Animals of the Russian forest zone: hedgehogs, foxes, wolves, badgers and tigers. Forest fauna List of all forest animals

Globe 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.

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.
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.
Only male frogs turn blue. This process is directly related to reproduction, during which an incredible spectacle occurs.
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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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.
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.
Each beaver has a number of amazing qualities and abilities.. A large family of these animals, thanks to their strength and endurance, are able to build a dwelling from improvised devices with a height of about 30 m.
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.
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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Wolverine is one of the most mysterious animals in Russia, which resembles appearance bear and 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.
Amur cat, living in the forest zone, grows up to a meter in length and has a beautiful unusual color. 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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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 snow and cold are not scary for him.
The peculiarity of the trot is its gait. The lynx steps with its hind paws on the tracks of its front paws.
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.
Forest bats considered truly brave hunters. These small mysterious noctules can hunt not only insects, but also birds.

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Probably everyone who has visited the forest has vivid impressions and memories of it. Some went hunting, some for mushrooms and berries, and some just went with their family to get some air clean air in nature. And certainly many people, at least out of the corner of their eye, saw a hare or a fox, a squirrel or even a wolf in the forest! Almost any forest is teeming with life. Be it coniferous forest or mixed forest, rain-forest or the tundra - certain ones live in each of them. About animal life in the forest our article today.

No forest can be imagined without living creatures. There is never silence in the forest. Birds chirp in the trees, a mouse rustles in the grass every now and then, and somewhere in the distance a woodpecker makes the characteristic sound “Trrrrrrr”. Even if you don’t see anyone, it’s still boiling around forest life, invisible to prying eyes. Animal life in the forest seethes all year round. Even in winter, some forest inhabitants remain active. For example, hares, which feed on lush grass and shoots in spring and summer, feed on tree bark in winter.

Many people stock up on food for the winter so as not to die of hunger in winter. So, for example, wood mouse collects acorns and nuts as reserves, and places them in hollows, holes and under stumps. And squirrels hide nuts in the forest floor, tuck them behind the bark of trees, and strengthen mushrooms collected in the fall between the branches of trees. All this helps them survive the winter in the forest.

But not everyone forest inhabitants it is necessary to stock up for the winter. For many, their fat reserves accumulated during the warm period are enough to easily survive the winter. For example, a brown bear spends the entire winter hibernating, completely without water or food. At the same time, females still manage to give birth to two or three cubs and feed them. The bear has enough fat reserves for all these needs. And he doesn’t need any nuts in his holes.

List all forest inhabitants almost impossible. These are also small spiders that weave their webs between the branches of a bush, hoping to catch a fly or a butterfly. These are large ant families, scurrying back and forth along their ant paths about their ant business from morning to evening. This is a huge variety of insects, beetles, crickets and dragonflies. Tree-hopping squirrels and chipmunks, cowardly hares and sly foxes- they all very often live in almost every forest.

If we talk about larger ones forest inhabitants, then here you definitely need to remember a few animals. These are wild boars, deer, wolves and bears. Not everyone has the opportunity to see these animals alive in the wild. Maybe it's for the better. Meeting these forest inhabitants can be dangerous for humans. None of these animals will specifically attack humans. We are not part of the typical bear or wolf diet. But these animals may have cubs nearby, and wild boars and bears will fiercely defend their offspring. And if it seems to them that even the slightest threat to their offspring comes from you, they will definitely attack first. After all, the best defense is an attack.

The forest has always been fraught with a certain threat to humans. The forest lives by its own laws. And a person who finds himself in the forest must know these laws and obey them. Every day there are fewer and fewer corners of untouched nature left on our planet; man is leaving an ever greater imprint on wildlife. I would like to remind everyone who has read this article to the end of the need to protect nature, to preserve it as much as possible in the form in which we got it. And if possible, try to improve and ennoble it. Animal life in the forest directly depends on us, on our attitude to nature, on our self-awareness. I would like everyone to think about forest inhabitants before you leave your mark in the forest, light a fire, take home a caught hedgehog, leave trash, or hunt out of season.

Personally, I am FOR preserving nature in its original form, for maintaining cleanliness in our forests. I hope I'm not alone in this.
In conclusion, I remember a phrase from a zoology textbook for I don’t remember which class, which amused us a lot as children: “Children, take care of nature - your mother!” I urge all my readers to be CONSCIOUS and not harm the environment.

A hedgehog is a small animal with spines on its back. Sharp spines save hedgehogs from enemies - foxes, wolves, hawks and others. A hedgehog has about 16,000 spines. Hedgehogs live in the steppes, meadows, forests, gardens, and city squares. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but a keen sense of smell. They mainly lead night image life. During the day they hide in shelters-nests, which they build under the roots of trees. Hedgehogs eat insects, worms, frogs, berries and fruits. In winter they hibernate.

Hare

Hare - found in all parts of the world, with the exception of Antarctica. In different climatic conditions Various types of hares are common. In our country, the main species that live in our country are the brown hare and the white hare. Rusaks live in open spaces, fields, and meadows. Whites are more often found in forests, swamps, and spruce forests. In winter, the white hare changes its fur color from gray to white. And the brown hare never sheds and has a silver-gray color all year round.

Hares are herbivores. They feed on a variety of greens, mushrooms, and gnaw tree bark. The hare has keen hearing and fast legs, thanks to which he manages to avoid collisions with predators (wolves, lynxes, foxes, owls and others).

Squirrel

Squirrels live in forests, public gardens, and city parks. Their skin has a satin-red color and a fluffy tail up to 30 centimeters long. Squirrel - dexterous and nimble animal. They can jump up to 15 meters. They use their tail as a “rudder”. Squirrels are omnivores. They eat berries, fruits, nuts, and can feed on insects and bird eggs. For the winter it makes provisions in a hollow or in a nest. She makes her home high in a tree for safety from predators (hawks, martens).

