forest that provide suitable habitat for the Far Eastern leopard. And if these areas can be preserved and protected from fires and poaching, then the population of these amazing animals in the wild will increase.

Interestingly, Far Eastern leopards are the only leopards that were able to learn to live and hunt in conditions harsh winter. In this, by the way, they are helped by long hair, as well as strong and long legs, which allow them to catch up with prey while moving through the snow. However, Amur leopards are not only good hunters, but also exemplary family men. Indeed, sometimes males stay with females after mating and even help them with raising kittens, which, in principle, is not typical for leopards.

4. Alkina.

These butterflies live in the southwest of Primorsky Krai and are found along streams and rivers in mountain forests, where the food plant of the caterpillars of the species, the Manchurian liana, grows. Most often, male butterflies fly to the flowers of this plant, and females most sitting in the grass for a while. Alkinoe females tend to linger on this plant to lay eggs on its leaves.

Today, due to disturbance of the habitat of kirkazona and its collection as a medicinal plant, its quantity in nature is decreasing, which, of course, affects the number of alkinoe. On top of everything else, butterflies suffer because they are collected by collectors.

5. Bison.

Previously, these animals were widespread in the territory former USSR, but by the beginning of the 20th century they were preserved only in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and the Caucasus. However, even there their numbers were steadily declining. For example, by 1924, only 5-10 bison remained in the Caucasus. The main reasons for the decline of bison were their extermination by hunters and poachers, as well as destruction during military operations.

The restoration of their numbers began in 1940 in the Caucasus Nature Reserve, and now bison inhabit two regions in Russia - North Caucasus and the center of the European part. In the North Caucasus, bison live in Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Chechnya, Ingushetia and the Stavropol Territory. And in the European part there are isolated herds of bison in the Tver, Vladimir, Rostov and Vologda regions.

Bison have always been inhabitants of deciduous and mixed forests, but avoided extensive forest areas. In the Western Caucasus, these animals live mainly at an altitude of 0.9 - 2.1 thousand meters above sea level, often going out into clearings or treeless slopes, but never moving away from forest edges.

In appearance, the bison is very similar to its American relative, the bison. Nevertheless, it is still possible to distinguish them. First of all, the bison has a higher hump and longer horns and tail than the bison. And in the hot months, the back of the bison is covered with very short hair (it even seems that it is bald), while the bison has hair of the same length all over its body at any time of the year.

The bison is listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered species and today lives in many nature reserves and zoos.

6. Fish owl.

This species settles along the banks of rivers in the Far East from Magadan to the Amur region and Primorye, as well as on Sakhalin and the Southern Kuril Islands. The fish owl prefers to live in the hollows of old trees with an abundance of aquatic prey nearby, however, old forests and hollow trees are often cut down, which inevitably displaces these birds from their habitats. In addition, fish eagle owls are caught by poachers, and they often fall into traps while trying to pull the bait out of them. The development of water tourism on the Far Eastern rivers and, consequently, increased disturbance of these birds gradually leads to a decrease in the number of eagle owls and interferes with their reproduction. All this has led to the fact that today this species is endangered.

The fish owl is one of the largest owls in the world, as well as the most major representative kind. Interestingly, these birds can hunt with two different ways. Most often, the fish eagle looks for fish while sitting on a stone in the river, from the shore or from a tree hanging over the river. Having noticed the prey, the eagle owl dives into the water and instantly grabs it with its sharp claws. And when this predator tries to catch sedentary fish, crayfish or frogs, it simply enters the water and probes the bottom with its paw in search of prey.

7. Giant noctule.

This bat, the largest in Russia and Europe, lives in deciduous forests in the territory from the western borders of our country to the Orenburg region, as well as from the northern borders to the Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod regions. There they settle in tree hollows, 1-3 individuals each, in colonies of others bats(usually red and lesser noctules).

The giant noctule is a rare species, but ecologists do not know exactly what is causing their low numbers. According to scientists, the threat is posed by deforestation of broad-leaved forests. However, today there are no special measures to protect these animals, since it is not clear what measures will be effective.

Interestingly, these bats hunt large beetles and moths, flying over forest edges and ponds. However, analysis of blood and droppings showed that these animals also feed on small birds during migrations, however, this has never been recorded.

8. Heavenly barbel.

In Russia, in the south of the Primorsky Territory (in the Terneysky, Ussuriysky, Shkotovsky, Partizansky and Khasansky districts) a beetle with a bright blue color lives. It lives in broadleaf forests mainly in the wood of the greenbark maple. There the female beetle lays eggs, and after about half a month the larvae appear. They develop in the wood for about 4 years, and then, in June, the larva gnaws out the “cradle” and pupates. After about 20 days, the beetle emerges from the wood and immediately begins to reproduce. He will spend all his strength on this for the rest of his life, which lasts only two weeks.

