Fauna of the taiga.

Fauna of the taiga.
The fauna of the taiga zone of Eurasia is very rich. Here live as large predators - brown bear, wolf, lynx, fox, and smaller predators - otter, mink, marten, wolverine, sable, weasel, ermine. Many taiga animals survive a long, cold and snowy winter in a state of suspended animation (invertebrates) or hibernation (brown bear, chipmunk - from geoglobus.ru), and many species migrate to other regions. Constantly live in the taiga forests of passerines, woodpeckers, grouses - wood grouse, hazel grouse, dikusha.

The taiga of North America is characterized by a milder climate, so the species composition of the animals is more diverse there.

Brown bears are typical inhabitants of vast forests, not only taiga, but also mixed forests. In the world there are 125-150 thousand brown bears, of which two-thirds live in the Russian Federation. The size and coloring of subspecies of brown bears (Kamchatka, Kodiak, grizzly, European brown) are different. Some brown bears reach a three-meter growth and weigh more than 700 kg. They have a powerful body, strong five-fingered paws with huge claws, a short tail, a large head with small eyes and ears. Bears can be reddish and dark brown, almost black, and to old age (by 20-25 years - from geoglobus.ru) the ends of the hair turn gray and the beast becomes gray. Bears feed on grass, nuts, berries, honey, animals, carrion, dig nests and eat ants. In autumn, bears are fed nutritious berries (a day can eat more than 40 kg) and therefore quickly get fat, daily adding almost 3 kg in weight. For a year in search of food, bears go from 230 to 260 kilometers, and with the approach of winter they return to their lairs.

Winter 'apartments' animals arrange in natural dry shelters and lining them with moss, dry grass, twigs, needles and leaves. Sometimes, male bears spend the whole winter in the open air. The winter sleep of a brown bear is very sensitive, in fact, it is a winter numbness. In a thaw, individuals that do not have enough fat to dig for the fall are sent to search for food. Some animals - the so-called rods - do not go into hibernation for the winter, but wander about looking for food, posing a great danger to people.

In January-February in the den the female gives birth to one to four cubs. Babies are born blind, without hair and teeth. They weigh slightly more than 500 grams, but grow rapidly on breast milk. In spring, from the dens come out already shaggy and nimble cubs. With the mother, they usually remain two and a half - three years, and finally grow up to 10 years.

Wolves are common in many parts of Europe, Asia and North America. They are found in the steppes, in the desert, in mixed forests and in the taiga. The body length of the largest specimens reaches 160 cm, and weight 80 kg. Most wolves are gray, but tundra are usually somewhat lighter, and desert grayish-red. These ruthless predators are distinguished by a developed intelligence. From geoglobus.ru. Nature has provided them with sharp fangs, powerful jaws and strong paws, therefore, pursuing the victim, they are able to run many tens of kilometers and can kill the animal much larger and stronger than themselves. The main prey for the wolf are large and medium mammals, usually ungulates, although they also hunt birds. Typically, wolves live in pairs, and in late fall 15 to 20 animals gather in packs.

Lynx is found in the taiga zone from Scandinavia to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. She climbs trees well, swims well and feels confident on the ground. High legs, a strong trunk, sharp teeth and excellently developed sense organs make it a dangerous predator. Lynx hunts birds, small rodents, less often - on small ungulates, and sometimes on foxes, domestic animals, gets into flocks of sheep and goats. At the beginning of summer in a deep, well-sheltered burrow female lynx gives birth to 2-3 cubs.

In the taiga forests of Siberia, Siberian chipmunk, a typical representative of the chipmunks, inhabits also in northern Mongolia, China and Japan. The length of the body of this funny animal is about 15 cm, and the length of its fluffy tail is 10 cm. On the back and sides typical for all chipmunks 5 longitudinal dark bands on a light gray or rusty background - approx. From geoglobus.ru. Chipmunks arrange nests under fallen trees or less often - in hollows of trees. They feed on seeds, berries, mushrooms, lichens, insects and other invertebrates. For the winter, chipmunks store about 5 kg of seeds and, hibernating in the cold season, do not leave their shelters until spring.

The coloration of proteins depends on the environment. In the Siberian taiga, they are reddish or copper-gray with a blue hue, and in European forests - brown or reddish-red. The protein weighs up to a kilogram, and the length of its body reaches 30 cm, about the same length and its tail. In winter, the wool is soft and fluffy, and in summer it is more rigid, short and shiny. The squirrel is well adapted for living on trees. A long, wide and light tail helps her dexterously jump from tree to tree. The squirrel floats beautifully, raising its tail high above the water. The nest she arranges in a hollow or builds from the branches of trees a so-called gayno, shaped like a ball with a side entrance. A nest of protein carefully lined with moss, grass, rags, so even in severe frosts there is heat - approx. From geoglobus.ru. Proteins bring cubs twice a year, in one brood there are from 3 to 10 bilch. It feeds on squirrels with berries, seeds of coniferous trees, nuts, acorns, mushrooms, and when there is a shortage of feeds, it bites the bark from shoots, eats leaves and even lichens, sometimes hunts birds, lizards, snakes, ruins nests. For the winter, the protein makes reserves.