Boar

The wild boar is the closest relative of the domestic pig. People have known this animal for a long time; it is mentioned in ancient myths and legends. In Rus' in ancient times, the wild boar was considered one of the most valuable hunting trophies. After all, dealing with this fierce beast - the boar, as it was called for its ferocious disposition - is not an easy task.

The wild boar is an animal of impressive size, its length is 1.5 meters, its weight is 150–200 kilograms. Adult male boars grow terrifying fangs that are dangerous for any animal. Boars run quite quickly and move well even through dense thickets. Their body has a streamlined shape, covered with stiff bristles that do not cling even to gnarled branches. When running away from danger, a wild boar can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h and run without rest for up to 10–15 km. Boars swim well, can move through the swamp and climb slopes. The eyesight of these animals is not very good. They learn about approaching danger thanks to their hearing and excellent sense of smell. Boars have amazing adaptability to new living conditions. Exported to a number of areas of Australia, Northern and South America, they acclimatized well and multiplied in an unfamiliar area.

Boars are omnivores; they feed on rhizomes and tubers, evergreen parts of shrubs, seeds and fruits of trees, mushrooms, moss, and they also eat food of animal origin: earthworms, beetles and their larvae, fish, mice, etc. Strong muscles of the upper lip can move the “patch” in all directions, which makes it possible for the wild boar to easily stir up forest litter and meadow turf and, thanks to its subtle sense of smell, find food. Wild boars destroy many forest pests. Thus, by feeding on the larvae of the cockchafer, the wild boar reduces their numbers by 40%. The main danger for boars they represent wolves. True, they hunt weak boars. Males are able to defend themselves with fangs. An angry female fiercely protects the cubs, and approaching her during this period is extremely dangerous.

Elk

The moose is easily recognized by its long legs and hook-nosed muzzle. He is the largest representative of the deer family. The weight of an adult male can reach 900 kg, and the height at the withers is 2.5 m. Upper lip the elk's is longer than the lower one and hangs down, giving the elk its characteristic appearance. The body is relatively short, with the front part being much higher than the back. Only males have spatulate horns. The moose got its nickname - elk - precisely because of the shape of its horns. Moose live in forests. In previous centuries it was widespread throughout Europe and North America, but today the number of moose has decreased sharply. It feeds on both grass and tree branches, in winter it eats pine needles and gnaws tree bark. Elk is unpretentious in food. But he needs quite a lot of food. He eats 15–20 kg of green mass per day. Moose don't eat hay. In winter it eats pine and spruce branches. Winter is a difficult period in the life of a moose. During this period he is severely lacking in food; it is difficult for the animal to move in search of food in the snow. He wanders along the beaten paths, saves his energy, spending most of his time lying down. In severe frosts, moose burrow into loose snow.

Elks have well-developed hearing and a sensitive sense of smell, but their vision is poorly developed; for example, motionless standing man he cannot see at a distance of a few tens of meters. Moose, as a rule, live in small groups of 3–6 animals. In the spring, sometimes at the beginning of summer, moose cows give birth to one or two cubs. For about a week, small moose calves remain in place, hiding in the grass or bushes, then begin to follow their mother. Babies feed on milk. Small elk calves cannot graze grass because of their long legs. Babies do not learn to bend right away. The first horns grow on males after a year - in April-May; at the end of July-August they harden. Adult males shed their antlers in November-December. New antlers begin to grow in April-May. Moose flee from wolves and other predators. Wolves attack adult moose only in packs. More often, their prey is newborn elk calves or sick animals.

Wolf

Many thousands of years ago, people revered the wolf as a sacred animal and treated it as a strong and intelligent animal. The ancient Romans believed that Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, owe their lives to the she-wolf who suckled them. The Slavs, Germans, Turks and Persians also have legends about the she-wolf, the teacher of heroic rulers. In fairy tales, wolves are portrayed as simpletons, but in fact they are smart and quick-witted, and even cunning. The wolves, looking at each other, exchange information. They communicate with each other using gestures. The position of the tail, head and ears, posture and voice can tell a lot about the condition of the wolf. Wolves not only howl, they can grumble, growl, howl and even bark - depending on the situation. The wolf has well-developed vision, hearing, and smell. The latter is several thousand times thinner than that of humans; This is understandable: the wolf receives information about the surrounding world primarily through the sense of smell. A wolf can smell a hidden partridge several dozen meters away, and a roe deer a hundred meters away.

The wolves that live in our forests look like a large shepherd dog. These are physically strong animals. Over a short distance, it can reach a speed of 60 km/h! The wolf has a reputation as a voracious predator, an enemy of man. Therefore, wolves were mercilessly exterminated, they were hunted, and raids were carried out. This led to the fact that Western Europe wolves almost completely disappeared. Significant populations of wolves have survived only in the inaccessible taiga regions of North America and Asia. Wolves are the “orderlies of the forest.” Despite the fact that wolves are truly bloodthirsty predators, they will never attack large animals, with the exception of weakened or sick individuals. Wolves have gotten a bad name from adult aggressive males who, for one reason or another, were unable to create families. Possessing an evil disposition, such animals can attack livestock, destroy chicken coops, and they also pose a danger to humans. A wolf can eat up to 10 kg of meat in one sitting, but, having caught a large animal, it hides the carcass as a reserve. Wolves are hardy animals and can go without food for more than two weeks.