The barbel is listed in the Red Book of Russia as a rare species whose numbers are declining. According to environmentalists, the reason for this is deforestation and a sharp decrease in the number of greenbark maples.

9. Himalayan, or white-breasted bear.

The Ussuri white-breasted bear inhabits broadleaf forests Primorsky Krai, southern regions Khabarovsk Territory and the southeastern part of the Amur region. Until 1998, it was listed in the Red Book of Russia as rare species, and today is a hunting species. However, if in the 90s its population was 4-7 thousand individuals, now this bear is on the verge of extinction (its population is up to 1 thousand individuals). The reason for this was, first of all, deforestation and mass hunting. The latter, by the way, was discussed during the international environmental forum “Nature without Borders” in Vladivostok, after which in 2006 a decision was made in the Primorsky Territory to introduce restrictions on hunting for Himalayan bear during hibernation.

The white-breasted bear leads a semi-arboreal lifestyle: it gets food in trees and hides from enemies (this is mainly Amur tigers And Brown bear). Almost the entire diet of this bear consists of plant foods, in particular nuts, fruits and berries, as well as shoots, bulbs and rhizomes. It also does not refuse to feast on ants, insects, mollusks and frogs.

10. Black stork

A widespread but rare species, the number of which is declining due to human economic activity, manifested in deforestation and drainage of swamps. Today the bird is found in forests from Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions to Southern Primorye. The black stork prefers to settle near bodies of water in deep, old forests.

Exactly there, on the old tall trees(and sometimes on rock ledges) black storks build nests, which they will then use for several years. When the time comes to invite the female to the nest (around the end of March), the male fluffs up his white undertail and begins to emit a hoarse whistle. The eggs laid by the female (from 4 to 7 pieces) will be incubated by the partners in turn until the chicks hatch from them after 30 days.

Summary of a thematic conversation for children 6-7 years old “What animals live in the forest?”

Author: Svetlana Gennadievna Botvenko, music director of MBDOU "Kindergarten No. 27", Kamen-on-Obi, Altai Territory

Educational conversation for children 6-7 years old “What animals live in the forest?”

Target:
Arouse interest, bring a joyful mood when getting acquainted with wild animals.
Tasks:
Expand your understanding of the appearance features, life manifestations of wild animals and adaptation to their environment.
Activate children's attention and memory.
Leading:
Guys, today I will tell you about wild animals: their appearance, where they live, what they eat.

Do you recognize this animal?
The hare's ears are long, and its tail is fluffy and short. The hind legs are longer than the front legs. During a jump, he throws forward first his long hind legs, and then his short front ones. The hare easily runs up the hill and rolls head over heels from the top. The hare has sharp teeth, which he uses to cut bark from trees like scissors. During the day, hares sleep, hidden in the thicket of the forest: under bushes in a hole. Hares do not make holes and do not collect food. In autumn, the hare changes its gray summer coat to a white, warm and fluffy one. That's all the preparation for winter. She takes refuge from the winter cold by burying herself in fluffy snow under a bush. Fleeing from the chase, the hare confuses its tracks, meanders, makes huge leaps to the side in order to throw the fox and wolf off the scent.
The hare is a defenseless animal. The only salvation is his fast legs, so he flees from his enemies.
Leading:
Now answer my questions. What does a bunny look like? How does a hare prepare for winter? Why does the hare change color in winter? How does a hare escape from enemies?
Leading:
You have seen this animal in drawings, in cartoons, in the forest.

The hedgehog's muzzle is small, with an elongated nose, and is entirely covered with short gray hairs. The eyes are black, like beads, but the hedgehog sees poorly, but he has an excellent sense of smell. The hedgehog's paws are short with small claws. The hedgehog wears prickly needles on its back. They save him from his enemies. The hedgehog will curl up into a prickly ball, bristling with its sharp needles - try it and eat it!
The hedgehog does not store supplies for the winter. For winter, the hedgehog prepares a hole for itself and covers it with dry, fallen leaves. The hedgehog sleeps in a hole until spring.
Leading:
What does a hedgehog look like? What helps him escape from his enemies? What is the name of a hedgehog's home? How does a hedgehog insulate its hole? What does a hedgehog do in winter?
Leading:
Have you ever seen a squirrel?