Fox

The fox is one of the most popular heroines of fairy tales: a cunning red-haired cheat. There is some truth in this characterization. Lisa is beautiful smart predator. She is observant, smart, has an excellent memory, a good sense of smell and remarkably sharp hearing. The squeak of a vole, for example, can be heard by a fox 100 meters away. The fox is a good hunter, playful and dexterous. She climbs slopes well, swims, and can climb a tree if it is slightly inclined. In case of danger, he escapes from his pursuers, deftly confusing his tracks. Why is the fox called Patrikeevna? Many years ago there lived Prince Patrikey Narimuntovich, who became famous for his resourcefulness and cunning. Since then, the name Patrikey has become equivalent to the word cunning. And since the fox has long been considered very cunning by the people, it received the patronymic Patrikeevna. Foxes inhabit many natural areas - from the polar tundra to deserts and high mountain regions. Coloring different types varies from red to silver-brown and black. They settle in holes that they dig themselves, or occupy the homes of badgers and marmots. Foxes can eat both animal and plant foods. They happily eat berries, apples, and some vegetables.

In fairy tales, foxes usually hunt hares. In fact, it is difficult for her to catch up with the fast hare, so long-eared foxes do not fall into the clutches of foxes so often. When hunting, they prefer to lie in wait for prey rather than pursue it. The fox's main food is rodents. To get enough, a fox needs to catch and eat at least two dozen mice and voles a day. Foxes easily adapt to new living conditions. Having been introduced to Australia in 1855, by 1943 they had spread throughout the continent. Animals such as the eastern bandicoot and the pygmy possum, which have become targets for hunting by foxes, are endangered. Moreover, the suburbs of Australian cities with a large number garbage dumps, parks and gardens turned out to be ideal habitats for foxes. Nowadays, foxes have become a real scourge in Australia; here they are fought in the same way as in Europe they once fought with rats and mice.

Bear

Bears are the largest land predators. They have a powerful body, an elongated head, strong five-fingered paws with large claws, and a short tail. Bears live in forests of temperate and tropical latitudes; one species, the polar bear, lives in the Arctic. According to one version, the name “bear” comes from the Russian words “honey” and “vedat” (to know). The brown bear is actually a big lover of honey and knows exactly where in his hunting area he can destroy the nests of wild bees and enjoy the honey. Unlike many predators, bears also eat plant foods. They are not averse to eating berries, nuts, mushrooms and can go without meat for months. Brown bears live in taiga and mountain forests. Our country is often called the country of bears. But bears live not only in Russia. Their populations are found in North Africa(Atlas Mountains), Europe, Asia. In North America, a common subspecies of brown bear is the grizzly bear. The height of brown bears can reach 3 m, and their weight is about 1 ton. The skin of brown bears has different shades: from reddish to dark brown.

In fairy tales, the bear is usually described as a clumsy, clumsy animal. In nature, everything is far from being like that. It can look clumsy when, in preparation for hibernation, it has accumulated large fat reserves. The rest of the time, the bear is agile and swift, it climbs trees and slopes well, and swims well, overcoming difficult mountain currents. He is able to run quickly and for a long time, chasing his prey. Its strength is enough to drag prey weighing 400–500 kg for several kilometers. The bear approaches its prey so quietly that sometimes even a sensitive roe deer does not notice it. The bear has well-developed hearing and sense of smell, but it does not see well, especially stationary objects. Bears are smart, it’s no coincidence that they are used as circus performers.

Raccoon

Of all the raccoons, only the striped raccoon is widespread in temperate zone. Its homeland is North America, but has acclimatized in Eurasia. Lives in forests, preferring to stay near bodies of water - rivers and lakes. The raccoon has a memorable appearance - a large head, a pointed muzzle, and around the eyes there is a mask of black wool. A narrow black or brown stripe stretches from the forehead to the tip of the nose. Raccoons have gray fur and a fluffy tail covered with alternating black and white rings. The elongated flexible body of the striped raccoon reaches 31–67 cm, the tail is almost the same length. Thin short paws are armed with sharp claws. These animals are excellent tree climbers and are able to run along branches with their backs down, clinging to the bark with their claws. Raccoons dig in the ground, looking for insects and worms, and catch small lizards. The diet of raccoons also includes plant foods: all kinds of fruits, grass, leaves, shoots, tree bark. A raccoon may also visit the chicken coop to feast on chicken eggs. Raccoons also feed on crayfish, mollusks and fish.

The raccoon got its name from its habit of dipping caught fish in water and rubbing it between its paws, as if rinsing it. It is not known whether raccoons really wash their prey or not, but they do not abandon such an activity even in captivity. Sitting on its hind legs, the raccoon uses its front paws like hands - rinsing food and bringing it to its mouth. IN natural conditions raccoons hunt mainly at night, but, being hungry, they can get food for themselves during the day. In winter, they hibernate, using up fat reserves accumulated in the summer during sleep. A hole is usually dug under the roots of a large tree or a den is made in a hollow. They live alone, forming pairs only for reproduction. A raccoon usually gives birth to 4–6 babies. The mother feeds the babies with milk for about a year. As soon as the cubs grow up, the raccoon family breaks up. In past centuries, many raccoons were killed for valuable fur. In North America, 600–800 thousand raccoons were killed per year.

Weasel

In Russia, weasel was called “lazka” - for the ability of this agile animal to crawl into the smallest holes. There are many superstitions associated with weasels. It was believed that a weasel should not be called by name, otherwise the person would be haunted by illness. There was a belief that at night the brownie tortured the horses standing in the stable - he braided their manes and brought them into a “white sweat.” They fought with the brownie: in the stable they kept a goat, which supposedly was afraid of evil spirits. It turned out that the brownie is none other than a weasel. She runs on the necks and backs of horses, who are terrified of her, try to throw her off and sweat a lot as a result. The weasel, clinging to the mane so as not to fall, licks off the sweat, receiving the necessary mineral salts.

In ancient Rome, the weasel was originally a pet because it hunted mice and thus brought benefits. However, due to the fact that the weasel was difficult to tame, it was no longer kept as a pet.

Weasel is the most small predator on Earth, nimble and agile. The body length is only about 15 cm, and the weight is up to 50 g. The weasel has a thin, highly elongated body, and very short legs. The neck is long and quite powerful for such a small animal - only slightly thinner than the body. The eyes are large, dark, slightly protruding, short rounded ears are widely spaced. The tail is short, in the smallest weasels it does not exceed the length of the foot. When running, the weasel moves its paws very quickly, giving the impression that the animal is crawling, resembling a snake in flexibility. The weasel can also move by jumping, while strongly arching its back. IN temperate latitudes In winter, the weasel changes its yellow-brown fur to a white outfit. In the southern regions, the color of the coat remains constant all year round. Weasels live in Eurasia, North America, and are found in northern Africa. These animals are unpretentious, adapt to different conditions, live in forests of all types, in the steppe and forest-steppe, in the desert, tundra, in the mountains up to alpine meadows. Weasels also settle close to people: they can be found in the green areas of the largest cities (for example, in Moscow parks). The weasel hunts mainly on small mouse-like rodents. IN middle lane catches voles and mice; in deserts it feeds mainly on gerbils.

Lynx

Ears with tassels of black hair at the ends, like a chopped tail, wide whiskers on the sides of the head are the distinctive features of the lynx. The lynx is a large cat, its weight reaches 30 kg, its body length is 73–105 cm. It has rather long thick paws, allowing it to roam through deep snow. By winter, the paws are overgrown with thick, coarse hair. Most often, lynxes live in old forests. When there is an abundance of food, it leads a sedentary life, and in hungry years it wanders in search of prey. Lynx lives in Eurasia and North America. It is the northernmost of the cat species; in Scandinavia, for example, it is found even beyond the Arctic Circle. In the northern regions, lynxes are large, long-haired, and not so noticeably spotted. The lynx prefers to live in dense forests; it is less common in low-growing forests with thickets of bushes, and in the forest-steppe. This cat can swim, deftly climbs trees, walks easily and almost silently.

The lynx hunts hares and attacks small ungulates, rodents and birds. She chooses a convenient place from which the entire area is clearly visible, and patiently waits for her prey. The endurance of a lynx is worthy of surprise: for hours, sometimes for days, it is capable of lying motionless in ambush. Possessing very fine hearing and surprisingly sharp vision, the lynx detects prey from afar. Trot throws are lightning fast and almost always accurate. The lynx is a persistent hunter, and if the first attempt to catch the prey is unsuccessful, the lynx will pursue it for several days. In winter, when the lynx's paws do not get stuck in the snow, it can even cope with a deer. Lynxes lead a solitary lifestyle and are especially active at dusk and at night. Lynxes make their home in a remote area of the forest, in a hollow or cave, and line it with grass, feathers, and wool. Here the lynx gives birth to 2–3 kittens. At first, babies are helpless. During the first months they feed on their mother's milk. Having matured a little, the kittens go out with their mother for a walk, get acquainted with the life of the forest, and learn to hunt. They become independent in about a year.

Badger

The badger is found in mixed and taiga forests, less often in mountain forests; found in steppes and semi-deserts. It adheres to dry, well-drained areas, but near (up to 1 km) reservoirs or swampy lowlands, where the food supply is richer. The badger lives in deep burrows, which it digs along the slopes of sandy hills, forest ravines and gullies. Animals from generation to generation adhere to favorite places: some badger towns are hundreds of years old. Old badger forts are complex multi-tiered underground structures with several (up to 40–50) entrance and ventilation holes and long (5–10 m) tunnels leading to 2–3 extensive nesting chambers lined with dry litter, located at a depth of up to 5 m Nesting chambers are often located under the protection of an aquifer, which prevents rain and water from seeping into them. groundwater. The total length of the underground passages of an average-complexity burrow reaches 35–80 meters. At the core of these intricacies is the main chamber. Periodically, badgers clean their holes and throw out old bedding.

Other animals often live in badger holes. The fox lives in it until it disturbs the owner. When a badger gets tired of such a neighborhood, he simply kicks out the uninvited guest: stories about how a fox survives a badger from its hole are not true.

The badger is omnivorous. It feeds on mouse-like rodents, frogs, lizards, birds and their eggs, insects and their larvae, mollusks, earthworms, mushrooms, berries, nuts and grass. When hunting, a badger has to go around large areas, searching through fallen trees, peeling off the bark of trees and stumps in search of worms and insects. Sometimes in one hunt a badger catches 50–70 or more frogs, hundreds of insects and earthworms. However, he eats only 0.5 kg of food per day and only by autumn he eats up heavily and gains fat, which serves as a source of nutrition for him during winter sleep. With the onset of cold weather, the badger stops leaving its hole and goes into hibernation. By this time, he prepares his hole, cleans it, and fills it with fresh bedding. If several animals live in one common “badger” for the winter, then each one sleeps in a separate nesting chamber.

Report on the topic “Forest animals” updated: August 14, 2018 by: Scientific Articles.Ru

Their house, in which they live, hide and eat, breed. The forest is their protector.

Elk

Forest animals feel confident in their familiar habitat. They are comfortable in the forest, despite the fact that there are dangers here, but each species has adapted to defend itself and hide.

The crown jewel of the forest community is the elk, which belongs to the Deer family. Some specimens reach a length of up to three and a half meters and a height of up to two meters. The weight of such an animal can reach 500 kilograms. Agree, these are impressive parameters. It is very interesting to watch such a giant moving silently through the forest.

He is very strong and, oddly enough, swims and dives remarkably well. In addition, he has a keen ear and good instincts. Imagine that a moose can jump over a four-meter hole or a two-meter obstacle without a run. Not every animal can do this.