The squirrel is a wonderful, graceful, agile animal. In spring and summer, the coat of squirrels is reddish-golden; this color is more suitable for a living animal. spring nature, to the golden bark of pine trunks. By winter, the fur becomes silvery-gray, thick, and warm. The squirrel has a magnificent fluffy tail. The tail not only decorates and warms the squirrel on rainy days. He helps her when jumping.
Having fluffed its tail, as if opening a parachute, the squirrel easily and freely flies from branch to branch, from tree to tree. The squirrel takes care of its tail and cleans it. In wet weather, it hides in a nest so as not to get wet and damage it. The squirrel has nimble black eyes, large, curved, very sharp teeth, so it easily cracks hard nuts and peels cones. The paws have tenacious claws that help it deftly grab branches and jump from tree to tree. The squirrel often winters in a deep hollow of an old tree, sometimes adapting last year's nest of a magpie or crow for its apartment. The squirrel is a very good housewife, neat and thrifty. At the end of summer he makes provisions: he fills his pantries with ripe nuts, mushrooms, acorns and pine cones.
Leading:
What does a squirrel look like? What is the name of a squirrel's home? What protein reserves does it prepare for the winter?
Leading:
She is more cunning than all the animals,
She is wearing a red fur coat. (Fox)

The fox is an agile and cautious animal. Lives in the forest, during the day it hides in a deep hole, which it makes in a dense forest, often on a sandy slope of a stream or river overgrown with dense bushes. At night he goes hunting. Eats beetles, frogs, lizards, looks for nests of voles, and destroys bird nests. Hunts for hares and water rats, and can catch a young duck near a stream. When the berries ripen and the fruits ripen, the fox eats them with pleasure.
The fox's fur is reddish with a golden tint, its tail is long and fluffy, its muzzle is elongated, its ears are large and erect, its legs are slender and thin. The fox has very sensitive hearing and a keen sense of smell.
Leading:
What does a fox look like? What is the name of the fox's home?
You all recognized this beast.

The wolf has thick, coarse fur, ears stand alert, eyes glow with green lights. Wolves see well even at night, hear the slightest rustle, and smell a subtle smell. The wolf's tail is large and fluffy. When the animal goes to sleep right in the snow, it covers its nose and paws with its bushy tail. Each wolf has its own unique voice, and by their voices they recognize each other from afar. Wolves don't just howl at the moon, with their howling they convey that forest area already occupied by their flock. Wolves hunt in packs. There is a leader in a wolf pack. This is the strongest, smartest and most experienced wolf. Other wolves obey him. As a whole pack, wolves hunt large animals - deer, elk, wild boar.
During the day, wolves hide in their lair, which they choose in the most remote places, or, curled up in a ball, doze motionless in the snow. Thick and dense wool protects them well from frost.
Wolves do not store supplies for the winter; their strong legs and sharp teeth will help them survive the cold.
Why do wolves howl? What does a wolf look like? Who becomes the leader of the wolf pack? Who do wolves hunt?
Leading:
Who are we talking about? Huge, dressed in a warm brown fur coat, clumsy in appearance. (Children's answers)

Of course it's a bear. Although the bear seems clumsy, it runs fast, can make big jumps, deftly climbs trees, and swims well. The bear has a large head, a shaggy, short neck, small eyes, he sees poorly, but his sense of smell and hearing are excellent. The bear loves to pick berries, mushrooms, catch chicks, small animals, destroy bird nests, anthills: he will dig it up, and then stick his long tongue in there, which the ants will immediately stick around. The bear will swallow them all at once. But my favorite treat is sweet bee honey. He will find a bee’s nest in the hollow of an old tree, put his paw into it, pull out the fragrant honeycombs and eat all the honey, but the clubfoot doesn’t care about bee stings. A thick fur coat protects you from their stings. By autumn, the bear eats heavily in order to accumulate fat for the long winter. The bear carefully and skillfully prepares his den: he covers it with fallen leaves, soft fragrant pine needles, dry moss, and the bark of young fir trees.
In late autumn, the bear settles down into its soft bed. His sleep will last until the ringing streams, until the spring sun.
Leading:
What does a bear look like? What does a bear eat? A bear's favorite treat? What is the name of a bear's home? How does a bear winter?
Now I’ll check what you remember from the conversation.
Word game.
Clap your hands when you hear a word suitable for a hare (hedgehog, squirrel, fox, wolf, bear).
Words:
Redhead, den, jumps, small, fluffy, prickly, hole, howls, white, angry, hollow, den, winds, strong, long-eared, clumsy, climbs, hunts.
Game "Fourth wheel"
Highlight the extra word and explain your choice:
Fox, bear, hare, woodpecker;
Magpie, squirrel, crossbill, tit;
Wolf, hedgehog, horse, fox;
Hare, cat, rabbit, dog;
Leading:
I am pleased with you, you listened to me carefully and remembered a lot.