It lives exclusively in forests. In other areas it can only be found during spring migrations. At such times you can encounter him in the fields, sometimes he even enters villages. Elk feed on shoots of pine, rowan, aspen, buckthorn, bird cherry, and willow. It also eats herbaceous plants, mushrooms, moss, and berries. Forest animals are forced to look for food in winter. And they don’t always manage to find it so easily. Sometimes moose cause great harm by eating young pine trees and forest plantations. This only happens in winter period, when food is very tight, and a decent number of individuals are concentrated in a relatively small area.

However, forest districts are trying to carry out biotechnical measures to create comfortable and satisfying living conditions for these wonderful animals.

Forest animal bear

The most famous forest dweller. He is the indispensable hero of the majority folk tales. Moreover, he always acts as a good character. However, it should be noted that bears are beasts of prey forest thicket.

They can rightfully be called the masters of the forest. The bear has a powerful body, fairly small eyes and ears. At the withers he has a hump, which is nothing more than muscles that give him the ability to deliver very strong blows. The bear's tail is very small, about twenty centimeters. He is practically invisible in his thick, shaggy fur. The color of the animal varies from light brown to almost black. Of course, the most typical color is brown.

The animal has very powerful paws. Each of them has five fingers. The claws on the animal's paws reach ten centimeters in length.

Brown bear habitat

These majestic forest animals previously lived over vast territories. Now their range has narrowed significantly. Currently, they are found in Finland and Scandinavia, sometimes in the forests of Central Europe and, of course, in the taiga and tundra in Russia.

The size and body weight of bears depend entirely on their habitat. The weight of animals living in Russia does not exceed 120 kilograms. However, Far Eastern bears are much larger. Their weight reaches 750 kilograms.

Their favorite habitat is impenetrable forest areas littered with windbreaks or places with dense thickets of bushes and trees. However, they also love rough terrain, and therefore can be found in the tundra and high mountain forests.

What does a predator eat?

It must be said that the bear eats almost everything that can be eaten. Most of his diet is plant foods: herbs, mushrooms, berries, nuts. When an animal does not have enough food, it can eat insects and larvae, rodents, reptiles and even carrion. Large representatives can afford to hunt ungulates. It is only at first glance that these forest animals seem very clumsy. In fact, when chasing prey, bears show miracles of dexterity. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 55 kilometers per hour.

Bears also love to eat fish. By autumn they eat off and gain about twenty percent of their weight.

Hibernation of bears

However, the life of forest animals changes very much in winter. Bears spend half of the year in their den-den, hibernating. They choose a place for their home in the most inaccessible places. As a rule, they make their winter rookery under the huge roots of broken spruce trees, in rock crevices, and in rubble after windbreaks. They line the inside of their house with dry moss and grass. Bears sleep quite lightly. If you disturb him, he may well wake up, and then be forced to look for a new cozy place to sleep.

When there are very hungry years and the bear cannot gain enough fat reserves, it does not fall asleep. The animal simply wanders in search of food. Such a bear is called a connecting rod. During this period, he becomes very aggressive and is capable of attacking even a person.

The mating season for bears is in May and June. It is usually accompanied by strong roaring and fights between competing males.

After mating, a female bear gives birth to cubs after about six months. They are born in a den. As a rule, two babies are born weighing up to half a kilogram. By the time the couple leaves the den, the offspring have reached the size of a dog and are already beginning to feed with the adults.

The cubs live with their mother for a couple of years. They reach sexual maturity at three to four years. In general, bears live in the wild for up to thirty years.

Wolf

We always associate forest animals with predators. One of their representatives is the wolf. There are a huge number of them in our country. They have long been actively fought against, since they cause significant damage to the household.

It is widely believed that the wolf is a forest animal. However, this is not entirely true. There are many of them living in the tundra, they prefer open spaces. And people are forcing them to go into the forests, actively fighting them.

Outwardly, the wolf looks like a large large dog. He has a powerful physique. The length of its body reaches up to 1.5 meters. Weight ranges from 30 to 45 kilograms. Females are generally smaller than males.

Wolves have strong and resilient paws. They are long distance runners. In general, this is a highly organized animal and also very smart. Looking at each other, the wolves exchange information.

This animal has well-developed hearing, excellent sense of smell and vision. The wolf receives all information about the surrounding world through its sense of smell. He is able to distinguish the tracks of forest animals by smell many hours after they left them. In general, it is difficult for us to imagine the variety of smells that a wolf can distinguish.

Habits of wolves

Wolves are very strong and hardy animals. They reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers in pursuit of prey. And in a throw this value increases to 80.

In summer, wolves live in pairs and raise their offspring strictly within their own territory. By winter, young individuals, together with older ones, gather in groups and lead a wandering lifestyle. Wolves, like all forest animals, change their lifestyle in winter.

Usually a pack consists of ten wolves, which are representatives of the same family. Sometimes several flocks can unite into one larger one. This is possible in severe snowy times or when there is very large prey.

What do wolves eat?

Since the wolf is a predator, meat is the basis of its diet. Although sometimes an animal can try plant foods. The wolf hunts absolutely any animal that is within his power. If he has enough game, he will not stop looking into human settlements. Wolves are very intelligent and understand the full extent of the risk.

In the forest, this animal hunts for almost all inhabitants, from elk to chipmunks and voles. Of course, its favorite prey, depending on its habitat, is wapiti and roe deer. However, the wolf will not disdain a fox, a raccoon, a rat, a ferret, a pig, or a hare. The hunting habits of wolves are varied. They can wait for their prey in ambush, or they can drive it for a long time. And their collective hunt is generally a complex, well-coordinated mechanism where everyone understands each other without words.

Very prudently, they drive their prey into the water in a flock. Wolf is large predator, but he knows how to catch fish, frogs, mice, and also likes to destroy birds' nests.

But it is not always only forest animals and birds that become the prey of predators. IN populated areas there is not enough game, and therefore in harsh winter months When it becomes very difficult to survive, wolves stay closer to villages and begin to rob. Their prey can be sheep, dogs, pigs, horses, cows, and goose. In general, any living creature that a predator can reach. Even one individual can cause a lot of damage in one night.

Fox

Forest animals for children are, rather, fairy tale characters. And the fox is generally the heroine of many children's fairy tales. However, as a fairy-tale person, she is endowed with those features that are inherent in her in real life. The fox is both beautiful and cunning. She has a long fluffy tail and a cunning narrow muzzle and small eyes. This predator is really slender and graceful; in size it is comparable to a small dog. Weighs from six to ten kilograms.

Since childhood, we are accustomed to calling the fox red. And rightly so. It’s just that in life her belly is white or grayish. The back and sides are colored differently: from light gray to bright red. As a rule, northern foxes have bright colors. And the more faded ones are those that live in the forest-steppe. Silver fox fur is considered the most beautiful and expensive. Such foxes have long been bred on special farms, since they are extremely rare in the wild. And among people, their fur is especially popular for its beauty.

In summer, the animal looks a little awkward due to the fact that the fur becomes short and stiff during this period. But by autumn the fox grows a beautiful winter coat. The predator sheds only once a year - in the spring.

Habits of a sly fox

The fox is found not only in the forest, but also in the tundra, mountains, steppes, swamps, and even near human habitation. She is great at adapting to any conditions, but still loves more open spaces. She doesn't like the remote taiga.

In life, as in fairy tales, the fox is very fast and agile. She runs very quickly and easily catches insects flying by. As a rule, she moves at a leisurely trot. Periodically stops, looks around, looks around. Lisa is very careful. When it sneaks up on prey, it crawls quietly on its belly, almost merging with the ground. But he runs away from pursuit with large and sharp leaps, skillfully confusing his tracks.

You can see downright fairy-tale episodes in fox behavior. People invented them for a reason. All stories are taken from real life. Foxes are truly cunning predators who approach hunting wisely. Rather, they take prey not by force, but by seduction. No other animal is named by its patronymic. And the fox's name is Patrikeevna. Why?

Once upon a time there was such a prince named Patrikey. He became famous for his cunning and resourcefulness. Since then, the very name Patrikey has been associated with cunning people. The fox has long been known among the people as a cheat, which is why it was dubbed Patrikeevna.

Who do foxes hunt?

Foxes are very active animals. In winter, its tangled tracks are clearly visible in the snow. You can immediately see where the cheat was hunting. It is generally accepted that foxes feed on hares. But this is a big misconception. She is not able to catch up with such fast prey. Of course, if she stumbles upon defenseless bunnies somewhere, she will certainly take advantage of the opportunity. That’s why hares are a very rare dish in her diet. She just can't keep up with them.

Foxes feed on a variety of insects, birds and animals. But the basis of their menu is rodents. Predators are excellent at exterminating voles. In addition, they know how to fish in shallow waters. Sometimes animals feast on berries.

Hares

The forest life of animals is very interesting to study. All representatives of the animal world are very different, some run away, others hunt. Previously we looked at some predators. Now let's talk about the brightest representative of the forests. Of course, about the hare.

Hares, as in fairy tales, have long ears and short tails. Their hind legs are much longer and more powerful than their front legs. In winter, it is clearly visible in the snow that the prints of the hind paws are ahead of the front ones. This is caused by the fact that they carry them forward while running.

These animals feed on food that does not attract others at all, for example, bark, young shoots and branches, and grass.

Many fairy tales have been written about forest animals, but the favorite hero has always been the hare. Even in life, when escaping from pursuit, he is cunning and tries to confuse his tracks, jumping first in one direction, then in the other, just as in children’s stories. He is capable of running at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour. Not every predator can keep up with such fast prey. In general, hares have many ways in their arsenal to evade persecution. These are so cunning forest creatures. Animals know how to both run away and defend themselves, and in each case they use the most optimal tactics - their sense of smell is so developed.

But it is not so much their cunning that saves the hares as they win with their numbers. They have four to five litters annually. Each of which can contain from two to five bunnies.

The most famous are the white hare. They weigh up to seven and a half kilograms and reach a length of 70 centimeters. Their main difference is the color of the fur. Browns do not change their color in winter. But in summer it is much more difficult to distinguish these varieties.

In general, it is characteristic of hares settled life. Of course, they gallop across fields and meadows, going quite long distances. But then they return to their habitat. Very rarely they can migrate. This only happens in particularly cold and snowy winters.

Who else lives in the forest?

We have listed only the most famous animals, since it is difficult to pay attention to all forest inhabitants within the scope of this article. There are actually a lot of them: wild boars, badgers, hedgehogs, moles, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, sables, martens, raccoons, deer, roe deer, lynxes... As they say, from young to old. They are all very different and interesting. In addition, it would be unfair not to mention birds, which also live quite a lot in our forests.

Forest birds

Not only are forest animals diverse, photos of some of which are given in the article, but also birds. The world of winged creatures is no less interesting. There are a huge number of species living in forests. Here you can find: woodpeckers, larks, robins, orioles, crossbills, nightingales, buntings, magpies, ducks, wagtails, swifts and many others.

Many animals live in the forest. For most of them, the forest serves as their home.

By feeding and moving from place to place, they have a great influence on the life of forest plants, significantly changing the course of the forest formation process. With their help, tree seeds can be introduced into clearings or other areas devoid of woody vegetation. Sometimes, on the contrary, they lead to the death of the seeds of some tree species, preventing its regeneration.

Under the influence of insect pests, forests are dying over vast areas. All this changes the direction of the forest formation process, and sometimes only interrupts or slows down its normal course.

Animals and plants in the forest are in such close interaction that by influencing one component, you can influence the other. There are so-called biological chains. Each type of vegetation corresponds to a specific complex of animals. By changing vegetation, humans also influence animals. Thus, the cutting down of coniferous plantations and the emergence of young deciduous trees in their place in a number of areas led to the proliferation of deer, roe deer and elk. The destruction or extinction of certain animals also affects vegetation. Let us consider in more detail the influence of certain groups of fauna on the forest.

Soil fauna. Soil fauna plays an extremely important (although not always noticeable) role in the life of the forest. The role of earthworms is especially important. They crush organic residues, mix them with the mineral part of the soil and process them biochemically, passing them through the food tract. Total quantity The amount of organic matter eaten and processed by earthworms can reach 1 ton per 1 hectare. This amounts to approximately 1/4 (sometimes even up to 1/3) of the total leaf litter that annually reaches the soil surface.

Moving in the soil earthworms, according to the observations of Charles Darwin (by the way, this is his very first scientific work), pass through about 25 tons of soil per 1 hectare. This leads to an improvement in its physical properties, aeration, water and thermal conditions and structures. Their influence owes its origin to a well-defined humus horizon, in which organic matter - humus - is closely associated with the mineral part of the soil. Through the passages of earthworms they penetrate to great depths and the roots of woody plants. Tree seedlings appear on the loosening created by earthworms and other invertebrate animals. Spruce seedlings are especially often confined to such areas.

There are few invertebrates in the tundra. There they are concentrated only in the very surface layer of soil or in moss turf. There are somewhat more of them in taiga forests. But here, too, earthworms are found only in the surface layer. There are many invertebrates in coniferous-deciduous and broad-leaved forests.

With an increase in the number of earthworms, soil fertility also improves. But we should not forget that the sheer number of earthworms depends on the properties of forest soils. In areas with rich organic matter, fertile soils with good water and air regimes, there are up to 5-7 million. annelids for 1 hectare. On poor soils their number rarely exceeds 50-100 thousand. for 1 hectare. There are almost no earthworms in swamps and very dry soils. As for other invertebrates, they play a much smaller role due to their small numbers.

Insects. Many insects play a useful role in the life of the forest. They pollinate flowers and distribute small seeds. Without insects, entomophilous (insect-pollinated) plants would not form seeds and they would fall out of the forest stands. And the death of all insects is no longer such a fantastic thing in our time. The use of chemicals can also lead to this.

Much more often insects cause harm. By eating leaves and needles, they lead to the death of entire forests. Like mushrooms, they damage fruits and seeds, shoots, etc. These damages, if they do not directly lead to the death of trees, then reduce their role in the process of formation of new tree stands and lead to the weakening of old ones. Weakened trees are attacked by other insects (bark beetles, pine beetles) and accelerate their death. The damage caused by insects is so great that it is studied in a special specialized course in forest entomology.

There are insects that feed on other insects (ground beetles, ichneumon wasps, etc.). By destroying harmful insects, they bring great benefits to woody vegetation. Ants eat many harmful insects. There is evidence that the ants of one anthill destroy from 3 to 5 million insects per season, including up to 150-360 thousand harmful ones from an area of 0.2-0.5 hectares. They also attack caterpillars and young insects during their molting period or immediately after they emerge from cocoons. At the same time, it has been established that ants favor aphids and, along with harmful insects, destroy beneficial ones. Only certain races of red ants play a noticeably beneficial role. Many harmful insects are destroyed by arachnids, trapping flies, butterflies, dragonflies and other flying insects in their nets.

Birds. Most birds live in deciduous and mixed forests, fewer in dark coniferous forests. On this occasion, the famous ornithologist S.A. Baturlin wrote that the taiga is lifeless and only when approaching some river valley, lake basin or just clearing life is in full swing. Birds eat many insects. Small birds that feed exclusively on insects are especially useful in this regard. A smaller role is played by birds that use insects to feed their chicks.

The eastern broadmouth lies in wait for passing insects in the treetops. More often it feeds on beetles, less often it catches dragonflies, fillies, bumblebees and bees. A large number of flying insects are eaten by flycatchers. One small kinglet eats up to 4 million small insects and their larvae over the summer. The oriole and cuckoo destroy especially many insects. Up to a hundred hairy caterpillars, which are not eaten by other birds, are eaten a day by the cuckoo. The larvae lives in the upper canopy of tree stands. It exterminates beetles, flies, butterflies, larvae and caterpillars. He catches some of them right on the fly, others peck from the branches. There are many moths, most of which are forest pests, and beetles are destroyed by the nightjar.

Some birds destroy large numbers of mouse-like rodents. The large forest owl, the long-tailed owl, feeds mainly on mice, but sometimes is not averse to feasting on hare, squirrel and feathered game. However, the benefits from it outweigh the harm. In the Far East there lives an interesting needle-footed owl, which catches large nocturnal insects (butterflies and beetles) with its paws. She has needles on the inner sides of her fingers, with the help of which she holds insects. Sometimes it also destroys small birds. A pygmy owl catches mice. In the hollows of trees he stores mice and small birds, creating reserves for the winter. The shrike hunts butterflies, beetles, large grasshoppers and small birds, and sometimes mice. When the shrike is full, it impales dead insects and birds on dry sharp twigs, hawthorn thorns and other thorns in reserve.

Among other birds, the role of woodpeckers should be noted. There are several types of them, and almost all of them are considered forest doctors or orderlies. With their strong beaks, woodpeckers catch insects, most often large larvae hiding in the wood and inaccessible to other birds. They hollow out hollows, which then serve as homes for other birds. But woodpeckers eat more than just insects. They eat a lot of tree seeds. You can often find a woodpecker's forge in the forests - a place with a large pile of empty fir cones. Here, having strengthened the cone, he takes out the seeds from it. He stores linden seeds in the fall by stringing lionfish on branches.

Lives in the forests of the Far East interesting bird- blue magpie. In summer it feeds on large insects (beetles, butterflies, caterpillars), and in autumn and winter on seeds. It pecks the fruits of currants, grapes, lemongrass, viburnum, velvet, aralia, dimorphant and other tree species. Velvet fruits are eaten by thrushes, waxwings, grosbeaks and other birds. Crossbills eat a lot of seeds.

Birds distribute the seeds of many plants over considerable distances, eating fruits with juicy pulp and seeds protected from digestion by a dense shell. A significant portion of such seeds passes through the digestive tract undamaged. There are even seeds that do not germinate without passing through the intestines of birds and the action of gastric juice on them.

Black grouse feed on fruits, larvae and ants in summer, and birch and willow buds in winter. Hazel grouse eat a lot of fruits. In summer they feed on seeds and greens, sometimes tearing apart anthills, in winter they eat buds, young shoots, catkins of alder and birch. Grouse and hazel grouse cause some harm to tree regeneration, but they themselves serve as valuable hunting objects. We have already talked about the activities of the nutcracker. Let us only add that, according to special estimates, in Siberia, nutcrackers bring up to 38-43 thousand Siberian pine seeds to felling areas during the fall. The jay carries oak acorns over long distances. Other birds also bring a lot of benefits to the forest. And if at the same time they eat some of the seeds, then they also need to eat.

Mammals. Many species of mammals live in forests. These are bear, tiger, sable, cheetah, lynx, squirrel, wild boar, roe deer, deer, goral, wolf, musk deer, hare, mole and many others. Most mammals are of hunting value. Some animals only live in forests and have almost no effect on woody vegetation. Most animals feed on plants and other forest animals and play either a positive or a negative role in the life of the forest.

Perhaps the greatest damage to forests is caused by mouse-like rodents. They destroy the seeds of tree species and thereby prevent their regeneration. Many seeds, especially large ones, are eaten by mice in crops in nurseries and forestry areas. They are so good at finding cedar nuts sown in the soil that its cultivation by seeds has become impossible. In lean years, mouse-like rodents eat the bark of young trees, and these trees gradually dry out. Sometimes in this way they destroy shelterbelts in the fields.

At the same time, mouse-like rodents also bring some benefits. So, in the years mass reproduction bank voles dig up to 10-15% of the area. Along their passages, the soil is soaked to a great depth, and in places where they emerge to the surface, seedlings of woody plants appear. In pine forests, up to 35% of pine seedlings grow above rodent passages. Among other rodents, hares play some harmful role, biting the tops of undergrowth of deciduous trees and eating the bark of aspens.

Hoofed animals (deer, roe deer, musk deer, goral, sheep, elk) feed on deciduous shoots, less often coniferous trees and harm forestry. This harm is usually small and is outweighed by the benefits they provide in the form of meat products. But there are cases when ungulates destroy many small trees in winter. IN lately Moose on many farms have become a real scourge of coniferous crops. So, according to observations on Kola Peninsula, one elk eats from 120 to 200 pine trees per day in the fall, and from 60 to 100 in the winter. This is a lot of damage. Almost sometimes moose eat all the planted trees. But more often than not, people themselves are to blame for this. The number of animals (especially if they are specially bred, fed, or the predators that eat them are destroyed) must be regulated. Deer, roe deer, and hares in France severely damage white and Douglas fir, Norway spruce, ash, beech and Scots pine. As a result of these damages, tree growth slows down and rot forms.

Ungulates, eating some species and leaving others, contribute to the replacement of one type of vegetation by another. So, in Belgorod region Roe deer severely damage bird cherry, European euonymus, rosehip, Norway maple and field maple, blackthorn, warty euonymus and pear. They eat oak and ash very rarely, and only slightly damage linden. It would seem that they are helping the oak tree in its struggle for existence. But that's not true. They destroy small species that form a “coat” for the oak and worsen its growth conditions.

The benefits that wild boars bring to forests are very great. In search of food, they dig up the soil, thereby promoting the natural regeneration of tree species. But the number of such useful animals should be regulated. When it increases sharply, great damage is caused to agriculture. In search of food, wild boars wander into the fields and gardens of local residents and sometimes dig up the entire harvest of potatoes and other crops. And then there are angry calls to destroy the wild boars. In this case, you just need to regularly shoot excess animals and use meat, which is also a forest product.

Many tree seeds are destroyed by squirrels, chipmunks and porcupines. They all collect seeds, hide them in their storage facilities and almost never lose them. Chipmunks cause great damage to forest nurseries by digging up large seeds in the beds. Proteins behave interestingly during periods of migration. Moving from one area to another, they hide the seeds under the forest floor. Obviously, some kind of instinct is triggered. These seeds remain until spring, and then germinate.

Insectivores bring great benefits to the forest. Shrews eat many harmful insects. Moles also feed on insects, but often eat beneficial earthworms. With their movements in the forest, they improve the water and air regime of the soil, help reduce surface runoff and penetrate tree roots into deeper soil horizons. At the same time, moles spoil meadows and ridges in nurseries. The beneficial role of hedgehogs is especially great. They feed on harmful insects, their larvae, and mice. Many harmful insects are caught by bats. Badgers also feed on harmful insects and mice. The fox destroys a lot of mice, and therefore it can rather be classified as a useful animal. Other predatory animals also hunt mice: marten, sable, ermine, weasel, ferret and weasel. The sable also feeds on pine nuts. Bears and other large predatory animals play a less noticeable role in the life of the forest. This is the complex relationship that develops between the forest and animals. There are neither absolutely useful nor absolutely harmful animals in the forest - they are its integral part.

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